A short walk along the seafront promenade at Gdynia, passing the beach bars and restaurants all sitting on the sand and looking out across the blue Baltic Sea, brings you to what in 1995 was a lovely treat: the Polish Navy Aviation Museum. If you arrive before the museum opens like me, I recommend a local beer looking out on a fabulous view with the Hel peninsula in the distance, " Cheers."
Back in 1995, there were four aircraft exhibited in the garden of the museum; I can see that today, at least two more aircraft have joined them; fortunately for me, both these new arrivals, a MiG-21 and TS-11, were still to be seen flying at the Babie Doly airshow in 1995.
316 (cn 382-3940) PZL-Lim-6 BIS Polish Navy, a licence-built MiG-17, NATO reporting name "Fresco".
Its manoeuvrability was perfect in low-altitude assault missions, outclassing the MiG-21 and SU-7s.
The PZL-Lim-6 BIS varied slightly from its predecessor, the Lim-5, the new variant, and carried underwing pylons seen here embellished with the Polish-made Mars-2 rocket launchers capable of discharging 16 unguided 57mm rockets. It was also fitted with a new braking parachute housing under the rudder, as seen in the top photograph.
1717 Mil Mi-4ME (cn 02177) Polish Navy.
Used by the Navy as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
1717 Mil Mi-4 NATO calling the name "Hound B."
Fitted with the searching radar station SPRS-1 ("KURS-M") hydroacoustic station "BAKU."
Behind the radar, an additional fuel tank and rescue boat were provided in the gun turret.
69 Ilyushin IL-28R (cn 41302) Polish Navy.
NATO called the name "Beagle".
4028 PZL-Swidnik SM-2 (cn S1-04017), a License Mil Mi-1, NATO calling "Hare", with its enlarged cockpit to allow one pilot and four passengers. It was operated as a light utility helicopter also in the SAR role.
2 Yakovlev Yak-9P Polish Navy.
The Yak-9 had the title of the Soviet Union's most mass-produced aircraft produced from 1942 through to 1948, with 17,000 aircraft constructed!
It was said to perform better than the Messerschmitt Bf 109G and the Focke-Wulf Fw190A.
Overall, it is a very recommendable museum, and the Beer is excellent.
