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Croatia MiG-21s now sadly retired.

 

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15 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE MIG-21​

1. Aviation Features
2. 15 amazing facts about the MiG-21

By Tara Leggett 15th February 2022
FEATURE

The MiG-21 first flew on 14 February 1955. To mark the occasion, Key.Aero brings you 15 amazing facts on the supersonic fighter​

1. Approximately 40 countries and companies across four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations six decades after its maiden flight. This number does not include any privately owned
2. It is the second most produced jet aircraft in the world
3. It is the most produced supersonic fighter ever, with a production number of at least 11,496. This equates to more than the entire Boeing 737 fleet, or the F-16 Fighting Falcon
4. Its NATO reporting name is ‘Fishbed’. Other nicknames include: ‘Balalaika’ because its planform resembles the stringed musical instrument of the same name; ‘Ołówek’ (Polish for ‘pencil’), due to the shape of its fuselage, and ‘Én Bạc’, meaning ‘silver swallow’ in Vietnamese
5. Its production ran from 1959 to 1985, meaning its production life spanned 26 years
6. The MiG-21 F was purposefully designed to be simple and was also incredibly cheap to make. What made it so cheap was the lack of any form of long-range radar or a long-range guided missile ability. Its simple design and cheap costs meant it was able to be produced in high numbers
7. In terms of cost, there was a ratio of 3:1 between the MiG-21 and the F-4 Phantom. For every single F-4 Phantom produced, Mikoyan-Gurevich could produce at least three MiG-21s. In 1965, an F-4 was approximately $2.4 Million USD and the MiG-21 cost several times less
8. The initial design phase began in 1954 under the prototype name ‘Ye-1’
9. The MiG-21 was produced in three different factories in Russia alone: AS 30 Factory in Moscow, the GAZ 21 factory in Gorky and the TAZ 31 Factory in Tbilisi. The Gorky factory alone produced over 5,700 MiG-21s
10. India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited company built 657 MiG-21s under a license that was granted by Russia. This meant that it was the first supersonic fighter for the country of India
11. The nose cone on the front of the MiG-21 is adjustable in flight. It has three different positions. If fully retracted, it helps the aircraft in slower speeds of under Mach 1.5. When fully extended, it helps at speeds much higher than Mach 1.9
12. During use in the Vietnam War, MiG-21s shot down somewhere around 203 F-4 Phantoms, whereas the F-4 Phantoms only shot down 54 MiG-21s
13. Throughout the Vietnam War, North Vietnam only lost 60 MiG-21s in total
14. Throughout history, the MiG-21 has had three major generational upgrades. Within each of these upgrades there are at least a dozen different versions
15. The MiG-21 has seen more conflicts than any other fighter in history, including: Indo-Pakistan War, Kargil War, Vietnam War, Iran-Iraq War, Libyan Civil Wars and more

BONUS FACT!

16. Nguyễn Văn Cốc of the VPAF, who scored nine kills in MiG-21s is regarded as the most successful MiG-21 ace of all time
Image courtesy of Museum Pusat TNI AU Dirgantara Mandala Yogyakarta via Wikimedia Commons

Topics​

Read more about

• MiG-21
• Fact File
• On this day

Originally published in Key.Aero​

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Block 70 cockpit

 

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High energy manoeuvre

 

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Breguet Atlantic LRMP aircraft.

 

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Breguet Atlantic LRMP aircraft.

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