Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15





Design began in 1948 for a high-performance jet, initially called the I-310.
The lack of a suitable engine was solved when the British licensed
Rolls-Royce to export their reliable Nene turbojet, which the Russians
immediately copied as the Klimov RD-45. The aircraft design was built on
research and replaced conventional straight wings with ones swept back at
35¡ and gave the fuselage very clean lines.

It was delivered to the Soviet airforce in 1949 and allied countries were
provided with the aircraft from 1950. It took part in the first jet vs. jet
combats over North Korea and proved to be a better performing aircraft than
the American F-80 or F-86 Sabre. Desperate to get hold of an intact MiG for
testing the US offered $100,000 to any pilot who would defect with their
aircraft. No-one came forward, but eventually, a pilot unaware of the
proferred reward landed at Kimpo Air Base in September 1953.

The USSR built around 8,000 MiG-15s in all variants. It was also built under
license in Czechoslovakia (A-102, S-102) and Poland (Lim-1, Lim-2).

MiG-15bis (1950)

   * Length: 10.85 [[metre|m]
   * Wing span: 10.29 m
   * Height: 3.65 m
   * Weight: (empty) 3690 Kg (maximum) 6050 Kg
   * Engine: Klimov VK-1 turbojet producing around 2750 Kg thrust
   * Speed: (maximum, sea level) 1070 Km/hr (cruising) 840 Km/hr
   * Range: 950 Km
   * Ceiling: 15,500 m
   * Armament: Two NS-23 23mm cannon, one N-97 37mm cannon, plus rockets or
     bombs on underwing hardpoints