Fastener tags were cut from two upper fuselageaccess panel located underside of Soviet Air Force MiG-23MLD Flogger-K, “White 38″, s/n: 0390312084, which was one of the 33 MiG-23MLDs of 120 IAP deployed to Bagram Airbase near Kabul during the Afghanistan War in 1988. It completed over 80 combat missions over Afghan soil before being severely damaged during its landing after a sortie in October 1989. Although it was sent to the Soviet Union for repairs, it never returned, as Soviet troops, including 120 IAP, fully withdrew from Afghanistan a few months later.
Since these tags were cut from the edge of each access panel, they include both fasteners and tubular rubber seals. This page covers tag numbers from 424 to 438 of this variant. The Soviet fasteners on the tags are steel rods that are secured by turning them into a housing mounted on the aircraft. On some tags, the laser etching overlaps the fasteners. In these instances, the fastener was put in the closed position prior to etching, meaning the fastener’s slot was parallel to the bottom of the tag if not specifically marked. Tag number 436 has dry remains of a red colored sealant around the fastener. Soviet Loctite?
Additional information:
Dimensions: approx. 88 mm x 37 mm (3.46″ x 1.45″)
There may be a slight difference between the color shades on your screen and those on the actual tags.
