19 Facts About Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15

1.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union.

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2.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate swept wings to achieve high transonic speeds.

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3.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 remains in service with the Korean People's Army Air Force as an advanced trainer.

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4.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 bore a much stronger likeness to the Ta 183 than the American F-86 Sabre, which incorporated German research.

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5.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 does bear a resemblance in layout, sharing the high tailplane and nose-mounted intake, although the aircraft are different in structure, details, and proportions.

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6.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 arguably had sufficient power to dive at supersonic speeds, but the lack of an "all-flying" tail greatly diminished the pilot's ability to control the aircraft as it approached Mach 1.

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7.

Additionally, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 tended to spin after it stalled, and often the pilot could not recover.

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8.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was originally intended to intercept American bombers like the B-29.

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9.

Baptism of fire for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was to occur during the last phases of the Chinese Civil War.

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10.

The 50th Fighter Aviation Division, equipped with the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, was already based near Shanghai, as it had taken part in the Chinese Civil War .

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11.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 pilots proved very effective in the specific role for which the type was originally designed: intercepting formations of B-29s.

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12.

Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 squadrons operated in big groups, but the basic formation was a six-aircraft group, divided into three pairs, each composed of a leader and a wingman:.

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13.

Main mission of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was not to dogfight the F-86 but to counter the USAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers.

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14.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 threat forced the Far East Air Forces to cancel B-29 daylight raids in favor of night radar-guided missions from November 1951 onward.

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15.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was less effective in getting past the Marine Corps ground-based two-seat F3D Skyknight night fighters assigned to escort B-29s after the F-94 Starfires proved ineffective.

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16.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was broken up, a piece of the engine was visible aft of the center section, and the tail section was located some distance away.

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17.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was retrieved, transported to Incheon and then to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

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18.

Yeager reported in his autobiography the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 had dangerous handling faults and claimed that during a visit to the USSR, Soviet pilots were incredulous he had dived in it, this supposedly being very hazardous.

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19.

An Egyptian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was damaged, but the pilot managed to ditch in Lake Bardawil, and the aircraft was salvaged by Israeli forces.

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