Mikoyan Mig-21 (Famous Russian Aircraft) (Famous Russian Aircraft)

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First flown in 1956 and entering service in 1959, the MiG-21 'Fishbed' has proved to be one of the most successful of all Soviet era jet fighters, seeing service not only with the Soviet air force but with numerous other air forces worldwide. Among jet fighters, the
MiG-21 holds a wide range of records covering total production figures and the number of nations that operated it. For the first time this book will provide a detailed description of every single member of the MiG-21 family, from the Ye-2 swept-wing development aircraft to the latest 'distant relatives' of the 'Fishbed' developed in China. The book covers the MiG-21's combat career, including the Vietnam War, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, the Indo-Pakistani clashes, and various local wars in Africa. Also included are the fleet lists for each operator featuring known serials and construction numbers. A separate well-illustrated chapter will deal with the Chinese derivatives that were supplied to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iran, and other nations.

For many years the Soviet designers deemed the MiG-21 to be the best light fighter in its category - until a Northrop F-5E Freedom Fighter captured in Vietnam found its way to the Soviet Union and met the MiG-21 in mock combat. The book details results of this 'flyoff', which came as a rude awakening for Soviet pilots and designers. Today, upgraded MiG-21s with state-of-the-art avionics still serve with the air arms of Romania.