Christophe

GAF Pika A93-2 Maiden flight on 31 October 1951. The 1st jet engined aircraft designed and built in Australia. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

S-51 Rescue helicopter. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

And the Dassault Mirage III A3-51, selected to replace the Avon Sabre as the RAAF's fighter aircraft in 1960. It was the 1st aircraft in RAAF service capable of flying at twice the speed of sound. It entered operational service in 1965, and served as the front-line fighter until 1988. This made of it the longest-serving fighter in RAAF history. Cheers. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Hi Bob, Very nice pics. Here is the same Sabre, as displayed in the local antenna of the RAAF Museum during the Avalon Air Show (20-25 March 2007) in Melbourne. During the business days, it was quite quiet there; I think the public days have been more than hectic!!!! Cheers. Ch. Pic : ? Christophe ? ChR Collection

Thanks Jim . Dan, Your turn, now, to post Question #99 !!! (as said by Christian, a symbolic one, as it will allow its winner to post the 100th one!!! Cheers. Ch.

Hi Dan, Welcome to the Quiz!!!! You did well for your first participation!!!! I'll let Jim officially confirm you're the winner, but no doubt about his!!!! Congratulations!!! Prepare your next question ... For more details about Mariya Oktybrskaya, please, see Henry Sakaida - "Heroines of the Soviet Union", page 45-46. Cheers. Ch.

Thanks Christian. I have updated your number of victories to 15 (instead of 14, my mistake... ). Cheers. Ch.

I was away during a few days, and I"m back now. I'm more than pleased to see the dynamism of this Quiz. Congrats to all!!!! The latest stats : This small game has now been launched 17 months ago now (on 1 Nov. 2005), and since : * 97 questions asked, * with 1,131 answers, * and 57 pages of Q&As. * This quiz has been viewed more than 11,130 times. * 31 Members of the Forum played, and 24 correctly answered at least 1 question : Nb of good answers : * 15 : Christian (Zulus) * 11 : Christophe * 9 : Bryan (Soviet) * 8 : Simon (Red Threat) * 5 : Carol I * 4 : Belaruski, Ed (Haynes), Franck (Knarf), Jim (JimZ) and Wild Card. * 3 : Andreas (Alfred), Auke (Ferdinand) and Kim (Kimj). * 2 : Chuck (in Oregon), Gerd (Becker), Ivan (Piramida), Jan (vatjan), and Order of Victory. * 1 : Darrell, Daredevil, Dave (Navy FCO), Dudeman, Rick (Stogieman) and Steen (Ammentorp). This is a great achievement. Thanks to all for your participation. Now, let's continue to have fun with the 97th question... Christian's one!!! Cheers.

Good points from Jim. Alma-Aty (o(r Alma-Ata) was the capital of Kazakhstan at that time. Now, Astana. The eagle is part of the crest of Kazakhstan. Ch.

The ideal way to solve the question about the Order of Friendship of People would be to see any document or photograph about it... Congrats Auke for the list you posted!!! Carol, your turn , now... Ch.

Auke, Great!!!! But, I have not exactly the same number of Orders nor the same list : 21 Soviet Orders : 2 Orders of Lenin 4 Orders of the Red Banner 2 Orders of Suvorov 2nd Class 1 Order of Kutuzov 1st Class 1 Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class 1 Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class 1 Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class 4 Orders of the Red Star 1 Order of the October Revolution 1 Order of the Red Banner of Labor 1 Order for Service to the Homeland in de Armed Forces of the USSR 1st Class 1 Order for Service to the Homeland in de Armed Forces of the USSR 2nd Class 1 Order for Service to the Homeland in de Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd Class and according to my source, no Order of Friendship of People... What is your source here ? Mine is Shishkov & Muzalevsky - Orders and Medals of the USSR - Vol1. Page 291. Published in 2000. About Georgiy Filippovich Baidukov: He was born on 26 May 1907 in the area of Novosibirsk. Russian, pilot, colonel-general, Hero of SU, he began in 1921 to work as building worker on the Siberian railway. He joined then the armed forces, and in 1926 has ended the Leningrad military-theoretical school of the Air Force. In 1928, he became a military pilot (Graduated from 1st Moscow school of military pilots), and in 1931-1934, test-pilot of the Scientific Research Institute of the Air Force. In 1934, he studied at the engineering faculty of Military Air Academy of Zhukovskogo. In the spring 1935, it is recalled from the academy for the preparation for a transarctic flight with the ANT-25 aircraft. From 20 to 22 July 1936, with the ANT-25, with V.P.Tchkalov as Commander and Belyakov, he made a non-stop flight from Moscow through Arctic ocean, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka to the island Udd (9374 km). He has been made Hero of the Soviet Union and awarded the Order of Lenin on 24 July 1936 for the courage and the heroism shown in performing this non-stop flight. From 18 to 20 June 1937, with the same crew and the same plane, he made a non-stop flight Moscow - North Pole - Vancouver (8504 km). He participated in the Winter War (soviet-finnish war) of 1939-1940, as commander of a fighter regiment. He participated in the Great Patriotic War, from January 1942, as the assistant to the commander to a fighter division, and in 1944 as commander of a fighter division. After the war, he occupied command posts in the Air Force. In 1947-1949, he was the chief of the Central administrative board GVF. In the autumn 1947 he took part in tests of the passenger plane Tu-70. In 1951, he graduated from the Military academy of the Joint Staff. In 1952, has been 1st deputy chief of the General staff of Armies (air defence). In 1957-1972, was chief of the 4th Central administrative board of the Ministry of Defence of the USSR, a member of the Military council of Armies (air defence). In 1972, he became scientific adviser of the commander-in-chief of the Armies (air defence). He died on 28 December 1994. He is buried in Moscow, in the Novodivici cemetery. Now, I think both Carol and Auke are winners, but as Carol made the real tough job to find who was our man, I'll let him ask the next question. Congrats too to Auke for the list. Carol, you are the winner!!! Your turn, now... Cheers. Ch.

Carol, He did both!!! Christian, Do you accept the challenge ? Or do I have to give the complete answers ? And then give Carol the right to ask the next question ? Cheers. Ch.

He, he... I was the first to say : let's try avoid the Wiki questions... But, to be fair, even if he does not find the complete list, I will give him the Winner Prize!!! Cheers. Ch.

Correct!!!!!! We have now a winner!!!!!.... except you have still to give his exact number of Soviet awards and list them!!!! Ready for the challenge ? Cheers. Ch.

Funny!!! We got the same remark at the same time... Your second remark is very very close to reality.... Who is our man ? (and you will have then to list his 21 Soviet Orders... (again). Ch.

A precision : you are vey close... but I don't see how our man could have got so many Soviet orders without some of them being awarded during the GPW and/or having lived later than 1937... Ch.

Carol, You are very close!!!! Ch.

He did not participate in the Spanish Civil War... A hint : He has been made Hero of the Soviet Union and awarded the Order of Lenin on 24 July 1936 for the courage and the heroism shown in performing a specific flight. Ch.

He, he.... Ch.

Don't aim so high ... He was a famous pilot, and got his HSU for a great achievement in this field... in 1936. Cheers. Ch.

Hi Christian, Nice try... but not them. What I can tell you, if it helps, is that the Soviet officer who got the second biggest number of Soviet Orders is Marshal K.S. Moskalenko, with 20 Orders. So, who is the first one, with more than 20 Soviet Orders ? Cheers. Ch.

Christian, Your point is valid. I did not precise I was talking of Soviet Orders only !!!! Sorry for typing too fastly my question. Here is the question re-formulated : Question #86 : 1. Who is the Soviet officer who got the biggest number of Soviet Orders ? I don't include here Titles (HSU, HSL... even if he got some), but only Soviet Orders (not foreign ones). 2. How many Orders in total did he get ? 3. What is the list of these ? The winner will be the one who gives his name, number of Orders and the complete list!!!!! And, BTW, it is neither Ustinov nor Brezhnev... Cheers. Ch.

Frankly, questions 1 and 2 were easy (as you told us...). The 3rd one was more "subtile"... Consequently, Christian should have been the winner... but this gave me an opportunity to increase my "score", as Christian seem to take a strong lead ... I have already posted my question : let's play!!!! Cheers. Ch.

& Ch.

Normally, It's up to Auke to decide who is the winner or not... Auke, please, feel free to give the victory to the one you really think deserves it. But, as I will have to leave soon, here is my question, the 86th one : Question #86 : 1. Who is the Soviet officer who got the biggest number of Orders ? I don't include here Titles (HSU, HSL... even if he got some), but only Orders ? 2. How many Orders in total did he get ? 3. What is the list of these ? The winner will be the one who gives his name, number of Orders and the complete list!!!!! Good hunt and good luck!! Cheers. Ch.