(Text and photos: Thomas Dimigen)
A MiG-21U was moved from Osnabrück to the Müritz airfield by staff and friends of the Rechlin / Lärz aviation museum. This operation is described in detail below.
In 1999, 292 was sold from Holland to the Brinkmann electronics store chain in Osnabrück. It stood there until June 28 of this year. After Brinkmann's bankruptcy, ProMarkt bought the Osnabrück branch including the MiG and then sold it to us, the Rechlin / Lärz aviation museum. From June 28 to 30, 2002, we took 292 down from its supports at a height of about 4 m with four forklift trucks and removed the tail, jet pipe, wings and stabilisers so that it could be pushed through a door measuring 2.40 by 2.50 metres. On Sunday, June 30, we stowed the MiG's parts in the customer car park; on the following Saturday morning we collected the fuselage, wings, stabilisers and jet pipe with a low-loader. The tail section was loaded onto a boat trailer and transported separately. On Saturday night the convoy reached the museum grounds in Lärz. Over the following weeks the aircraft was gradually reassembled.
One problem is the missing landing gear: after the aircraft was put up, Brinkmann had disposed of it at a scrap dealer. In August we get a tip from the Bundeswehr in southern Germany: a MiG-21 is to be scrapped there because pressure tests have been completed and because of its poor condition – but the landing gear is said to be fine.
At the end of August we receive confirmation that we can have the landing gear; a second MiG-21, also used by the Bundeswehr for tests and now to be scrapped, turns up at the scrap dealer. On September 5 we set off again and drive to Memmingen in Bavaria to remove the landing gear and take it to Lärz. We also buy the second set of landing gear, and so we can complete our 292 further – put it back on its own wheels.
