MiG-15/17/19

RE: MiG-15/17/19

Thanks Arthur,I never realised they were so close to
home!Glad someone agrees with my tastes 🙂

Flagons are perhaps an acquired taste, but one i don´t want to miss! Unfortunately i´ve never seen one fly, but a few colleague-spotters made me green with envy when they told me they had seen a few Ukrainian ones fly into storage at Bila Tserkva… But they have been even closer: in 1978 there was a deployment of Flagons at Slupsk in Poland…

Would I be right in comparing the role of the Su-15 to the
BAC Lightning?

Very much the same role. You can add the F-104S and F-106 in the same league too.

Do you have any pictures of the camouflaged examples?? I’ve
only ever seen one camouflaged Flaggon and that was in a
two-tone light grey scheme which looked rather neat.Would
have to say the natural metal examples looked better
though.:)

I guess you have never seen a camouflaged one then? They look really menacing, with their dark-greens and brown mottled scheme. Unfortunately i can´t find a pic on the web so you´ll have to do with this metallic one.

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RE: MiG-15/17/19

Thanks Arthur,I never realised they were so close to home!Glad someone agrees with my tastes 🙂
Would I be right in comparing the role of the Su-15 to the BAC Lightning?To my mind the Su15 wins hands down in the looks department.
Do you have any pictures of the camouflaged examples?? I’ve only ever seen one camouflaged Flaggon and that was in a two-tone light grey scheme which looked rather neat.Would have to say the natural metal examples looked better though.:)

RE: MiG-15/17/19

Agree completely on the Su-15 Ant! By far the best and most purposeful looking interceptor ever. I´m not sure which ones i like the most: the shiny metallic ones, or the beutifully camouflaged ones, all with different spectaculair mottled colour schemes. The latter were not as rare as often stated: when i was at Rzhev in 1996 (which is/was one of the PVO´s storage and demolition bases), of about 50 Flagons which were laying in the grass at least 20 were camouflaged.

I think the reason we don’t hear too much about them over here
is the fact that they were all based on the Eastern side of
the USSR,ready to face any American bombers coming accross
the Pacific.

In fact, most were stationed on ´our´ side of the USSR (although not directly at the border) and in the south, the number of bases in the FE isn´t all that big. European-Soviet bases like Belbek, Kramatorsk (both Ukraine), Rzhev, Gromovo, possibly Pushkin, Apatity, Petrozavodsk also had Su-15 units.

RE: MiG-15/17/19

If we’re allowed to delve into the realms of classic Sukhois then my choice would be the Su-15 Flaggon.It might not have had the most auspicious service career (shooting down Korean airliners doesn’t do much for your image),it still looks mean and purposeful and it had a long and stable career.I think the reason we don’t hear too much about them over here is the fact that they were all based on the Eastern side of the USSR,ready to face any American bombers coming accross the Pacific.
Coming a close second would be the Su17/22 Fitter,particularly the colourful Polish Su22’s.The basic design is 30-40 years old by now but they’re still going strong.

RE: MiG-15/17/19

One of the ways you can differentiate the Su-9 from the Su-11 is by looking at the armament.

Better to check the forward fuselage: the Su-11 has a much longer nose with a bigger intake and centrecone. However, the 11 is very rare (i believe less than 200 were built) and apart from the Monino example i´ve never seen one. But Su-9s can still be found either dumped or on display on many former PVO bases.

Back to the original topic: make mine a MiG-19 please! Although i really like the worn-off camouflaged Polish Lim5 and Lim6es at the end of their career (they still had one operational with the test unit at Modlin as late as 1995, the only operational one i´ve ever seen), i think the 19 looks just a bit tougher and meaner, and the fuselage extension between the engine nozzles is something i somehow really like. Just like the Su-9, plenty MiG-19s can be found in the former USSR nowadays while the number of MiG-15/17s seems to have dwindled quite extensively – probably because of all too optimistic DOSAAF pilots where they ended their service lives 😉

RE: MiG-15/17/19

Actually, that last picture appears to be an Su-9 (NATO name: Fishpot). One of the ways you can differentiate the Su-9 from the Su-11 is by looking at the armament. The Su-9 is armed with four AA-1 Alkali AAM’s, while the Su-11 came equipped with two AA-3 Anab AAM’s.

RE: MiG-15/17/19

The migs are good but i also prefer the Su-7.
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RE: MiG-15/17/19

Out of the Migs, I like the Mig-19/J-6 best, it just seems a smoother, more polished product. However, I actually prefer the Sukhoi Su-7 series for overall looks, can’t really say why 😮

Cheers,
Jim

RE: MiG-15/17/19

Hi Ant, There was a Mig15-17 on the US Airshow circuit that had a spectacular in-flight fire in the tail section but landed safely , the same guy bought a replacement and it is currently up for sale , I have the name of the guy somewhere – he has a website about the aircraft , I’ll try and dig it out.

Alastair

RE: MiG-15/17/19

Hi ageorge,
The MiG15 in the programme was Polish Lim-5UTI two seater G-OMIG previously operated by The Old Flying Machine Company at Duxford.She was sold off a couple of years ago and is now in Brazil awaiting reassembly.
I think my favourite of the three in looks terms is either the Mig15bis or the MiG17(any version),particularly in natural metal finish.I know the MiG19 was a highly potent machine in it’s day,but to my mind it just doesn’t look so nice.
Are the Chinese now the only people operating the Mig19/J6? I heard all the Pakistani examples have now been withdrawn,is this so?

RE: MiG-15/17/19

The Mig 15 just looks the part, agile and deadly with cannons instead of peashooters , on Discovery Flight ,Weapons of War series there is an excellent documentary about the Mig 15 and how Great Britain gave the Russians a RR Nene as a gift , this was promptly copied , put in the Mig and eventually the Americans had to develop the F86 to match the threat.There are plenty of in flight shots of a Mig 15 and F86 duo which fly on the US airshow circuit ( I think the Mig may be a Polish Lim or a Shenyang but no-doubt someone will correct me )

Alastair