MIG-21F “Fishbed-C”

Aircraft Type: Mikoyan MiG-21F, S/N 60-2105, “Fishbed-C”

Mission: Single seat, multi-role fighter

Number built: 15,000

Powerplant: One Tumanski TDR Mk R-37F afterburning turbojet, 12,500 lbs. thrust

Weight: Empty 13,500 pounds, Maximum takeoff weight 16,700 pounds

Dimensions: Wingspan 23’6″‘, Length 51’8″, Height 12′

Performance: Maximum speed 1,373 MPH, Cruising speed 284 MPH, Service Ceiling 30,000 feet, Range 1,400 miles with 4,000 pounds of ordnance

One of the most extensively built and widely used aircraft in the world, the MiG-21 has served in the former Soviet Union Air Forces and more than twenty associate countries. The first MiG-21 prototype flew for the first time on February 14, 1955. The MiG21 was first seen by Western observers at the 1956 Aviation Day in Tushio, USSR, where it received the NATO designation of “Fishbed-C”. Various models of the MiG-21 were developed that featured improved powerplants, upgraded avionics and/or better armaments.

About our MiG-21F: This Soviet-built aircraft was delivered to the Strategic Air & Space Museum in 1990, and bears the markings of the North Vietnamese Air Force.