The Odessa Museum of Aviation Technology, which is located at the Hydroport sports airfield in Odessa Mezhlimanye, received from Kyiv a rare gift: the Ukrainian An-30 reconnaissance aircraft.

At noon, two trailers delivered a disassembled exhibit of the museum collection to the airfield.

The big bird has long been bored at the Kyiv aircraft repair plant 410, near the airport named after Igor Sikorsky (Zhulyany), where it was prepared for disassembly and disposal, but Odessa expert of history saved the rare aircraft and obtained it to be delivered to Odessa.

Interestingly, in seven years - from 1973 to 1979, 71 An-30 aircraft were built at the Kyiv Aviant plant, but as of yesterday, only one such aircraft was listed in Ukrainian museums, in the Antonov State Aviation Museum of Ukraine.

The novelty of the Odessa Museum made its first flight on October 1, 1974, receiving registration number UR-30026 (serial - 05-05). Until May 1981, the aircraft worked in the West Siberian Department of Civil Aviation of the Aeroflot airline, after which it flew in the Kiev United Aviation Squadron.

In June 1993, it was transferred to the Ukrainian Airlines (Air Ukraine), and since 2006 it has been stored in the sump of the 410th plant in Zhuliany.

Of course, the novelty will have to be assembled, repaired and painted to give it a museum gloss, but the restorers know their job, they already have several restored cars behind them.

Recall that the history of the Odessa Museum began in the spring of 2020, when the pilots managed to save three old MiGs that they wanted to scrap (Mig-19PM, Mig-21UM and Mig-23ML). All three sides underwent serious repairs with the restoration of many elements. For example, on the MiG-19, the restorers managed to make new wing panels from scratch, according to the drawings. Since then, an unofficial name has stuck to a small area at the airfield, the alley of the Migov of the Hydroport, and in July of the same 2020 it received official documents; a group of aviators registered a public organization called the Odessa Aviation Museum.

The exposition was collected “from the world on a string” - a part was purchased at the Odessa Aviation Plant - three MiG-21MF, one MiG-21UM (the second in the collection) and Su-17M3. Su-9 came from Genichesk, Su-24 from Vasylkov, L-29 Delphin managed to be bought at an auction held by the Ministry of Defense, and two Yak-40s were given to the museum for safekeeping by the State Property Fund of Ukraine.

Now ten aircraft are already in the fenced parking lot, several are under repair, and two are left for exchange, so the An-30 will be happy - the twelfth exhibit. The director of the museum and the restorers have big plans to acquire new boards, in addition to full-scale samples, there are also aircraft cockpits with operating instruments and equipment, for example, the cockpit of the Tu-154B-2, and on the old L-29 Delphin, the hydroport craftsmen even managed to start the engine.

The grand opening of the museum has been postponed several times. According to the director, the famous Odessa aerobatic pilot Valery Nalivaiko, there were few exhibits in the exposition.

Before this winter, we still had nothing to boast of. Yes, we have several interesting, rare aircraft, as they say, exhibits with history, but some of them were under restoration, so the opening was postponed. I think that closer to the summer we will restore a few more copies, make an official opening and please aviation lovers.

Valery Nalivaiko, director of Odessa Museum of Aviation Technology

Entrance to the museum will be free of charge.