Posted on Sep 21, 2017
USAF Mig-15 ( Korean War Operation Moolah )
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FOR ALLIED PILOTS IN THE KOREAN WAR, the sudden and unexpected appearance of Soviet-made MiG-15s in the skies over the 38th Parallel was an unsettling development to put it mildly.
The new cutting-edge interceptors, which Moscow supplied to the air forces of North Korea and China by the hundreds, made their combat debut on Nov. 1, 1950 and immediately began downing Allied aircraft with near impunity. The MiG-15, designated “Fagot” by NATO, could easily outpace, outfly and outfight any U.S. or British aircraft, including the American F-86 Saber. What’s more, with a forward-mounted 37mm cannon, the jet packed a shattering punch, particularly when flown by one of the skilled Soviet pilots secretly sent to North Korea to shore up Pyongyang’s war effort.
In one day alone in 1951, a group of 30 of the nimble fighters breezed through a cordon of 100 front-line American jets and shredded a formation of three-dozen B-29s. As many as a third of the bombers were shot to bits — and all without the loss of a single communist aircraft. American commanders were so alarmed by the catastrophe they ordered a temporary suspension of all air missions over enemy territory. The MiG-15 was tipping the balance of the air war against the Allies.
U.N. commanders knew they had to find a way to defeat the new jet. But to do so, they’d need to study one of the remarkable machines up close. Obtaining a functioning MiG-15 became something of an obsession for western intelligence. But getting one intact was proving to be difficult.
Operation Moolah
Enter the U.S. Army’s psychological warfare division. In 1952, members of the top-secret outfit hatched a wild plan to lure disgruntled North Korean, Chinese and even Soviet pilots into defecting with their MiGs.* In exchange for delivering the jets, the fliers would receive $50,000 in cash, political asylum and citizenship in any western democracy of their choosing. As an added incentive, a cool $100,000 would go to the very first communist flier to take the U.S. up on its offer. Appropriately, the operation was codenamed Moolah. If successful, the plan would not only deliver a prized piece of Soviet hardware into the hands of the U.S. military, but would also represent an ideological victory against the communist way of life.
One of the 1 million leaflets American bombers distributed over North Korea in 1953. It provides details of the cash prize and references a recent Polish pilot that defected to NATO forces in Western Europe.
Beginning in April of 1953, the Pentagon mounted a public relations blitz geared at communist pilots. Radio broadcasts announcing the cash were beamed into the north from Japan. They were followed by mass leaflet drops by B-29s on Chinese and North Korean air bases all up and down the Yalu River (an area known to Allied fliers as MiG Alley). By the end of April, more than a million pamphlets had been dispersed. More drops would follow in May.
The results were disappointing. By the time the Korean War ended on July 27 of that year, not a single communist flier from the north had defected – although in an unrelated incident that same spring, one Polish pilot had fled the East Bloc with his MiG-15.
Accidental Success?
Despite this, Operation Moolah wasn’t a complete washout. In the days following the radio broadcasts and leaflet missions, Allied pilots noted a sudden drop in MiG activity over enemy airspace. And on occasions when Allied fliers did engage MiGs after early May, the Russian-built jets were suddenly much easier to defeat — the crack Soviet pilots that were long believed to have shot down nearly 2,000 U.N. aircraft since 1950 evidently had been grounded. U.S. commanders concluded that Moscow had withdrawn its elite MiG-15 squadrons for fear losing both the jets and veteran pilots to the west — the North Korean air force had been left to fend for itself. Despite the lack of defections, it seemed that for the Allies, Moolah still paid off.
A 22-year old North Korea happened defected with a MiG after the war. He had no idea about Operation Moolah.
And the $100,000 Goes To…
On the morning of Sept. 21, 1953 – nearly two months after the truce that ended the Korean War – a lone MiG-15 touched down unannounced at Kimpo air base near Seoul, South Korea. A 21-year-old North Korean air force lieutenant named No Kum-Sok leapt from the cockpit of the plane and surrendered his jet to stunned Americans.
Amazingly, No claimed to be unaware of any cash prize. And after learning of the offer, he maintained that the promise of $100,000 probably wouldn’t have made much of an impression on him or his North Korean comrades — few understood the value of American currency.
The young pilot was awarded money anyway and was later granted U.S. citizenship. He settled in the United States and earned an engineering degree from the University of Delaware. After a long career in the American aerospace industry, No became a university professor and even wrote a book about his defection entitled A Mig-15 to Freedom. It was published in 1996.
After his fateful flight, No’s North Korean MiG was evacuated to Okinawa where it was evaluated by a team of American experts that included none other than Second World War ace and X-1 pilot Chuck Yeager. The plane is currently part of the U.S. Air Force National Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
Interestingly enough, the following decade, the U.S. military reprised the Moolah plan during the Vietnam War. Operation Fast Buck offered $35,000 to North Vietnamese fliers that fled to the south with an intact MiG-21 Fishbed.
http://militaryhistorynow.com/2015/02/19/operation-moolah-the-u-s-plan-to-buy-a-top-secret-soviet-fighter/
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-us-air-force-korean-war-leaflet-for-operation-moolah-offering-a [login to see] 5918.html
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ maj william Maj William W. "Bill" Price @ maj stephen LTC (Join to see) @ capt tom Capt Tom Brown @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski @ spc margaret SPC Margaret Higgins SCPO Morris Ramsey Alan K.
The new cutting-edge interceptors, which Moscow supplied to the air forces of North Korea and China by the hundreds, made their combat debut on Nov. 1, 1950 and immediately began downing Allied aircraft with near impunity. The MiG-15, designated “Fagot” by NATO, could easily outpace, outfly and outfight any U.S. or British aircraft, including the American F-86 Saber. What’s more, with a forward-mounted 37mm cannon, the jet packed a shattering punch, particularly when flown by one of the skilled Soviet pilots secretly sent to North Korea to shore up Pyongyang’s war effort.
In one day alone in 1951, a group of 30 of the nimble fighters breezed through a cordon of 100 front-line American jets and shredded a formation of three-dozen B-29s. As many as a third of the bombers were shot to bits — and all without the loss of a single communist aircraft. American commanders were so alarmed by the catastrophe they ordered a temporary suspension of all air missions over enemy territory. The MiG-15 was tipping the balance of the air war against the Allies.
U.N. commanders knew they had to find a way to defeat the new jet. But to do so, they’d need to study one of the remarkable machines up close. Obtaining a functioning MiG-15 became something of an obsession for western intelligence. But getting one intact was proving to be difficult.
Operation Moolah
Enter the U.S. Army’s psychological warfare division. In 1952, members of the top-secret outfit hatched a wild plan to lure disgruntled North Korean, Chinese and even Soviet pilots into defecting with their MiGs.* In exchange for delivering the jets, the fliers would receive $50,000 in cash, political asylum and citizenship in any western democracy of their choosing. As an added incentive, a cool $100,000 would go to the very first communist flier to take the U.S. up on its offer. Appropriately, the operation was codenamed Moolah. If successful, the plan would not only deliver a prized piece of Soviet hardware into the hands of the U.S. military, but would also represent an ideological victory against the communist way of life.
One of the 1 million leaflets American bombers distributed over North Korea in 1953. It provides details of the cash prize and references a recent Polish pilot that defected to NATO forces in Western Europe.
Beginning in April of 1953, the Pentagon mounted a public relations blitz geared at communist pilots. Radio broadcasts announcing the cash were beamed into the north from Japan. They were followed by mass leaflet drops by B-29s on Chinese and North Korean air bases all up and down the Yalu River (an area known to Allied fliers as MiG Alley). By the end of April, more than a million pamphlets had been dispersed. More drops would follow in May.
The results were disappointing. By the time the Korean War ended on July 27 of that year, not a single communist flier from the north had defected – although in an unrelated incident that same spring, one Polish pilot had fled the East Bloc with his MiG-15.
Accidental Success?
Despite this, Operation Moolah wasn’t a complete washout. In the days following the radio broadcasts and leaflet missions, Allied pilots noted a sudden drop in MiG activity over enemy airspace. And on occasions when Allied fliers did engage MiGs after early May, the Russian-built jets were suddenly much easier to defeat — the crack Soviet pilots that were long believed to have shot down nearly 2,000 U.N. aircraft since 1950 evidently had been grounded. U.S. commanders concluded that Moscow had withdrawn its elite MiG-15 squadrons for fear losing both the jets and veteran pilots to the west — the North Korean air force had been left to fend for itself. Despite the lack of defections, it seemed that for the Allies, Moolah still paid off.
A 22-year old North Korea happened defected with a MiG after the war. He had no idea about Operation Moolah.
And the $100,000 Goes To…
On the morning of Sept. 21, 1953 – nearly two months after the truce that ended the Korean War – a lone MiG-15 touched down unannounced at Kimpo air base near Seoul, South Korea. A 21-year-old North Korean air force lieutenant named No Kum-Sok leapt from the cockpit of the plane and surrendered his jet to stunned Americans.
Amazingly, No claimed to be unaware of any cash prize. And after learning of the offer, he maintained that the promise of $100,000 probably wouldn’t have made much of an impression on him or his North Korean comrades — few understood the value of American currency.
The young pilot was awarded money anyway and was later granted U.S. citizenship. He settled in the United States and earned an engineering degree from the University of Delaware. After a long career in the American aerospace industry, No became a university professor and even wrote a book about his defection entitled A Mig-15 to Freedom. It was published in 1996.
After his fateful flight, No’s North Korean MiG was evacuated to Okinawa where it was evaluated by a team of American experts that included none other than Second World War ace and X-1 pilot Chuck Yeager. The plane is currently part of the U.S. Air Force National Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
Interestingly enough, the following decade, the U.S. military reprised the Moolah plan during the Vietnam War. Operation Fast Buck offered $35,000 to North Vietnamese fliers that fled to the south with an intact MiG-21 Fishbed.
http://militaryhistorynow.com/2015/02/19/operation-moolah-the-u-s-plan-to-buy-a-top-secret-soviet-fighter/
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-us-air-force-korean-war-leaflet-for-operation-moolah-offering-a [login to see] 5918.html
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ maj william Maj William W. "Bill" Price @ maj stephen LTC (Join to see) @ capt tom Capt Tom Brown @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski @ spc margaret SPC Margaret Higgins SCPO Morris Ramsey Alan K.
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Thanks for reminding us about an example of military technology which significantly alters the balance of power SP5 Mark Kuzinski. In prior centuries the long bow, the rifle, the machine gun, poisonous gas, the submarine and the aircraft carrier had wreaked havoc on the enemy when they were introduced.
In this case, the Soviet pilots and their Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s proved to be a deadly combination.
Our Operation Moolah had unintended results. No pilot defected with a MIG 15 in Korea. Yet the Soviets pulled out their pilots and left the North Koreans to fend for themselves.
We had already been working on the B-52 Stratofortress to replace the B-29 Superfortress.
The Polish defection and the 1953 North Korean defection by North Korean air force lieutenant named No Kum-Sok with his MIG 15 helped the west learn about the capabilities and vulnerabilities of the MIG 15.
Images: MiG-15 which had been delivered to the US Air Force by a defecting North Korean pilot. US Air Force; 1952 Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., commander of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, leads a three-ship F-86F Sabre formation during the Korean War. US Air Force;
"Korean War: MiG-15 by Kennedy Hickman
Updated April 28, 2017
In the immediate wake of World War II, the Soviet Union captured a wealth of German jet engine and aeronautical research. Utilizing this, they produced their first practical jet fighter, the MiG-9, in early 1946. While capable, this aircraft lacked the top speed of the standard American jets of the day, such as the P-80 Shooting Star. Though MiG-9 was operational, Russian designers continued to have issues perfecting the German HeS-011 axial-flow jet engine.
As a result, airframe designs produced by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich's design bureau began to outpace the ability to produce engines to power them.
While the Soviets struggled with developing jet engines, the British had created advanced "centrifugal flow" engines. In 1946, Soviet aviation minister Mikhail Khrunichev and aircraft designer Alexander Yakovlev approached Premier Joseph Stalin with the suggestion of buying several British jet engines. Though not believing that the British would part with such advanced technology, Stalin gave them permission to contact London.
Much to their surprise, the new Labour government of Clement Atlee, which was friendlier towards the Soviets, agreed to the sale of several Rolls-Royce Nene engines along with a licensing agreement for overseas production. Bringing the engines to the Soviet Union, engine designer Vladimir Klimov immediately began reverse-engineering the design.
The result was the Klimov RD-45. With the engine issue effectively resolved, the Council of Ministers issued decree #493-192 on April 15, 1947, calling for two prototypes for a new jet fighter. Design time was limited as the decree called for test flights in December.
Due to the limited time allowed, designers at MiG elected to use the MiG-9 as a starting point.
Modifying the aircraft to include swept wings and a redesigned tail, they soon produced the I-310. Possessing a clean appearance, the I-310 was capable of 650 mph and defeated the Lavochkin La-168 in trials. Re-designated the MiG-15, the first production aircraft flew December 31, 1948. Entering service in 1949, it was given the NATO reporting name "Fagot." Principally intended for intercepting American bombers, such as the B-29 Superfortress, the MiG-15 was equipped with two 23 mm cannon and one 37 mm cannon.
MIG-15 OPERATIONAL HISTORY
The first upgrade to the aircraft came in 1950, with the arrival of the MiG-15bis. While the aircraft contained numerous minor improvements, it also possessed the new Klimov VK-1 engine and external hardpoints for rockets and bombs. Widely exported, the Soviet Union provided the new aircraft to the People's Republic of China. First seeing combat at the end of the Chinese Civil War, the MiG-15 was flown by Soviet pilots from the 50th IAD. The aircraft scored its first kill on April 28, 1950, when one downed a Nationalist Chinese P-38 Lightning.
With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the North Koreans began operations flying a variety of piston-engine fighters.
These were soon swept from the sky by American jets and B-29 formations began a systematic aerial campaign against the North Koreans. With the Chinese entry into the conflict, the MiG-15 began to appear in the skies over Korea. Quickly proving superior to straight-wing American jets such as the F-80 and F-84 Thunderjet, the MiG-15 temporarily gave the Chinese the advantage in the air and ultimately forced United Nations forces to halt daylight bombing.
MIG ALLEY
The MiG-15's arrival compelled the US Air Force to begin deploying the new F-86 Sabre to Korea. Arriving on the scene, the Sabre restored balance to the air war. In comparison, the F-86 could out dive and out turn the MiG-15, but was inferior in rate of climb, ceiling, and acceleration. Though the Sabre was a more stable gun platform, the MiG-15's all-cannon armament was more effective than the American aircraft's six .50 cal.
machine guns. In addition, the MiG benefited from the rugged construction typical of Russian aircraft which made it difficult to bring down.
The most famous engagements involving the MiG-15 and F-86 occurred over northwestern North Korea in an area known a "MiG Alley." In this area, Sabres and MiGs frequently dueled, making it the birthplace of jet vs. jet aerial combat. Throughout the conflict, many MiG-15s were covertly flown by experienced Soviet pilots. When encountering American opposition, these pilots often were evenly matched. As many of the American pilots were veterans of World War II, they tended to have the upper hand when facing MiGs flown by North Korean or Chinese pilots.
LATER YEARS
Eager to inspect the MiG-15, the United States offered a bounty of $100,000 to any enemy pilot who defected with an aircraft. This offer was taken up by Lieutenant No Kum-Sok who defected on November 21, 1953. At the end of the war, the US Air Force claimed a kill ratio of around 10 to 1 for MiG-Sabre battles. Recent research has challenged this and suggested that the ratio was much lower. In the years after Korea, the MiG-15 equipped many of the Soviet Union's Warsaw Pact allies as well as numerous other countries around the world.
Several MiG-15s flew with the Egyptian Air Force during the 1956 Suez Crisis, though their pilots were routinely beaten by the Israelis. The MiG-15 also saw extended service with the People's Republic of China under the designation J-2. These Chinese MiGs frequently skirmished with Republic of China aircraft around the Straits of Taiwan during the 1950s. Largely replaced in Soviet service by the MiG-17, the MiG-15 remained in many countries' arsenals into the 1970s. Trainer versions of the aircraft continued to fly for another twenty to thirty years with some nations.
MIG-15BIS SPECIFICATIONS
General
Length: 33 ft. 2 in.
Wingspan: 33 ft. 1 in.
Height: 12 ft. 2 in.
Wing Area: 221.74 sq. ft.
Empty Weight: 7,900 lbs.
Crew: 1
Performance
Power Plant: 1 × Klimov VK-1 turbojet
Range: 745 miles
Max Speed: 668 mph
Ceiling: 50,850 ft.
Armament
2 x NR-23 23mm cannons in lower left fuselage
1 x Nudelman N-37 37 mm cannon in lower right fuselage
2 x 220 lb. bombs, drop tanks, or unguided rockets on underwing hardpoints"
https://www.thoughtco.com/korean-war-mig-15-2361067
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown CW5 (Join to see) SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT MSG Andrew White SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Joshua Caldwell
In this case, the Soviet pilots and their Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s proved to be a deadly combination.
Our Operation Moolah had unintended results. No pilot defected with a MIG 15 in Korea. Yet the Soviets pulled out their pilots and left the North Koreans to fend for themselves.
We had already been working on the B-52 Stratofortress to replace the B-29 Superfortress.
The Polish defection and the 1953 North Korean defection by North Korean air force lieutenant named No Kum-Sok with his MIG 15 helped the west learn about the capabilities and vulnerabilities of the MIG 15.
Images: MiG-15 which had been delivered to the US Air Force by a defecting North Korean pilot. US Air Force; 1952 Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., commander of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, leads a three-ship F-86F Sabre formation during the Korean War. US Air Force;
"Korean War: MiG-15 by Kennedy Hickman
Updated April 28, 2017
In the immediate wake of World War II, the Soviet Union captured a wealth of German jet engine and aeronautical research. Utilizing this, they produced their first practical jet fighter, the MiG-9, in early 1946. While capable, this aircraft lacked the top speed of the standard American jets of the day, such as the P-80 Shooting Star. Though MiG-9 was operational, Russian designers continued to have issues perfecting the German HeS-011 axial-flow jet engine.
As a result, airframe designs produced by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich's design bureau began to outpace the ability to produce engines to power them.
While the Soviets struggled with developing jet engines, the British had created advanced "centrifugal flow" engines. In 1946, Soviet aviation minister Mikhail Khrunichev and aircraft designer Alexander Yakovlev approached Premier Joseph Stalin with the suggestion of buying several British jet engines. Though not believing that the British would part with such advanced technology, Stalin gave them permission to contact London.
Much to their surprise, the new Labour government of Clement Atlee, which was friendlier towards the Soviets, agreed to the sale of several Rolls-Royce Nene engines along with a licensing agreement for overseas production. Bringing the engines to the Soviet Union, engine designer Vladimir Klimov immediately began reverse-engineering the design.
The result was the Klimov RD-45. With the engine issue effectively resolved, the Council of Ministers issued decree #493-192 on April 15, 1947, calling for two prototypes for a new jet fighter. Design time was limited as the decree called for test flights in December.
Due to the limited time allowed, designers at MiG elected to use the MiG-9 as a starting point.
Modifying the aircraft to include swept wings and a redesigned tail, they soon produced the I-310. Possessing a clean appearance, the I-310 was capable of 650 mph and defeated the Lavochkin La-168 in trials. Re-designated the MiG-15, the first production aircraft flew December 31, 1948. Entering service in 1949, it was given the NATO reporting name "Fagot." Principally intended for intercepting American bombers, such as the B-29 Superfortress, the MiG-15 was equipped with two 23 mm cannon and one 37 mm cannon.
MIG-15 OPERATIONAL HISTORY
The first upgrade to the aircraft came in 1950, with the arrival of the MiG-15bis. While the aircraft contained numerous minor improvements, it also possessed the new Klimov VK-1 engine and external hardpoints for rockets and bombs. Widely exported, the Soviet Union provided the new aircraft to the People's Republic of China. First seeing combat at the end of the Chinese Civil War, the MiG-15 was flown by Soviet pilots from the 50th IAD. The aircraft scored its first kill on April 28, 1950, when one downed a Nationalist Chinese P-38 Lightning.
With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the North Koreans began operations flying a variety of piston-engine fighters.
These were soon swept from the sky by American jets and B-29 formations began a systematic aerial campaign against the North Koreans. With the Chinese entry into the conflict, the MiG-15 began to appear in the skies over Korea. Quickly proving superior to straight-wing American jets such as the F-80 and F-84 Thunderjet, the MiG-15 temporarily gave the Chinese the advantage in the air and ultimately forced United Nations forces to halt daylight bombing.
MIG ALLEY
The MiG-15's arrival compelled the US Air Force to begin deploying the new F-86 Sabre to Korea. Arriving on the scene, the Sabre restored balance to the air war. In comparison, the F-86 could out dive and out turn the MiG-15, but was inferior in rate of climb, ceiling, and acceleration. Though the Sabre was a more stable gun platform, the MiG-15's all-cannon armament was more effective than the American aircraft's six .50 cal.
machine guns. In addition, the MiG benefited from the rugged construction typical of Russian aircraft which made it difficult to bring down.
The most famous engagements involving the MiG-15 and F-86 occurred over northwestern North Korea in an area known a "MiG Alley." In this area, Sabres and MiGs frequently dueled, making it the birthplace of jet vs. jet aerial combat. Throughout the conflict, many MiG-15s were covertly flown by experienced Soviet pilots. When encountering American opposition, these pilots often were evenly matched. As many of the American pilots were veterans of World War II, they tended to have the upper hand when facing MiGs flown by North Korean or Chinese pilots.
LATER YEARS
Eager to inspect the MiG-15, the United States offered a bounty of $100,000 to any enemy pilot who defected with an aircraft. This offer was taken up by Lieutenant No Kum-Sok who defected on November 21, 1953. At the end of the war, the US Air Force claimed a kill ratio of around 10 to 1 for MiG-Sabre battles. Recent research has challenged this and suggested that the ratio was much lower. In the years after Korea, the MiG-15 equipped many of the Soviet Union's Warsaw Pact allies as well as numerous other countries around the world.
Several MiG-15s flew with the Egyptian Air Force during the 1956 Suez Crisis, though their pilots were routinely beaten by the Israelis. The MiG-15 also saw extended service with the People's Republic of China under the designation J-2. These Chinese MiGs frequently skirmished with Republic of China aircraft around the Straits of Taiwan during the 1950s. Largely replaced in Soviet service by the MiG-17, the MiG-15 remained in many countries' arsenals into the 1970s. Trainer versions of the aircraft continued to fly for another twenty to thirty years with some nations.
MIG-15BIS SPECIFICATIONS
General
Length: 33 ft. 2 in.
Wingspan: 33 ft. 1 in.
Height: 12 ft. 2 in.
Wing Area: 221.74 sq. ft.
Empty Weight: 7,900 lbs.
Crew: 1
Performance
Power Plant: 1 × Klimov VK-1 turbojet
Range: 745 miles
Max Speed: 668 mph
Ceiling: 50,850 ft.
Armament
2 x NR-23 23mm cannons in lower left fuselage
1 x Nudelman N-37 37 mm cannon in lower right fuselage
2 x 220 lb. bombs, drop tanks, or unguided rockets on underwing hardpoints"
https://www.thoughtco.com/korean-war-mig-15-2361067
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown CW5 (Join to see) SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT MSG Andrew White SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Joshua Caldwell
Designed by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich, the MiG-15 was produced for the Soviet Union and was one of the first swept-wing jet fighters.
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SSgt Robert Marx
That Mig-15 certainly was a prize to fall out of the sky! Defections by enemy pilots are rare, and the danger to all involved is high.
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