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| STANDARD DATA: Seats 1-2. Gross wt. 12,000. Empty wt. 8,115. Engine one 7,452-lb Klimov VK- 1F turbojet. PERFORMANCE: Max speed 668 mph. Range 450 nm. Ceiling 50,855. |
The Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 15 was a formidable fighter in the Korean War, flown primarily by Russian and Chinese pilots. It had good speed and maneuverability, plus two cannons. They were effective enough to inflect sufficient damage on American B-29 bombers that daylight raids were suspended. It met its match, however, against the North American F-86 Sabre. MiG 15 was gradually replaced throughout the late 1950s by the MiG 17, although it remained extremely popular throughout the Cold War in many East Block and Communist nations. Many MiG 15s are now flying as private aircraft in the United States.
