Author Topic: January Group Build - MiG-21  (Read 49943 times)

Offline Sall

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January Group Build - MiG-21
« on: January 01, 2012, 03:13:26 PM »
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name "Fishbed") is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage. Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered to be third-generation jet fighters. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter made aviation records. At least by name, it is the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history and the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War, and it had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants).



Development

The MiG-21 jet fighter was a continuation of Soviet jet fighters, starting with the subsonic MiG-15 and MiG-17, and the supersonic MiG-19. A number of experimental Mach 2 Soviet designs were based on nose intakes with either swept-back wings, such as the Sukhoi Su-7, or tailed deltas, of which the MiG-21 would be the most successful.

Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. This project was very quickly reworked when it was determined that the planned engine was underpowered; the redesign led to the second prototype, the Ye-2. Both these and other early prototypes featured swept wings—the first prototype with delta wings as found on production variants was the Ye-4. The Ye-4 made its maiden flight on 16 June 1955 and made its first public appearance during the Soviet Aviation Day display at Moscow's Tushino airfield in July 1956. The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor characteristics in a single aircraft. It was a lightweight fighter, achieving Mach 2 with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet, and is thus comparable to the American Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter and the French Dassault Mirage III. Its basic layout was used for numerous other Soviet designs; delta-winged aircraft included Su-9 interceptor and the fast E-150 prototype from MiG bureau while the mass-produced successful front fighter Su-7 and Mikoyan's I-75 experimental interceptor combined a similar fuselage shape with swept-back wings. However, the characteristic layout with the shock cone and front air intake did not see widespread use outside the USSR and finally proved to have limited development potential, mainly because of the very small space available for the radar.



Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range. This was not helped by a design defect where the center of gravity shifted rearwards once two-thirds of the fuel had been used. This had the effect of making the plane uncontrollable, resulting in an endurance of only 45 minutes in clean condition. The issue of the short endurance and low fuel capacity of the MiG-21F, PF, PFM, S/SM and M/MF variants—though each had a somewhat greater fuel capacity than its predecessor—led to the development of the MT and SMT variants. These had a range increase of 250 km (155 mi) compared to the MiG-21SM, but at the cost of worsening all other performance figures (such as a lower service ceiling and slower time to altitude).

The delta wing, while excellent for a fast-climbing interceptor, meant any form of turning combat led to a rapid loss of speed. However, the light loading of the aircraft could mean that a climb rate of 235 m/s (46,250 ft/min) was possible with a combat-loaded MiG-21bis, not far short of the performance of the later F-16A. Given a skilled pilot and capable missiles, it could give a good account of itself against contemporary fighters. It was replaced by the newer variable-geometry MiG-23 and MiG-27 for ground support duties. However, not until the MiG-29 would the Soviet Union ultimately replace the MiG-21 as a maneuvering dogfighter to counter new American air superiority types.

The MiG-21 was exported widely and continues to be used. The aircraft's simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots; this in turn enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools. While technologically inferior to the more advanced fighters it often faced, low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of nations buying Eastern Bloc military hardware. Several Russian, Israeli and Romanian firms have begun to offer upgrade packages to MiG-21 operators, designed to bring the aircraft up to a modern standard, with greatly upgraded avionics and armaments.

Due to the lack of available information, early details of the MiG-21 were often confused with those of the similar Sukhoi fighters also under development. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1960–1961 describes the "Fishbed" as a Sukhoi design, and uses an illustration of the Su-9 'Fishpot'.



Production

A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR. They were produced in three factories: GAZ 30 (3,203 aircraft) in Moscow (also known as Znamya Truda), GAZ 21 (5,765 aircraft)in Gorky and at GAZ 31 (1,678 aircraft) in Tbilisi. Generally, Gorky built single-seaters for the Soviet forces. Moscow built single-seaters for export and Tbilisi manufactured the twin-seaters both for export and for the USSR, though there were exceptions. The MiG-21R and MiG-21bis for export and for the USSR were built in Gorky, 17 single-seaters were built in Tbilisi (MiG-21 and MiG-21F), the MiG-21MF was first built in Moscow and then Gorky, and the MiG-21U was built in Moscow as well as in Tbilisi.
A total of 194 MiG-21F-13s were built under licence in Czechoslovakia, and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. of India built 657 MiG-21FL, MiG-21M and MiG-21bis (of which 225 were bis)


Current operators:

     Azerbaijan
     Bulgaria (photo in flight 2011)
     Cambodia
     Croatia
     Cuba
     Egypt
     Eritrea
     Ethiopia
     India
    Libya Libyan Republic
     Mali
     North Korea
     Romania
     Serbia
     Syria
     Uganda
     Vietnam
     Yemen
     Zambia

Former operators

     Afghanistan
     Albania
     Algeria
     Angola
     Bangladesh
     Belarus
     Burkina Faso
     Chad
     China (Replaced by similar-looking Chengdu J-7. Other than Mig-21F13 supplied by Soviet Union, China also traded a small amount of Mig-21MFs with J-7 export variations, then developed J-7C/D based on Mig-21MFs. The deal was between China and a certain Middle East country. [48])
     Congo, Republic of the
     Congo, Democratic Republic of
     Czechoslovakia (Passed on to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.)
     Czech Republic
     East Germany (Passed on to Germany after reunification.)
     Finland
     Germany
     Georgia
     Guinea
     Guinea-Bissau
     Hungary
     Indonesia
     Iran (Ex-Iraqi MiG-21 received after Iran-Iraq War)
     Iraq (As of Saddam's Era)
     Israel (Captured from Syria and Egypt)
     Kyrgyzstan (Still houses some 100 partly dismantled fighters.)
     Laos
     Libya (As of Gaddafi's Era)
     Madagascar
     Mongolia
     Mozambique
     Namibia
     Nigeria
     Poland
     Russia
     Slovakia
     Somalia
     Soviet Union (Passed on to successor states.)
     Sudan
     Tanzania
     Turkmenistan
     United States (Evaluation only.)
     Ukraine
     North Yemen (Passed on to Yemen after reunification.)
     South Yemen (Passed on to Yemen after reunification.)
     Yugoslavia (Passed on to successor states.)
     Zaire (Four were exported to Zairean rebels by FR Yugoslavia [49]
     Zimbabwe
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:00:29 AM by No.1 »

Offline Sall

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2012, 03:14:45 PM »
My kit is in Belgrade, and i'm not at home until 9.1.2012,so i will put some photos then... ;)
Enjoy friends! :-flo
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:00:50 AM by No.1 »

Offline No.1

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2012, 03:16:00 PM »
Excellent start- thank you!!! I will start tomorrow with my Eduard kit of MiG-21bis and it will have Finland markings :))
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:01:05 AM by No.1 »

Offline Ernie

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2012, 03:35:55 PM »
Yeah!!!! Here we go, this will be my entry
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i179/captianplastic/004.jpg
January Group Build - MiG-21


This was a limited production kit from a long time back. It has a resin fuselage, p/e details, vac canopy, and the plastic parts are from OEZ. Let thr bulding begin!!! :-ok
Ernie
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:01:19 AM by No.1 »

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2012, 04:06:47 PM »
I'll be doing the Eduard Weekend Edition MF in the kit-provided DDR markings. I've actually got it on the bench as we speak and the first glue has been applied.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:01:32 AM by No.1 »

Offline draken35

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2012, 04:26:31 PM »
Excellent presentation, Sall!

I will continue to build my little 144th kits in parallel... This is due to the fact I will have to review them.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:01:45 AM by No.1 »

Offline Sall

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2012, 04:48:48 PM »
Cool! This will be big Group Build! :-tri
Thank you guys! :)
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:02:01 AM by No.1 »

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2012, 02:55:24 AM »
A question or advice from y'all: Does anyone have photos or memory for the wheelwell color for an East German Mig-21MF? My guess is RLM02 or a darker grey would be correct but my references are rather sketchy when it comes to the wheelbays.

Thanks in advance,
Scott
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:02:14 AM by No.1 »

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2012, 06:26:03 AM »
First-of-January progress on my end. So far this looks to be an excellent kit to assemble, even better than some of the reviews I've read.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9002.jpg
January Group Build - MiG-21

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9000.jpg
January Group Build - MiG-21

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_8998.jpg
January Group Build - MiG-21

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_8996.jpg
January Group Build - MiG-21


I should mention that my kit is a Weekend Edition version so it lacks some of the goodies in the normal kit. I also purchased this Eduard PE set (for the Academy kit) at a very reduced sale price. So far it fits the Eduard plastic just perfectly.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:03:15 AM by No.1 »

Offline No.1

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« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:03:40 AM by No.1 »

Offline Sall

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2012, 11:14:35 AM »
Good progress Scott! :-clap

Offline 0viking0

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2012, 01:53:56 PM »
Can I join if it's not too late?

What's the deadline?

Offline No.1

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2012, 02:17:26 PM »
Can I join if it's not too late?

What's the deadline?

In general is best way to start at month of GB and complete it in same month. But this is just theory, in practice you can start now in January and complete when you manage to do that. make your time and arrangement :-ok

Offline No.1

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2012, 02:30:04 PM »
I have unpack MiG-21bis from Eduard and will start work tomorrow. Must focus to do as much as I can on MiG-29 but also some other things (magazine, orders...)

Offline 0viking0

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Re: January Group Build - MiG-21
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2012, 02:55:15 PM »
A month... Hmm. OK. I could try to make one in 1/144.

I post everything in this thread?