In the fall of 1953, the Soviet government issued a requirement for a lightweight Mach 2-capable interceptor fighter for its Frontal Aviation branch of the Soviet Air Force. The interceptor would have to make use  of a radar-ranging sight for gun accuracy and have the capability to  retrofit missile armament once the technology was made available while  sustain an impressive rate-of-climb.  MiG OKB took the challenge confident of their advantage in that the firm had already been experimenting with varied wing forms, airframes and available engines by this time.

 

Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when MiG OKB finished a preliminary design study for a prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. This project was very quickly reworked when it was determined that the planned engine was underpowered. The redesign led to the second prototype, the Ye-2. Both of these prototypes along with others featured swept wings. The first prototype with delta wings as found on production variants was the Ye-4.

 

Ye-2

 

The Ye-2 was ahead of the group in terms of development and went airborne on February 14th, 1955 with good results, albeit a little slow than expected. The similar Ye-4 followed suit on June 16th, 1955, though this prototype fitted a near-triangular, small-area pointed pair of delta wings along with conventional tailplanes along the empennage sides. These thin wings forced the design to take on "blisters" above and below the wing roots to fit the upright main landing gear wheels.  Performance of the Ye-4 was only marginally improved over that of the preceding Ye-2. The Ye-5 and Ye-50-1 both went airborne on January 9th, 1956. Confident that production would soon follow on either design, MiG had two company designations reserved for the two models - "MiG-21" went to the tailed-delta wing version while "MiG-23” was reserved for the swept-wing version (this MIG-23 not to be confused  with the later development of the MiG-23 "Flogger").

 

Ye-4

 

Versions of each aircraft (the swept- and delta-wing prototypes) later appeared over the Moscow Tushino airfield during the annual Aviation Day celebration on June 24th, 1956. Western observers were quick to note the types and NATO immediately assigned the swept-wing version the codename of "Faceplate" while the tailed-delta design received the codename of "Fishbed".

 

MiG-23 Faceplate

 

Development continued at MiG. Several more prototypes were produced with redesigned portions as dictated by testing. In 1957, three Ye-6 prototypes appeared sporting the tailed-delta wing of the Ye-5 but with clipped wingtips and a redesigned nose cone (this among other changes throughout). Flight testing began on May 20th, 1958 of the Ye-6. The program hit a delay when prototype Ye-6/1 was lost to engine failure, resulting in the death of the test pilot from injuries received in the crash.

 

Ye-6/2 did away with wing boundary layer fences in early prototypes (and these as found on the MiG-15, -17 and -19 before it). Instead, smaller wing fences were installed in their place to help with stability.  Additionally, cannon armament was now officially installed in the  Ye-6/2. The Ye-6/3 was the first prototype to feature a centerline fuel tank to help increase the design's endurance - a product limitation. The prototypes officially bested the required maximum speed goal of Mach 2 by hitting Mach 2.05. Production forms soon followed and a public appearance of the finished aircraft occurred in 1961, greeting many in the West who were convinced all along that the swept-wing MiG-23 “Faceplate" would become the Soviet Union's next frontline fighter. It is also interesting to note that due to the lack of available information about the MiG-21 in the west, early details of the aircraft often were confused with those of similar Soviet fighters of the era. In one instance, Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1960–1961 listed the "Fishbed" as a Sukhoi design and used an illustration of the Su-9 'Fishpot'.

 

Ye-6

Su-9 Fishpot

 

The MiG-21 began deliveries to the Soviet Air Force in late 1957 and continued into 1958. The type was officially introduced as the MiG-21F in 1959. A great number of variants were produced from that year until 1985. A list of all MiG-21 variants can be found on the following article in Wikipedia:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-21_variants

 

The fighter made aviation records as the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history and the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War. It had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants) ever built. A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR.

 

The cockpit in earlier Fishbeds offered up relatively good visibility thanks to its lower spine. Later models incorporating a raised spine from the rear of the canopy to the base of the vertical fin obscured the rear view but increased endurance. Also in original Fishbeds, the single-piece canopy was hinged to open forward while later models were issued a new two-piece system hinged to the right. The canopy was designed to eject with the ejection seat and pilot, affording the pilot a set time of protection while in the air (the canopy was directly connected to the top of the seat) and ultimately detaching itself from the pilot and seat altogether. Framing was apparent in the front windscreen and reminiscent of earlier MiG fighter designs.

 

Early MiG-21F Cockpit

Pre-modern MiG-21 Cockpit

 

The undercarriage was of a tricycle arrangement and featured a conventional layout of two main landing gears and a nose wheel system. All systems were single-wheeled with the nose wheel noticeably smaller than the main wheels. While the nose landing gear recessed forwards and up into the fuselage, the main landing gears operated in a distinct way. The struts folded forward and angled while the wheels remained upright during the entire process. Due to her thin wings, the main gears had to retract into the under-fuselage sides. As such, slightly noticeable blisters above and below the wing roots became a standard design feature in the Fishbed.

 

MiG-21 undercarriage

 

Standard armament most always comprised of cannons mounted in an under-fuselage pod rear of the forward fuselage but ahead of amidships. While early Fishbeds were fielded as such, others either deleted one of the cannons or deleted the entire armament station altogether. The addition of wing pylons in later production models expanded the Fishbeds role into both air superiority and ground strike making for one true multi-role performer.

 

MiG-21 Armament

 

The missile solution for the MiG-21 was solved when an American AIM-9 Sidewinder was passed to the Soviet Union by way of China in their fight with Taiwan. During the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958, the Republic of China's (Taiwan) F-86 Sabres faced the much higher performance, mainland Chinese MiG-17s. The MiGs had speed, maneuverability and altitude advantages over the Sabres, allowing them to engage only when they desired, normally at advantageous times. In response, the US Navy rushed to modify 100 of the ROC's Sabres to fit the newly introduced AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, the latest model being the "B" version. These were introduced into combat for the first time on 24 September 1958, when a group of MiG-17s cruised past a flight of Sabres, only to find themselves under attack by missile fire. This was the first instance of guided missiles being used in air-to-air combat.

 

On the 28th, a similar engagement resulted in one of the missiles becoming lodged in a MiG without exploding, allowing it to be removed. The Soviets later became aware that the Chinese had at least one Sidewinder, and after some wrangling, were able to convince the Chinese to send them one of the captured missiles.Gennadiy Sokolovskiy, later chief engineer at the Vympel team, said that "the Sidewinder missile was to us a university offering a course in missile construction technology which has upgraded our engineering education and updated our approach to production of future missiles." The missile was dissected (reverse engineered) and eventually became a Soviet "rip-off" in the K-13 (NATO codename of AA-2  "Atoll"), an infrared homing short-range air-to-air missile. The missile promptly entered service with Soviet forces in 1960 and became standard use on the MiG-21 and the later swing-wing MiG-23 "Flogger" as well as the Sukhoi Su-17, -20 and -22 fighters.

 

F-86 Sabre with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles

 

AA-2 Atoll Missiles on a MiG-23 Flogger

 

The MiG-21 saw action in many conflicts around the world. Most notably are the Indo-Pakistani war, Vietnam War and Arab-Israeli conflict. In the Vietnam War, the MiG-21’s main adversary was the American F-4 Phantom II. Though the F-4 was superior in speed, armament, two-man crew and avionics, the MiG-21 was able to outmatch it in dogfights because of its superior maneuverability. It was in Vietnam that the MiG-21 proved that the concept of Beyond Visual Range engagement was not efficient and that close range dogfights still took place which required superior maneuverability. Several pilots have attained ace status while flying the MiG-21. Nguyễn Văn Cốc scored nine kills in MiG-21s is regarded as the most successful.

 

Nguyễn Văn Cốc

 

The MiG-21 was also used extensively in the Middle East conflicts of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s by the air forces of Egypt, Syria and Iraq. The MiG-21 first encountered Israeli Mirage IIICs on 14 November 1964. Like in Vietnam, the MiG-21 would also face McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs and Douglas A-4 Skyhawks. It was later outclassed by the more modern McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, which were acquired by Israel beginning in the mid-1970s.

 

F-4 Phantom II

A-4 Skyhawk

Mirage III

F-15 Eagle

F-16 Fighting Falcon

 

The MiG-21 is remembered in the history of the Middle East conflict with Operation Diamond. This was an operation undertaken by the Mossad. Its goal was the acquisition of the MiG-21, the most advanced Soviet fighter plane at that time. The operation began in mid-1963 and ended on August 16, 1966, when an Iraqi Air Force MiG-21, flown by a defector, landed at an air base in Israel. Israel and the United States were able to study the design of the plane. Less than a year later Israel used the acquired knowledge to destroy the air forces of Egypt, Syria and Jordan in the first hours of the Six-Day War.

 

Iraqi MiG-21 stolen by the Israelis displayed at Israeli Air Force Museum in Hatzerim

 

The MiG-21 will forever remain to be my most favorable fighter. I still remember how much I used to love seeing it displayed at the 6^th October War Panorama near our house in Cairo. I came to know later on that the fighter on display was flown by famous Egyptian Pilot General Ahmed Al Mansori during the air battle of El Mansoura (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Battle_of_El_Mansoura). I also saw the fighter in the Military Museum in Salah El Din’s Citadel in older Cairo and the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

 

General Ahmed Al Mansoury

General Al Mansoury's MiG-21 displayed at the 6th October War Panorama in Cairo

MiG-21 displayed at the Military Museum in Cairo

East German MiG-21 displayed at the Deutsches Museum in Munich

 

I own a Hobby Master 1:72 die cast model of the MiG-21MF. This is the one currently flown by the Egyptian Air Force with new IFF schema to identify the aircraft from other MiG-21s flown by neighboring countries (specifically Libya). It is upgraded with Western avionics and armament and can carry the latest Russian R-73 Archer air-to-air missile (Romanian upgrade). This was the first 1:72 I bought in my collection and was the start of a greater number of purchases of other 1:72 models from abroad.

 

EAF MiG-21MF

 

EAF MiG-21MF

EAF MiG-21MF

HM EAF MiG-21MF model

HM EAF MiG-21MF model

HM EAF MiG-21MF model

The story of MiG fighters does not end here. The lessons learned from conflicts that occurred in Vietnam and the Middle East forced the design bureau to continue its journey to develop fighters that could out match western aircraft in engagements. The world was starting to investigate the use of variable- geometry wing aircraft so as to attain excellent performance at all altitudes and speeds. The Americans introduced the F-111 Aardvark in 1964 which was to become the first production variable-geometry wing aircraft. The Soviet Union and its design bureau had to have an answer to such an achievement. MiG’s answer was the MiG-23 Flogger. The story of the remarkable aircraft will be discussed in the coming post.

 

To be continued………

 

References:

Wikipedia

Military Factory