Mig 15 Bis
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Description
In November 1950, United Nations fighter pilots encountered a Soviet built MiG-15 swept wing fighter for the first time. Overnight the name MiG became infamous in the Western world as the North American F-86 Sabrejet and MiG-15's (NATO code named Faggot) fought in the skies over Korea.
Following WWII, Soviet Aviation wanted to keep up with Western designed aircraft, so m any captured German, Italian and Japanese designs were soon tested and evaluated. The German Focke Wulf TA-183 swept wing fighter design by Kurt Tank, although never flown, had tremendous promise. With its 35 degree swept wing, high T tail, a design speed of Mach 0.9, and a service ceiling over 10,000 meters, it would be a formidable fighter. The Soviets made some design changes and designated it the S-01 (S for swept wing). It was built by the MiG design bureau and first flown in December 1947, using an original British Nene Mark 1 turbojet engine. The design went into production as the MiG-15 in late 1948. The MiG-15 bis was an improved variant using the more powerful 5,950lb static thrust VK-1 engine, for greater range and a higher ceiling.
It went into mass production in 1950 armed with two NR-23 23mm cannons and one N37 37mm cannon, mounted on an internal platform lowered by hand crank for servicing and rearming. Many MiG-15 bis fighters are still flying today and can be seen performing at air shows worldwide. -
Specifications
- Discontinued True