The MiG 15 - History, Overview & Cockpit

It could be argued that no combat aircraft had a bigger impact on the world than the MiG-15. We take a look at this legendary aircraft.

The Air Zoo is a world-class, Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum with over 100 air and space artifacts, inspiring interactive exhibits, full-motion flight simulators, indoor amusement park rides, a theater and over 100 education programs!

[maciek_k.cichon]

Ah, by the cockpit panel captions I see this lovely girl is from Poland. She is of Mig-15bis variety and was produced there under the name Licence Fighter 2 (PZL Lim-2) and in Czechoslovakia as Aero S-103. Great to see her in good condition.

[mestahi]

There is something cool about the early age of jetfighters like the mig and sabre, the simplicity just makes them fascinating. And to think how much ahead of time they were!

[Pau_Pau]

Mig-15 is one of my favorite aircraft too!
But I like Mig-17 better because its more refined and correct many issues with Mig-15.

[mvd]

The glow in the dark gauges is so cool.

[gregorydahl]

I saw one at an airshow and could not tell if it was a ¾ scale homebuilt or real .

[razrose]

The UK was in dire straits after the war and needed to sell anything it could. They were also cognoscente of the millions of Russian deaths and the American "Lend Lease" which saw them gain much British territory.

[dufus]

I recall flying into Dacca seeing a pile of these like discarded toys..after a storm

[migueldeniseful]

Today, Russian and American historians such as Cookie Sewall and Diego Zampinni admit that
on 10/01/1955, not 10/08, there was the first kill of a jet by another jet. An F-80 Shooting Star patrol engaged three MiG-15s and veteran First Lieutenant Semyon Fyodorovich Khominich spotted 10 F-80F aircraft. Khomonich turned left, leaving the sun behind in combat formation. As a result of their attack, an F-80 was shot down. He opened fire at 800 meters, and stopped firing at less than 200 meters. Coming out of his attack, the lieutenant struggled to gain altitude. Major Bordun with the rest of the team attacked four F-80s that were trying to attack Khominich. The Americans went to the others without success, and finally abandoned the fight..."
"...The Russian-built fighter was flown by five Air Force pilots. The F-86A-5 Saber underperformed when compared to the MIG-15. However, the superior training and tactics of the US pilots established a "kill ratio" better than 8:1 over MIG. They putoff all straits wings fighters of korean skies and put all B-29 to work only at nights !!
[ kill-ratio also fixed: 1.3 to 1. Reasons: chinese and vietnamese pilots had no trainings like russians 'Honchos'... ]
(Photo: National Archives and Records Administration)

[Cashier-]

What does the back thing do on the mig 15 slow u down? Its the side thing if u click smth it will show

[niconico]

The UK looks like a reliable and faithful ally of the USA😄

[mardikermardiker]

Soviets didn't have anything against even numbers, it's just MiG's tradition :). Other design bureaus used even and odd numbers, like Su 24 and 34, Tu 22 and 160.

[acoustic]

6:14 yes but also the soviet rotation system, changing complete experienced regiments, for new unexperienced ones. Plus the secrecy, no one could share their experience.

[antitiever]

Incorrect, China never build MiG-15, China started assembling MiG-17F 1956 from Soviet provided kits, named it type 56, then renamed it J-5 (Jian-5; fighter 5), then made all parts locally.

[Boppinabe]

What fool would sell us an engine?
Labour!

[robertbennett]

Thank you. An amazing development by a country which had been ravaged, by 1945. In combination with the Tu-4. which was a direct copy of the US B-29 Superfortress, by 1950 the Soviet Union had the ability to make any attack on it's territory very expensive for the growing threat from what coalesced into NATO.

[mib]

Poland and Chechoslovakia was USSR dude... If not, then what IS USSR?