CVN Rodina Air Wing

Rodina Air Fleet

Various Models, 1/72

The history of the Soviet aircraft carrier Rodina begins in Nazi Germany. The Kreigsmarine had embarked upon a program to construct an aircraft carrier, named the Graf Zepellin. Due to technological and political reasons, the ship was never completed, and at wars' end, it was towed back to the Soviet Union full of war booty. Realising the design was valid, the Soviets hurriedly completed it, and in 1948, the West was stunned to see a Soviet carrier supporting the blockade of berlin. Initially equipped with La-11s and Il-2s, the first Rodina was a testbed for larger things.

Rolling off the ways in 1948 or 1949, the second ship named Rodina was commissioned in 1950, and began workups in June of that year. Seeing open water in the summer of 1950, the new Rodina became a source of much dismay amonst the western navies, and the ensuing conflict in Korea was to provide some of the tensest moments in the cold war prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

The new Rodina was equipped with a new jet aircraft, the MiG 16A"Furry". Based on the MiG 15 fuselage, the Furry incorporated a straight
wing and tailplane for better low speed handling, essential for landing on the heaving deck of an aircraft carrier. As Soviet experience with catapults was minimal, initially a rocket sled was used to launch the Furry, but the exhaust gasses and trolly losses led to a hydraulic catapult being adopted, although the bugs were never fully worked out until 1953. Losses among MiG 16As were high, mostly due to catapult failures.
In March of 1952, the Rodina was posted to Vladivostok as part of the Soviet Pacific Fleet. This caused a great stir in the US Navy, as the
carrier would be in the Korean sphere of operations. Warning the Soviets not to interfer with operations in the Korean conflict, the US Navy adopted a serious air patrol presence over their carrier groups. Interceptions of Furries was a common event, and eventually, there was trouble.

On the morning of December 11, 1952, Lt. Commander Carmichael (RN) was flying a Grumman F9F-2 Panther on exchange aboard the USS Princeton. A trio of MiG 16A Furries were closing on the Princeton, and Lt Cmdr Carmichael was vectored towards the MiGs. Carmichael and his wingman, Lt Peters, were able to down 2 of the MiGs before they third MiG hit Carmichaels Panther, causing the engagement to end. While both pilots were able to recover to the Princeton, neither of the MiG pilots survived. The USSR lodged a serious complaint in the UN, and began building up forces in the Far East. Only the death of Stalin prevented what could have been WW III.

Withdrawing the Rodina to Murmansk at the end of the Korean war, it re-emerged in 1955 as a completely differently tasked vessel. It was now a dedicated ASW ship, designed to combat the lead the US enjoyed in submarine technology. Steam catapults and angled decks, pioneered by the Royal Navy and tested by the US Navy, were implimented first on the Rodina. This allowed for a larger a rcraft takeoff weight, and for launch and landing operations to run simultaneously. The enhanced Rodina was a serious threat to the submarine force of the NATO alliance.

The Aircraft:

MiG OKB had apparently decide to wring the most out of the basic MiG 15 design. Starting with the MiG 16A Furry, the design team also did a night interceptor, a mine countermeasures vehicle, and even a turboprop ASW plane. The time frame shown here is just after the Rodina was recommissioned as an ASW carrier.

Mig-16A Furry:

Using the basic fuslegae and tail of the MiG 15, the Mig 16A had straight wings and stabilisers for enhanced carrier landings and takeoffs. While able to challenge F9F Panthers on an almost even footing, it was noticably inferior to the MiG 15 in high speed capacity. Tasked with fleet defence, it also has a limited ground attack ability.

MiG-16D Fracture:

In order to install the larger night interceptor radar, MiG OKB utilised lateral intakes for their Mig-16D fighter. A large radar dish was placed in the nose, filling what had been the intake duct. The plane also wound up having a new wing design as well. A two seater, the MiG 16D utilsed an early airborne radar system and as a result, was limited in its actual interception capability.

MiG-16E Minor:

Using the fuselage of the MiG 15, the MiG 16E had a completely different wing and tail structure so as to allow carriage of the anti-mine countermeasure electromagnetic ring. Why MiG OKB thought that a high speed jet would be effective in this role is unknown ,but the planes soldiered on for several years, before being phased out in favour of slow ships.

MiG-14B Maggot:

A dedicated ASW aircraft, the apparent reversal in the numbering sequence has yet to be understood. Using two turboprop engines in the nose driving contra-rotating propellors, it still used the basic MiG 15 fuselage. The absence of the rear turbojet allowed for the inclusion of a
MAD boom, electronics, and the operator, who was enclosed in a small cramped booth inside the rear fuselage. The requirements for range and endurance made a longer wing necessary. Pods on the wings mounted search radar and a spotlight. An internal bombay carried standard depth charges, torpedoes or mines.

Mi-1 Haze:

Utilised as a plane guard and supply transfer vehicle, and also as a medevac helicopter.

Il-10 Beast:

A basic conversion of the standard Il-10, the Sea Beast differed in having arrestor gear and catapult attachments. Optimised for ground attack, it was useful for attacking ships as well.

Page created October 25, 2003