Turners Auction Off Russian Fighter Jet

News brief
23 August 2010

Turners Auction Off Russian Fighter Jet

How would you like to be the first person on your street to own a genuine Russian fighter jet?

As ‘once in a lifetime’ chances go, it doesn’t get much better than one of Turners Auctions’ latest listings – an authentic 1973 Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-21MF Fighter Jet that is currently being auctioned by Turners via TradeMe.

The auction was listed at 7pm on Friday 20 August and has already attracted huge interest. By midnight on Sunday 22 August the bidding was up to more than $34,000 and the auction received more than 27,000 page views over the weekend.

The auction gives aircraft enthusiasts from around the country the opportunity to bid on a piece of aviation history.

“The aircraft would make a great museum piece or look very good in a private collection,” says Graham Roberts, Turners Auctions’ Chief Executive.

“This iconic piece of machinery was imported to New Zealand in late 1993 with only 1,052 flight hours on the airframe of an expected 20000 hour life so it is still in very good condition.”

It is one of only two Mig-21s in the country. The other is a two-seater which is currently in Transport and Toy Museum in Wanaka.

MiG-21 fighter jets were built from 1959 all the way through to 1985, and are still in service in many countries today, flying at speeds reaching up to 2,125km/h (Mach 2.05) and heights of up to 62000ft.

While the jet was originally built for speed, it is no longer operational, meaning that for the successful bidder it will be a bit slower to move it from A to B.

The MiG can be viewed at Turners Auctions, 1 Detroit Place, Christchurch until the close of the auction on TradeMe at 7pm on Friday the 3rd of September.

For more information about the jet visit www.turners.co.nz

Technical Specifications
Serial Number: 968008
Year of Manufacturer: 1973
Manufactured in Russia
Length: 15.76 meters
Wingspan: 7.15 meters
Height: 4.1 meters
Maximum speed: 2,125 km/h (Mach 2.05)
Service Ceiling: 620000 Feet
Engine: Tumanskiy R-13-300 Afterburning Turbojet Rated at 14320 Lbf

- Ends –

© Scoop Media