Designed starting in 1953, and first deployed in 1959, the Mikoyan-Gurevich 21, or MiG-21
is not much slower than the fastest modern planes, or much less maneuverable...
The plane is cheap, and for an airforce that will never have to face Russia or Nato, and needs
a plane to patrol its borders, drop a few bombs during a conflict, the reliable Mig-21 is more
than adequate.
If you add updated electronics, and in particular a suite available from Israel, the plane becomes
a formidable player in its own right....
More than 13000 have been produced; 10, 000+ by Russia, 2,400 illegally by China, 650 by India
under license, and few by Romania...
The next most prolifically produced plane by comparison is the venerable F-16 of the US
airforce, of which 6500 have been produced for service with 26 countries.
The MiG-21 has been operated, in comparison, by at least 63 countries, including the US,
which acquired a sizable number for testing ....and aggressor squadron training. The US
pilots generally had a favourable opinion of the little Soviet jet
Data from Gordon,[1] deagel.com[137]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 14.7 m (48 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 6 in)
- Height: 4 m (13 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 23 m² (247.6 ft²)
- Empty weight: 5,846 kg (12,880 lb)
- Loaded weight: 8,725 kg (19,230 lb) with 2 × K-13A missiles
- Max. takeoff weight: 9,800 kg (21,600 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Tumansky R-25-300 afterburning turbojet
- Dry thrust: 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf)
- Thrust with afterburner: 69.62 kN (15,650 lbf)
- Maximum speed:
- At sea level: Mach 1.05 (1,300 km/h; 808 mph)
- At 13,000 m (42,640 ft): Mach 1.76 , High altitude: Mach 1.8 (1,912 km/h, 1,032 knots) (2,175 km/h; 1,351 mph)
- Range: 1,470 km (910 mi; 790 nmi) at 10,000 m (32,800 ft) with 2 × K-13A missiles and 800 l (180 imp gal; 210 US gal)
- Service ceiling: 17,500 m (57,400 ft)
- Rate of climb: 225 m/s (44,280 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 452.2 kg/m² (92.7 lb/f²)
- Maximum g-load: 8.5 g
- Landing speed: 350 km/h (190 kn), usually with a drogue parachute[138]
- Guns: 1 × internal 23 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon with 200 rounds
- Hardpoints: 4 with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) of stores and provisions to carry combinations of:
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