MiG-15
미그-15
A swept-wing jet fighter developed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau, entering Soviet Air Force service in 1949. It combined a 35-degree swept wing derived from captured German aerodynamic research with the Klimov VK-1 turbojet, reverse-engineered from the British Rolls-Royce Nene, achieving high-altitude performance that outclassed all straight-wing contemporaries. Flown by the Soviet 64th Fighter Aviation Corps (64 IAK) over the Korean War, it fought the F-86 Sabre in history's first large-scale jet dogfights and proved so lethal against B-29 bombers that the USAF was forced to abandon daylight precision raids.
In depth
Development
The MiG-15's decisive ingredient was the Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet, acquired from Britain. In 1946 the British Labour government agreed to sell the advanced engines to the USSR; Vladimir Klimov reverse-engineered the Nene into the RD-45, and the improved VK-1 powered the MiG-15bis. The Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau, drawing on captured German swept-wing research, adopted a 35-degree wing sweep. A novel lowerable weapons tray, carrying one 37 mm N-37 and two 23 mm NR-23 cannon and optimized for destroying bombers, could be winched down for rapid reloading. The I-310 (S-1) prototype first flew on 30 December 1947.
Korean War and MiG Alley
On 1 November 1950, MiG-15s of the Soviet 50th Fighter Aviation Division (50 IAD), in North Korean markings with red-painted noses, entered combat over Korea. Elite units including Ivan Kozhedub's 324th IAD deployed to airbases around Antung (Dandong) on the Chinese side of the Yalu, forming the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps (64 IAK). Soviet pilots wore North Korean uniforms or civilian clothes and carried phonetic Korean phrase cards, but reverted to Russian in combat, and UN forces soon suspected the presence of experienced Soviet 'honchos.' The MiG-15's defining role was bomber interception: on 12 April 1951, 44 MiGs engaged 48 B-29s and destroyed or damaged 10; on 'Black Tuesday,' 23 October 1951, MiGs shot down or damaged 8 of 9 B-29s, compelling Far East Air Forces to cancel daylight precision bombing altogether.
Variants and global service
The MiG-15bis, with the VK-1 engine and airbrakes, entered combat in early 1950. The two-seat MiG-15UTI (NATO 'Midget') became the standard jet trainer for the Soviet bloc for decades. The type was license-built in China (J-2/Jian-2), Poland (Lim-1/Lim-2), and Czechoslovakia (S-102/S-103). With more than 13,000 airframes produced, it ranks among the most-produced jet aircraft in history. The last operational MiG-15s were retired by the Albanian Air Force in 2006.
Sources
- Wikipedia (RU) Russian Wikipedia: development history, engine origins, prototype timeline, armament configuration, serial production, and retirement in Albania (2006)
- Wikipedia (EN) English Wikipedia: operational history including 64 IAK, MiG Alley tactics, B-29 interception campaigns (Black Tuesday, 12 April 1951), total production numbers, and F-86 comparison
- airandspace.si.edu Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: first Soviet jet to benefit from British Nene engine sale, first production swept wing and ejection seat on a Soviet aircraft, 1947 first flight
- britannica.com Encyclopaedia Britannica: swept-wing design from German research, copy of Rolls-Royce engine, extensive Korean War combat, first flight 1947
- migflug.com MiGFlug: detailed specs, VK-1 engine specifics, 35° wing sweep, combat debut 1 Nov 1950, B-29 killer role, honcho pilots, production ~13,000–18,000