Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Air Vanguard) - Softcover

Mladenov, Alexander

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782003746 ISBN 13: 9781782003748

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2014

Synopsis

The MiG-21, nicknamed 'Fishbed' by NATO, was the primary Soviet jet fighter from 1972 onward, opposing the F-15 Eagle and F-14 Tomcat worldwide in a variety of conflicts.

The MiG-21 firmly holds the title of the world's most widely built and used jet fighter, with over 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 Czechoslovakia, 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 MiG-21F-13 featured a relatively weak armament of just two R-3S air-to-air missiles (AA-2 Atoll, a slightly improved reverse-engineered copy of the AIM-9B Sidewinder heat-seeking AAM) with an effective range at low altitude of between 0.27nm/0.5km and 1.1nm/2km. According to its pilots, the MiG-21F-13 was an excellent clear-day interceptor though it had limited combat radius and poor night capability. The light and agile aircraft was designed from the outset to intercept transonic/supersonic bombers and tactical fighters at all altitudes, up to 66,000ft.

The MiG-21bis was the last version of the type that took the air for the first time in 1969, with the first production examples rolling off the line in 1972. The MiG-21bis featured a strengthened fuselage, optimised for low-level air combat and ground attack. It was powered by the upgraded R-25-300 turbojet, rated at 40.2kN (9,038lb) dry and 69.65kN (15,653lb) with reheat, featuring a three-minute emergency reheat rating of 97 kN (21,790 lb) at low level. Pilots noted, however, that the heavier 'bis' was much less agile than the MiG-21PF/PFM, and that it behaved like a "bull" in the air while flying the MiG-21PFM was like "riding a stallion."

The MiG-21bis was a successful combination of a 1960s airframe and powerplant fitted with a 1970s-vintage analog avionics suite and modern dogfight missiles. By the mid-1980s, although it retained the principal shortcomings of its predecessors - limited operational radius and radar range, lack of beyond-visual-range missiles, poor pilot visibility, mediocre slow speed handling characteristics and high pilot workload, requiring hard training and concentration during the entire sortie - it proved to be an inexpensive and widely popular combat aircraft.

About this title

About the Author:

Alexander Mladenov is an internationally renowned expert on Russian and Eastern European aviation topics, from Soviet-era developments through to state-of-the-art equipment. He lives and works in Bulgaria. The author lives in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Review:

“This book looks into the background and the development of the MiG-21 as well as the aircraft that came before it and after it. All of the different variants are covered as well as an in-depth look at one of the more produced versions, the MiG-21PF. In addition to the difference between variants, foreign production is covered as is its use in various conflicts. Several pages of full color art work and profiles are included as well as the usual large cutaway on the back two pages. A great read and highly recommended.” ―Scott van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (July 2014)

About this edition

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1782003746
• ISBN 13: 9781782003748
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Tooby Adam