The MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) firmly holds the title of the world's most widely built and used jet fighter, with more than 10,000 units rolling off the lines of three plants in the former Soviet Union. The type was also built under license in India and Czechslovakia, and without license in China until the late 2000s. Designed as a Mach-2 light tactical fighter, its original prototype, the Ye-6/1, was first flown in 1958. The first production variant of the type, designated the MiG-21F, appeared in 1960 and its improved sub-variant, the MiG-21F-13 (Type 74, NATO reporting name Fishbed-C), was made available for export by 1961. It was a simplified daytime short-range, clear-weather interceptor and tactical fighter.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is known in NATO circles as the ¿Fishbed¿. Designed as a Mach 2.0 interceptor, the plane holds the distinction of being produced in greater numbers than any other jet aircraft. The Fishbed flew in combat in Vietnam, where it held its own against the F-105 Thunderchief. During the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, 17 Israeli aircraft were shot down, for a loss of six Egyptian MiG-21s. The plane also flew in combat in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and in Yugoslavia. Today, over 28 of the world¿s air forces continue to fly MiG-21s. Originally printed by NATO, this English-language handbook provides a glimpse inside the cockpit of this incredible plane. The manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text
This book presents a detailed look at the design and development of the legendary MiG-21, including its powerplant, armament, upgrades, and variants. The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was the standard fighter/interceptor aircraft of the Warsaw Pact and it stood up to its western counterparts for decades. This single-engine, supersonic jet fighter entered service in 1959, and in addition to the Soviet Union, almost every eastern European military operated the Mach 2 fighter, including East Germany (which flew more than 500 aircraft of this type), Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia, and others. With approximately 11,000 of all types built, the MiG-21 has been produced in greater numbers than almost any other combat aircraft in history, and has also seen combat with such countries as Vietnam, China, Syria, Iraq, Angola, and others.
Covers all MiG-21 upgrades and variants, as well as combat and armament specifications. Over 300 photos are used to illustrate the story of the MiG-21. It features technical diagrams and gives a comprehensive development history, as well as covering design, structural detail, international production, trials, comparisons, and more.
Having honed their piloting skills on the subsonic MiG-17 and transonic MiG-19, the Vietnamese Peoples' Air Force (VPAF) received their first examples of the legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter in 1966. Soon thrown into combat over North Vietnam, the guided-missile equipped MiG-21 proved a deadly opponent for the USAF, Navy and Marine Corps crews striking at targets deep into communist territory. Most of the VPAF's 12+ aces scored their bulk of their kills in the MiG-21, which was then the best fighter produced by Russia's premier fast jet manufacturer, Mikoyan Gurevich. Well over 200 MiG-21s were supplied to the VPAF, and the numerous models and the schemes they wore are chronicled in great detail in this unique volume.
The MiG-21 resulted from a 1953 Soviet Air Force specification. The MiG-21 began production in 1959 and would continue in production until 1985, making it not only the most produced supersonic jet aircraft ever, but also the longest production run of any combat aircraft. It has been in use with nearly fifty different countries around the world and remains in use by some countries even today. This title includes inside and out coverage of the MiG-21 SM/M (Fishbed J), M/SM (Modified) (Fishbed J), MF (Fishbed J), bis Lazur (Fishbed L), and bis SAU (Fishbed N) variants: with details on the airframes, cockpits, landing gear, engines and weapons. Illustrated with over 123 b/w and 97 color photos, 12 color drawings, 11 b/w drawings.
The Forgotten Few is the first contemporary attempt to produce a historical narrative of the nation's contribution, specifically to the Air Force component, of World War II, which was an important part of our journey to Independence and national identity. Close to three million Indians served in uniform during the War. And yet, the Indian chapter of this globe-straddling story, reverberations of which still echo today, are barely known - a symptom of which was the recent controversy over the absence of Indians in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk. This book brings to light some of the lost stories of Indian aviators who built the very foundations of human and physical infrastructure for what is now the world's fourth largest air force. It benefits from several first-person interviews with some of the last Indian survivors of World War II, enabling a level of fidelity that is quite rare among Indian histories.
The Mikoyan i Gurevich MiG-21 has been built in greater numbers than any other combat aircraft since 1945. It also saw service with more air forces than any other type manufactured over the last 70 years.Locally designated the 'L' (for Lovac or fighter), for more than half a century over 260 MiG-21s in 12 different versions and sub-variants formed the backbone of the Yugoslav Air Force and Air Defence Force (JRV i PVO) and later the Serbian Air Force (RV i PVO).Entering service at the peak of the Cold War, the MiG-21 quickly replaced the US-supplied North American F-86E and F-86D Sabres in the Yugoslav inventory. The first version, MiG-21F-13, was followed by the MiG-21PFM in 1967, and MiG-21M/MF in 1970. Serving with the 204th Fighter Regiment, the task of these fighters was the air defence of Belgrade, capital of Yugoslavia.Whenever a new and more advanced variant became available, older types were handed over to other units. This is how the 117th Fighter Regiment came into being, based at the famous underground air base outside the town of Bihac. The Pristina-based 83rd Fighter Regiment followed in 1972.In Tito's Yugoslavia, the MiG-21 was also deployed for strategic reconnaissance. In 1968-1969, the JRV i PVO introduced the MiG-21R to service, which became the primary photo- and electronic reconnaissance platform of the entire military. The importance of the fleet was further increased in 1984, when US-made Fairchild KA-112 LORAP containers were added to their arsenal.The final and most widely used version became the MiG-21bis, delivered to Yugoslavia in the 1977-1983 period. By the time of the dissolution of the country, in 1991-1992, it formed the backbone of the fleet and saw intensive combat service as a fighter-bomber during the conflicts in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of particular interest during this period was the widespread use of diverse ordnance of native and NATO-origins.While operated by the RV i PVO, MiG-21s did not fly any combat sorties during NATO's campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of 1999 - better known as the 'Kosovo War'. Nevertheless, it was intensively targeted by NATO's air power, resulting in destruction of nearly half the fleet.Although subsequently considered 'obsolete', and operated in continuously declining numbers, the MiG-21bis continued soldiering on with the RV i PVO, and even maintained quick reaction alert duty until late 2015, when officially retired. The final handful of two-seat conversion trainers is still in service as this volume is prepared.The book is based upon the author's extensive research in Serbian and Croatian archives, museums and interviews with veterans that flew this type. Most of the photos in this volume have never been published before.
The MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) firmly holds the title of the world's most widely built and used jet fighter, with more than 10,000 units rolling off the lines of three plants in the former Soviet Union. The type was also built under license in India and Czechslovakia, and without license in China until the late 2000s. Designed as a Mach-2 light tactical fighter, its original prototype, the Ye-6/1, was first flown in 1958. The first production variant of the type, designated the MiG-21F, appeared in 1960 and its improved sub-variant, the MiG-21F-13 (Type 74, NATO reporting name Fishbed-C), was made available for export by 1961. It was a simplified daytime short-range, clear-weather interceptor and tactical fighter.
This is a detailed history of the operational service of this Soviet-manufactured interceptor and its fighter-bomber variants in service with Algerian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Libyan, and Syrian air forces, since 1974.
