| | MiG 21 "Fishbed" Jet Fighter Plane | The Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 21 first entered service in 1959, it evolved via numerous versions in to the famous MiG 21bis - code named "Fishbed" by NATO forces. A total in excess of 11,000 of these jet fighter-bombers have been produced and were still serving in the Air Forces of over 40 nations in 2004. The picture above depicts a Vietnam Air Force MiG-21F-13, this was the first MiG 21 variant to be armed with with air-to-air missiles and was built under licence in Czechoslovakia as a Aero S-106, it is currently on display in the US at Wright-Patterson AFB. |
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Main MiG 21 variants: - MiG 21F-13
The 1960 version was first MiG 21 to be armed with air-to-air missiles and was also built under licence in India, China and Czechoslovakia.
- MiG 21PF
The MiG 21PF lost the cannon of the earlier versions but gained Sapfir radar and the improved performance R-11F turbojet engine.
- MiG 21PF
This 1970 version regained a cannon, the GSh-23 twin barrelled cannon, after missile unreliability was recognised as a problem and also was fitted with a R-13-300 engine to meet the increased performance requirements of the military.
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MiG 21bis
Entering active service in 1972 the "Fishbed", as NATO called it, was a major re-design combining the more powerful R-25 engine with a new improved missile system and radar resulting in a true any weather caperable fighter bomber. The MiG 21bis was also made under licence in India and remained in production until 1987. MiG 21bis "Fishbed" Armament: - Single 23 mm twin-barrelled 200 round GSh-23 cannon
- Up to four Vympel K-13 or Molniya / Vympel R-60 infrared and radar guided air-to-air missiles
- Maximum bomb-load of two 500 kg and two 250 kg bombs
- Up to four air-to-ground rocket pods
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Hungarian Air Force
MiG-21PF 
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MiG 21bis "Fishbed" Specifications: - Crew: Pilot only
- Engine: Single Tumanskii R-25 turbojet of 16,000 lb thrust with afterburner
- Maximum weight: 7960 kg
- Length: 15.76 m
- Wingspan: 7.15 m
- Service ceiling: 16,100 m
- Maximum speed: 2230 km/h (mach 2.3)
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Mikoyan Gurevich Mig 21-PF
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MiG 21 "Fishbed" Jet Fighter Plane Picture & Information |
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