STANDARD DATA: Seats 1-2. Gross wt. 20,720. Empty wt. 8,115. Engine one 14,550-lb Turmanski R-13-300 turbojet. PERFORMANCE: Max speed 1,385 mph (Mach 2.1). Range 685 nm. Ceiling 50,000′. |
The delta-wing MiG-21 fought the American F-4 Phantom during the Vietnam war, and was given the
name ’Fishbed’ by NATO allies. Variants of the Russian fighter became all-weather interceptors with increasingly
powerful Soyuz engines. The MiG 21 was last made in India, but another variant, the F-7 is still in
production in China. Dozens of air forces around the world still fly the Fishbed, and several are in private
hands in the United States.
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