Fatman17
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Today In Aviation History: June 16th First Flight of the Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350
On June 16, 1951, the Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350 made its maiden flight and entered aviation history as the first Soviet aircraft capable of sustained supersonic flight. Developed during the early Cold War around the powerful Lyulka AL-5 turbojet, the experimental fighter promised exceptional performance with speeds exceeding Mach 1 and a rapid climb rate. Despite its technological achievements, persistent engine reliability issues plagued the program, leading to its cancellation just months after the prototype first took to the skies.
Austin HancockPublished June 16, 2026
Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350. (Image credit: Open source)
