How did the West find out about STOL performance of the Soviet aircraft?
This comes from a top-secret recording describing what happened at a soviet cockpit during the approach to JFK at IFR conditions:
Captain: “500 ft. low visibility, runway seems to be short. Co-pilot, lower flaps to 30 degrees…”
Co-Pilot: “Flaps down at 30.. check.”
Captain: “300 ft, low visibility, runway looks very short… Co-pilot, lower to 45 degrees !!!”
Co-Pilot: “Flaps down at 45…check.”
Captain: “100 ft !!! Runway very short !!! “Co-pilot, lower flaps to emergency – 90 degrees down!!!
Co-Pilot: “Flaps down to 90 degrees ready to land…check.” Aircraft lands and breaks immediately…
Captain: “*wipes off the sweets and sighs*… “Ohh they make the runways so short in the west….”
Co-pilot: “Yes…*points out the window*…but they are so wide…”