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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)