Koku-Fan

This is an interesting special edition of the Japanese aviation magazine 'The Koku-Fan', carrying unique photographs of the MiG-25 piloted by Victor Belenko when he defected to the West with his (then) highly secret interceptor in September 1976. The illuistrations section consists mainly of (rather grainy) photographs of the MiG-25 at Hakodate airport, almost on a minute-by-minute basis, from shortly after Belenko landed (and ran off the end of the runway), then showing local officials crowding around the aircraft, it being towed away to a hardstanding, having its markings covered and then being covered with a tarpaulin, having a temporary structure erected around it and finally being dismantled and removed by USAF C-5 Galaxy for the CIA to get a far better look at it.

As this magazine dates from nearly a year later, some information had gotten out and the (English) captions do give a little detail. Some of this I can corroborate from having talked to a NASA engineer in 1978, who had seen the CIA report and was able to let some information out.

The English captions can be quite quaint at times: I particularly liked "A Defense Agency official reportedly sighed deeply when he watched a TV screen where the Police were measuring the ejection seat..."

We have far better pictures and information on the MiG-25 now, of course; but this is of historical interest for being effectively a record of the events on that September day.

The magazine is padded out with some pictures and description of the MiG-23 and -27. Again, better information has been made available since.… (mehr)