(Image: Sébastien ERNEST – Spirit of Decay; MiG-21 Fishbed)
The title ‘Abandoned MiG in the Wood’ pretty much sums it up. Urban explorer Sébastien ERNEST has documented some amazing scenes on his website Spirit of Decay, and this abandoned MiG-21 Fishbed – a Russian-built fighter jet used widely throughout the Cold War years – is yet another example of the decaying military history that haunts the European landscape.
Its location (perhaps on a former air base or in a defunct museum) isn’t revealed, which in many ways makes the old jet’s presence more compelling. Who knows what you might find while out for a walk in the woods! Like much decommissioned and discarded military hardware, however, this MiG-21 doesn’t appear to be derelict. Grimy for sure, and in need of some TLC, but it looks as though its bare metal finish would mainly benefit from a good clean.
Of course, it’s impossible to tell from the picture the extent to which corrosion has taken hold of the undercarriage and other internal components. Nor can we assess how structurally-sound the retired fighter is. Photographed earlier this year, it’s clearly been there for some time, and it seems reasonable to assume that it’s going nowhere fast. Like the old warbirds before it, perhaps in time aircraft like this will be gathered up and preserved also.
Related: 21 Abandoned Airplane Graveyards (Where Aviation History Goes to Die)
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