MiG-21 'Fishbed' Fighter

Designer: Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau

Manufacturer:

State Industries

Role:

Fighter

Year Adopted:

1954 - Specification for Mach 2 fighter released
1955 - E-5 prototype flies for first time, limited production
1956 - Aircraft accepted by Soviet Union
1957 - Entered series production
1958 - First delivery to Soviet Air Force

Operational Status:

Russia - Obsolete
(Over 8000 manufactured over course of production)

Other Nations - Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Republic of Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, East Germany, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iraq, Laos, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Nigeria, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia

Armament:
(Early Fishbed-C variant):
 

(MiG-21FL and later variants):

  
1 x 30mm NR-30 cannon (rarely two cannon)
2 x K-13 'Atoll' infrared air-to-air missiles on pylons*

1 x 23mm GSh-23 Gun Pod with 200 rounds
4 x Pylons mounting either K-13 or AS-7 missiles**

*Can be replaced with UV-16-57 rocket pods if needed.
**Other loads including rocket pods, fuel tanks, and bombs can be carried.

Engine:
(Fishbed-A engine)
   

(Fishbed-C engine)

  
1 x Tumansky R-11 turbojet producing 11,240 pounds of thrust on afterburner.

1 x Tumansky R-11 turbojet providing 12,676 pounds of thrust on afterburner.

Crew:

1 (Pilot)

Wingspan:

23 feet, 6 inches
(7.15 meters)

Length:

44 feet, 2 inches
(13.46 meters)

Height:

14 feet, 9 inches
(4.5 meters)

Maximum Speed:

1,243 miles per hour
(2,000 kilometers per hour)

Take-Off Weight: