American military analyst Pierre Sprey, who was part of a group of Pentagon experts in the 1970s, criticized the Soviet supersonic front-line fighter MiG-21, stating that the aircraft had too many shortcomings. Former US Navy F-4 Phantom II pilot John Cheshire would disagree with him.
I haven't flown the MiG-21, but I've encountered it. I remember chasing a Soviet fighter in my F-4 Phantom II at top speed for a long time. And it was surprisingly faster.
Cheshire acknowledged that the MiG-21 had limitations: short flight range, weak weapons systems. However, at the time, the Soviet fighter was considered "simple, cheap, and effective, like the AK-47 in aviation," he emphasized.
The USSR achieved its goal by creating a durable, reliable, and easy-to-maintain fighter with exceptional climb rate and maneuverability. It surpassed any aircraft in service in the early 1960s.
The MiG-21 is still good, if you don't consider its flight range and payload, Cheshire summarized.
About the MiG-21 Fighter
The aircraft was developed in the 1950s at the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau. The first flight of the MiG-21 took place in June 1955. Four years later, the fighter was adopted into service. Current operators are China, India, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, and a number of African countries.
Common characteristics for all MiG-21 modifications:
- Number of engines — 1
- Crew — 1 (combat version), 2 (training version)
- Length — 14.1 m Height — 4.7 m
- Wingspan — 7.1 m
- Wing area — 22.95 sq. m
The fighter was produced in several countries until 1985. In total, more than 11,000 units of various modifications were produced (excluding production in China). In the USSR alone, over 10,600 MiG-21s were assembled.
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- Icon of the Cold War era, MiG-21 aircraft, decorated with millions of multi-colored beads in the USA
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