(Image source: WikiMedia Commons)
The MiG-15 was the first swept wing fighter made by Mikoyan-Gurevich. NATO gave the plane the code name Fagot. Its designers took advantage of technology the Soviets captured at the German Focke-Wulf factory in 1945. The drawings, wind tunnel models and test data for the proposed Focke-Wulf TA-183 jet fighter were of particular interest to Russian aircraft designers. It’s no surprise that the MiG-15 looks very similar to the German TA-153, including its wing sweep of 35 degrees and cruciform t-tail that extends aft of the fuselage.
Early Soviet jet engines weren’t as powerful as Western designs and much to the Soviet’s surprise, Sir Stafford Cripps recommended the British Labour Government give the Soviets a license to build the Rolls-Royce Nene engine, a drawing package and several engines.
Did Germany’s proposed TA-138 jet, mock-ups of which were captured by the Soviets in 1945, inspire the MiG-15? (Image source: WikiMedia Commons)
The first MiG-15 prototype, designated I-310, was designed to intercept and shoot down American B-29s, B-50s and later, B-36s. It first flew on Dec. 30, 1947, powered by a copy of the Rolls-Royce Nene.
The Soviet Air force chose to arm the MiG-15 with two 23mm and one 37mm cannon to maximize the damage it could do to a bomber. However, the two guns’ different ballistics hindered the fighter in air-to-air combat.
Unlike the armament on U.S. aircraft — .50 caliber machine guns or 20mm cannon – the shells from the MiG-15 began to diverge almost as soon as they left the barrel. While ideal for shooting down a bomber, the guns were not the best solution to hit a fast moving, maneuverable target.
Deliveries of MiG-15s to Soviet Air Force units began in 1948. MiGs, flown by Soviet Air Force pilots, saw combat in the later stages of the Chinese Civil War.
The first MiG-15 kill was of a Republic of China P-38 photo reconnaissance airplane on April 28, 1950.
(Image source: U.S. Navy photo)
Immediately following the end of the Second World War, the U.S. Navy asked several aircraft manufacturers to develop a jet powered fighter to deploy on carriers.
The first was the twin-engine McDonnell F2H Phantom. It saw some service in Korea, but by then, the F2H had been supplanted by the better performing F9F-5 which first flew on Nov. 21, 1947.
Due to the need for slower landing speeds, Grumman chose a straight wing design for the F9F. To increase its fuel capacity because the large size of the centrifugal compressor on the Pratt & Whitney J-48, Grumman added tip tanks to the wings which not only increased fuel capacity but also increased the F9F’s roll rate.
It’s interesting to note that the J-48 was built under a license from Rolls-Royce and was a more powerful version of the Nene given to the Soviets which powered the MiG-15.
Grumman’s design, built by what Naval Aviators affectionately called the Grumman Iron Works, was 7,600 pounds heavier than the Mikoyan-Gurevich fighter. Coupled with the straight wing, the MiG was much faster and a had a much higher rate of climb.
The Panther, despite the differences in performance, had a better rate of turn and a could turn tighter. Its armament of four 20mm cannon, with 190 rounds per gun, had a higher rate of fire than the MiG’s two 23mm and one 37mm cannon. Unfortunately, in a dog fight with a fast-moving fighter, the slow rate of fire of the MiG’s armament put the fighter at a tactical disadvantage.
Despite the dramatic difference in performance naval aviators flying the Panther shot down seven MiG-15s for a loss of just two F9Fs. That is, before Nov. 18, 1952 engagement.
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