![]() However, it was only the MiG 29 that ultimately replaced the MiG-21 as a maneuvering dogfighter to counter new American air superiority types. MiG 21s were replaced by the newer variable-geometry MiG-23 and MiG-27 for ground support duties. Aircraft G-limits were increased to +8.5Gs in the later variants. Given a skilled pilot and capable missiles, the aircraft could give a good account of itself against contemporary fighters. Use of this temporary power gave the MiG-21bis slightly better than 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio. Mig-21’s Tumansky R-25 jet engine had “Emergency Power Rating” (EPR) allowed the engine to develop 97.4 kilonewtons (21,896 lbf) of thrust at lower altitude. The light loading of the aircraft could mean that a climb rate of 235 m/s (46,250 ft/min) in case of a combat-loaded MiG-21bis, not far short of the performance of the later F-16A. The delta wing, was excellent for a fast-climbing interceptor, but in turning combat led to a rapid loss of speed. ![]() Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range. The very characteristic shock cone in the front air intake was unique and peculiar, and left little space for a decent sized radar. It was a lightweight Mach 2 fighter, with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet, when compared to the American F-104 or F-5, or even the French Mirage III. The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor capabilities. It made its maiden flight on 16 June 1955 and its first public appearance in July 1956. The first prototype with delta wing was the Ye-4. The redesign led to the second prototype, the Ye-2. Picture Credit: ĭevelopment of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. As per another source (), 240 MiG 21’s scored 240 victories till end 2017. The losses of the MiG-21 pilots were the smallest in comparison with all other airplanes they said. ![]() Picture Credit: PinterestĪccording to Russian data, in air battles the North Vietnamese, MiG-21s credited 165 air victories, with the loss of 65 aircraft (few by accident) and 16 pilots. The MiG-21 had a long production run from 1959 to 1985, and the airplane was thereafter updated and modified in India, Israel and Romania, and copied by the Chinese. Its baby brother, the transonic MiG-15, holds the all-time jet record with around 18,000 units produced. It made aviation records, and became the most produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history (11,496), the most-produced combat aircraft after the Korean War and once the longest production run of a combat aircraft, now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the Lockheed Martin F-16. Over 60 countries across four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations 65 years after its maiden flight on 16 June 1955 and first public appearance during the Soviet Aviation Day display at Moscow’s Tushino airfield in July 1956. ![]() The Soviets hated it, just as they hated Fagot, Faithless, Frogfoot and other Western names for their fighters. Fishbed was its randomly chosen NATO identifier. After all, that strategy had worked splendidly with the AK-47 rifle. ![]() Soviets wanted to fill the sky with thousands of simple, lightweight, reliable jets. MiG-21 was an airplane that hewed to the classic “perfect is the enemy of good enough” approach. Vietnamese called “Én Bạc”, meaning “Silver Swallow”. In Poland they called it “Ołówek”, Polish for pencil, due to the shape of its fuselage. Its nicknames included, “Balalaika”, because its plan-form resembles the stringed musical instrument of the same name. The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name: Fishbed) was designed as supersonic jet interceptor aircraft by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (OKB) of Soviet Union. It not only sent ripples across the world but also brought the MiG 21 in headlines again. Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 while flying a MiG-21 Bison, on Februduring a showdown between the IAF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF). ![]()
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