Role Fighter
National origin Soviet Union
Design group Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB
First flight 14 February 1956 (Ye-2)
Introduction 1959 (MiG-21F)
Status In active service (see list)
Primary users Soviet Air Force
Indian Air Force
Libyan Air Force
Produced 1959 (MiG-21F) to 1985 (MiG-21bis)
Number built 11,496[1]
(10,645 produced in the USSR, 657 in India, 194 in Czechoslovakia)
Variants Chengdu J-7
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "Balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage.[2]
Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered to be third-generation jet fighters.[citation needed] Approximately 60 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter made aviation records. At least by name, it is the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history and the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War, and it was previously the longest production run of a combat aircraft (now exceeded by both the Boeing F-15 and Lockheed-Martin F-16)
Sealed Box
Landing Gear bay and start of the cockpit tub
Cockpit Photoetch
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