The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbed'
The world's Most Produced Fighter of all Time
MiG-21 'Fishbed' From Werner's Fighting Jets Archive
The MiG-21 'Fishbed' was first seen over Vietnam. The MiG-21 was the principle adversary to the F-4 Phantom II. The MiG-21 had no equivalents, because like the Phantom, it was fast, but unlike the phantom it was light and incredibly maneuverable. It could easily out turn the Phantom. In Vietnam the MiG's and Phantoms were almost evenly matched because the Phantom had complex avionics and missilery while the MiG's maneuverability was key. The phantom was heavy and complex. It could not hope to out turn the MiG-21 so it relied on the standoff capability of the RIO or WSO. Also early versions of the Phantoms did not include a gun (American doctrine dictated that all ariel combat would take place beyond visual range). The MiG-21's small delta wing enhanced speed and maneuverability.
| Origin: | Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau | ||
| Type: | Supersonic All-Weather Air Superiority Fighter | ||
| Crew: | Pilot | ||
| First Flight: | June 14, 1956 | ||
| Engine(s): | 1x R-13 Afterburning Turbojet | ||
| Thrust: | 6 600kg (14 550 lbs) w/ Afterburner | ||
| Max. Speed: | 2 230 kph (1 386 mph) w/Afterburner | ||
| Cruising Speed: | 950 kph (590 mph) | ||
| Range: | 1 100 Km (683 miles) | ||
| Ceilling: | 15 000+ m (50 000+ ft) | ||
| Rate of Climb: | Unknown | ||
| Height: | 3 m (9.75 ft) | ||
| Length: | 13.46 m (44.1 ft) | ||
| Width: | 7.15 m (23.23 ft) | ||
| Weight(loaded): | 8 950 kg (19 731 lbs) | ||
| Cannon: | Twin Barrel 23mm GSh-23 | ||
| Air-Air: | 4x AA-2d 'Atoll IR' or AA-2c 'Atoll' | ||
| Air-Surface: | Unguided Bombs, Rockets | ||
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