The main consequence of the status quo above is simple. In order to
get up close and personal with the Russian aerospace technology, one
needs to take a leap of faith, go to the Russian Embassy, apply for visa
and the head over in the direction that may still be worrying for some
of the Westerners: Eastwards, comrade, Moscow-bound! To be more
specific, one needs to go to Zhukovskiy, the cradle of then-Soviet and
now Russian aerospace technology.
Zhukovskiy is a true Mecca for the fans of the Soviet aviation, alongside
the Central Air Force Museum in Monino. This is because the city
near Moscow is a home to TsAGI - the The Central Aerohydrodynamic
Institute named after N.E. Zhukovsky. Founded in 1918, the research
facility in question is essentially, for the Russians, the very same thing
that the Edwards AFB is to the Americans. It is a mythical location where
aerodynamics of the Soviet and Russian aircraft were being born.
TsAGI heritage includes the airframe designs of MiG-29 and Su-27
families that both exhibit excellent low-speed, high AoA characteristics.
The facility is also where the Soviet space shuttle Buran or An-124 and
An-225 airlifters were born. 16 wind tunnels and numerous testbeds are
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