History and Development of the
MiG-9 'Fargo' Fighter

 

This section will cover the history, development, and use of the MiG-9 'Fargo' jet fighter.  In this section you will find where the aircraft has been used, when it was designed, its limitations and abilities, and how it functions.

 

Brief Developmental History

In the waning years of the Great Patriotic War the pilots of the Red Air Force encountered the first German combat jets.  These jets were faster and could climb higher than the Soviet turboprop aircraft sent to engage them.  This left the Soviets at a serious disadvantage in air to air combat.  To counter this disadvantage Stalin ordered a crash program to develop a Soviet jet fighter.  The program began in February 1945.

The prototype for the new aircraft was designated 'Aircraft F' and would use two Soviet Lyulka TR-1 engines.  It would be heavily armed with a single 57mm cannon in the nose and two 23mm NS-23 cannons underneath.  As development continued it was decided to mount a single 37mm N-37 cannon in place of the large 57mm one.  The aircraft's engines were also replaced with two more powerful BMW 003 engines of German design which had been captured during the war.  The new aircraft was designated the I-300.

The I-300 was first flown on 24 April 1946, the same day as the competing Yak-15 fighter.  The test pilot on that flight was A. N. Grintchik.  The I-300 was found to be difficult to control and had poor performance.  To fix these problems the tail structure was strengthened and better flaps were added.  A steel plate was placed along the fuselage to protect the tail from engine exhaust.  The revised aircraft was designated the I-301 and would begin testing on 22 October 1946.

The aircraft was quickly accepted into service as the MiG-9.  Its designers received the Stalin Prize for their efforts.  Series production began in late 1946.  Over the course of production a number of variants and experimental versions of the MiG-9 were made.  The most important of these being the two seat trainer variant known as the I-301T or more commonly known as the MiG-9UTI.  It featured a new front seat in place of the forward fuel tank and a much taller canopy.  The aircraft first flew in July of 1947 and was the first Soviet aircraft equipped with an ejection seat.  Interestingly the ejection seat was fitted in the rear seat only.

Another interesting experimental variant of the MiG-9 attempted to solve the engine fouling problem caused by the exhaust gasses of the 37mm main gun getting sucked into the air intake of the aircraft.  These gasses would be sucked into the engine and interfere with combustion and reduce its power.

To eliminate this problem the main gun barrel of one MiG-9 was fitted with a vertical rectangular plate called a 'butterfly'.  It was intended to divert the gun gasses away from the air intake, but it proved to be unsuccessful and never entered service.
MiG-9 Variant Modification
I-302 Fitted with a single Lyulka TR-1 engine
MiG-9L Added a second cockpit for an engineer to test the KS-1 cruise missile.
MiG-9F Improved version with RD-20F engines.
MiG-9FR First Soviet aircraft to have a pressurized cockpit.  Also added RD-21 engines.

Production of the MiG-9 'Fargo' ended in early 1949.  Over the course of production over 550 examples had been manufactured.  A number of MiG-9's were based in East Germany, but were considered to be obsolete by the early 1950's.  When they were finally withdraw from Soviet service many were sent to the People's Republic of China where they continued to be used for several more years.

    

Tactical Use and Limitations

The MiG-9 'Fargo' fighter was a major step forward for Soviet aviation as it was the first operational jet fighter in their inventory.  It quickly became the primary fighter-interceptor of the early post-war years.  In combat it was used much like fighters of the Great Patriotic War, but now they would be guided towards targets by ground based radar stations.  Some were also fitted with extra fuel tanks and used as escort fighters.

The fighter had several advantages over its turboprop predecessors.  It was faster and more heavily armed than earlier types.  This allowed it to rapidly climb to intercept enemy aircraft and shoot them down when necessary.  Its twin 23mm and single 37mm cannon gave it amazing firepower, especially against bombers.  The aircraft was also useful in pioneering the use of ejection seats and pressurized cockpits.

First among the limitations of the aircraft was the lack of a radar set.  This limited its ability to find and intercept targets at night or in poor weather.  The MiG's twin engines were seen as being  underpowered when compared to the early British and American jets that it was expected to face in combat.  To complicate matters even further when the 37mm main gun was fired, its exhaust would be sucked into the air intake and foul the engines.  The resulted in less power for already underpowered engines when the gun was used.

     

Deployment Chronology

The MiG-9 came into service at the dawn of the jet age when nations were rushing to understand the new technology.  As their understanding grew the turboprop gave way to increasingly sophisticated jet fighters.  Below you can see what aircraft the MiG-9 'Fargo' replaced and what aircraft eventually replaced it as the main front line Soviet jet fighter.  You can also learn more about the aircraft below if they are on our site by clicking the links provided.

The MiG-9 'Fargo' replaced... MiG-9 'Fargo' The MiG-9 'Fargo'  was
replaced by...
Yak-15 'Feather'
La-11 'Fang'		 MiG-15 'Fagot'

 

Sources Cited

Here are some of the most informative sources that we have used in compiling this information for you.  We hope you can find them as useful as we have.