History: In 1948, the Soviet MiG design bureau
developed a high-performance jet fighter design called
the I-310. It incorporated some advanced features, such
as a 35-degree wing sweep, and it promised to be a
sprightly performer. However, the design lacked one
essential component: A suitable engine. This problem was
resolved when the British government authorized the
Rolls-Royce company to export their Nene turbojet engine
to Russia. As soon as the Russian Klimov design bureau
received the engines, they immediately developed their
own copy of the Nene, called the Klimov RD-45. Within
months, the first prototype of the I-310 had flown with
the new engine. The aircraft was redesignated MiG-15 and
entered service early in 1949.
Later in the year, the improved MiG-15bis version
appeared, and a two-seat trainer version, the MiG-15UTI,
was also introduced. In 1950, Western air forces were
surprised at the combat capability of the new design in
the skies over Korea. The MiG-15 could out-climb,
out-turn, and fly higher than the US-built F-86 Sabre.
Fortunately, Allied pilots were better-trained and had
better equipment installed in their aircraft, and they
prevailed against the MiG.
The MiG-15 was eventually built under license in
Czechoslovakia as the A-102, S-102 and two-seat CS-12;
and in Poland as the LIM-1, LIM-2, and two-seat LIM-3.
China also built many components of the airplane. As
would be expected, many Warsaw Pact nations used the
MiG-15, and after the introduction of the MiG-17 and
MiG-19, the -15 was retired as a fighter and became the
standard advanced trainer of the Eastern bloc.
MiG Fury Fighter's MiG-15 (N515MG) was built on March 20,
1955 and put into service on June 18, 1955 with the 25th
Fighter Aviation Regiment of Poland. It was converted to
SBLim-2 between 13/09/69 -- 10/03/70 using rear fuselage
of 1B-01509. We have no specific record of it’s military
service. It was decommissioned and placed into storage
at Mierzecice Air Base, Poland.
In the late 1980s, the first MiG-15 appeared on the
civilian register in the USA, and in the last decade, at
least 20 have been licensed as warbirds around the
world.
Nicknames: Fagot / Midget (NATO Codename for
MiG-15 and MiG-15UTI trainer, respectively); Matushka
("Mother"); Baboushka ("Grandmother"); Jaguar (Hungarian
AF nickname for MiG-15); Eagle (Hungarian AF nickname
for MiG-15bis).
Specifications (MiG-15bis):
- Engine: One 5,952-pound thrust Klimov VK-1
turbojet
- Weight: Empty 8,115 lbs., Max Takeoff 13,327
lbs.
- Wing Span: 33ft. 0.75in.
- Length: 35ft. 7.5in.
- Height: 12ft. 1.75in.
Performance:
- Maximum Speed at Sea Level: 668 mph
- Ceiling: 50,855 ft.
- Range: 1,156 miles
Armament:
- One 37-mm N-37 cannon
- Two 23-mm NS-23 or NR-23 cannon
- Up to 1,100 pounds of mixed stores on underwing
hardpoints
Number Built: 8,000+ built in USSR alone, many
thousands built in Poland and Czechoslovakia.
Number Still Airworthy: 20 Approximately
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