The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 'Fresco' was a fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The SI-2 prototype successfully performed its maiden flight on January 13, 1950. It was piloted by Ivan T. Ivashchenko. That year, on February 1, Ivashchenko would break the sound barrier, flying at Mach 1.03 (1,114 km/h) in a level flight. In September 1951, mass production was ordered, with the aircraft entering service in October 1952.
The MiG-17 would be used in combat for the first time in June 1958 as part of the Chinese Air Force. The communist pilot flying this Soviet-made warplane engaged a Nationalist China F-86 Sabre fighter over the Strait of Taiwan, shooting it down. That had happened after the Chinese Civil War. However, it would be in the Vietnam War, when this combat aircraft would see its moment of glory.
In this armed conflict, the MiG-17 would shoot down many American aircraft in dogfights in the skies over Vietnam. Although it was seemingly obsolete by 1964, this simple warplane was very hard to deal with and beat. It was so maneuverable and steady at high speeds, that it often outperformed more modern yet heavier American combat aircraft, such as the F-100 Sabre, F-105 Thunderchief, and even the F-4 Phantom II. The following is an account given by the US Air Force pilot Brig-Gen Robin Olds:
"Unlike the chair-borne strategists in the Pentagon, and their computer analysis, I can say that the MiG-17 is a very dangerous little animal. Its maneuverability is phenomenal. It's extremely difficult to outmaneuver it with an F-4 Phantom..."
A total of 10,824 Frescos were built, with 7,999 being made in the State-run factories of the Soviet Union. The rest were manufactured in Eastern European countries. There were several variants: the MiG-17A, MiG-17AS (fighter/ground-attack), MiG-17P (all-weather version, with new radar), MiG-PF, MiG-17F (fitted with a more powerful engine), and the MiG-17R (reconnaissance).
Technical Characteristics
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 was designed to improve in the MiG-15 handling, especially at high speeds. The result was a very maneuverable and reliable fighter. It featured a more swept wing. Like its predecessor, the wing was also mounted in the middle of fuselage. The MiG-17F variant was powered by a Klimov VK-1F afterburning turbojet engine.
The wing had a sweep of 45-degree angle of inclination. The tailplane was swept back with the same angle, but instead of being mount on the rear portion of fuselage, it was set up on the fin (vertical stabilizer). The cockpit was equipped with an ejection seat and a round canopy.
Specifications
Type: single-seat fighter
Length: 11.26 m
Wingspan: 9.63 m
Wing Area: 22.60 square meters
Height: 3.80 m
Maximum Speed: 1,120 km/h
Combat Range: 700 km
Armament: two 23-mm cannons; one 37-mm gun; 500-kg of bombs.
MiG-17 front view in 1955.
Below, the MiG-17A parked on a Soviet airbase in 1957.
The Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-17 in the skies over Vietnam (video)