Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed

Photo taken at the McMinville Evergreen aviation and space museum in Northern Oregon. Photo taken by me, ask for permission to use.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage.

Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered third-generation jet fighters. Approximately 60 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations six decades after its maiden flight. It made aviation records, became the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history, the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War and previously the longest production run of a combat aircraft (now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon).

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 14.7 m (48 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 6 in)
• Height: 4 m (13 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 23 m² (247.6 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,846 kg (12,880 lb)
• Loaded weight: 8,725 kg (19,230 lb) with 2 × K-13A missiles
• Max. takeoff weight: 9,800 kg (21,600 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Tumansky R-25-300 afterburning turbojet
  • Dry thrust: 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf)
  • Thrust with afterburner: 69.62 kN (15,650 lbf)

Performance

• Maximum speed:
  
  • At sea level: Mach 1.05 (1,300 km/h; 808 mph)
  • At 13,000 m (42,640 ft): Mach 1.76High altitude: Mach 1.8 (1,912 km/h, 1,032 knots) (2,175 km/h; 1,351 mph)
• Range: 1,470 km (910 mi; 790 nmi) at 10,000 m (32,800 ft) with 2 × K-13A missiles and 800 l (180 imp gal; 210 US gal)
• Service ceiling: 17,500 m (57,400 ft)
• Rate of climb: 225 m/s (44,280 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 452.2 kg/m² (92.7 lb/f²)
  
• Maximum g-load: 8.5 g
  
• Landing speed: 350 km/h (190 kn), usually with a drogue parachute

Armament

• Guns: 1 × internal 23 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon with 200 rounds
• Hardpoints: 4 with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) of stores and provisions to carry combinations of:
• Rockets: S-24
• Missiles:
  
  • Air-to-air missiles:
    • K-13
    • K-5
    • R-60
    • R-73
    • R-77
    • R-27
  • Air-to-surface missiles:
    • Kh-66 Grom
    • Kh-25
    • Kh-31
• Bombs:
  
• KAB-500KR TV-guided bomb
• 4 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs

Other Images of this aircraft: