A Russian made MiG 15 engine, the Klimov VK-1A turbojet engine, was added to the Perrin AFB Museum on May 2, 2006. The jet engine will be displayed next to it's Korean War rival, the General Electric J-47 turbojet engine.
The J47 powered the famous North American F-86 Saberjet that engaged in combat against the MiG 15 in the skies over North Korea during the Korean war.
Ten Russian MiG 15's were shot down for each Saberjet that went down. Although the MiG 15 engine and aircraft was a tad more powerful and faster than the American Saberjet, the skill of our American pilots against the Russian, Chinese and North Korean communist pilots, accounted for the 10 to 1 combat "kill" rate against the communists.
This photo shows the engine as it arrived from Tulsa, Oklahoma Air and Space Museum.
James Farris, President of the Perrin Air Force Base museum, Dennis Foran, Charlie, Carlton and Howell Brown all made the trip to Tulsa on Tuesday, May 2, 2006, and returned with the engine.
On new year's day 2006, the Perrin AFB museum added a General Electric J47 engine. It was donated by Mr. Randy Ball who also is loaning the MiG engine to the Perrin AFB museum.
Mr. Ball owns and personally flies a fully operational MiG 15 jet fighter in aerial demonstrations at air shows around the nation. He teams up with a friend who flies the F86 Saberjet. They engage in aerial combat (dog fights) for the crowd to watch. His operational headquarters is with the Historical Aviation Memorial Museum located at the Tyler Regional Airport, Tyler, Texas.
The Perrin Air Force Base Museum is free and open to the public, Monday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm. Group tours at other times by arrangement. Please checking our web site http://www.perrinfield.org/ for telephone numbers of contact personnel as well as more information about our mission.
