The MiG-17, NATO reporting name "Fresco," was a Soviet jet fighter designed from the MiG 15. It was used effectively against US supersonic fighters during the Vietnam War, during which it was known as the "Type 38" by the USAF.
Over 10,000 MiG-17s have been built. Many variants have been produced as well.
Design[]
The MiG-17 was introduced in 1950, but performed well in dogfights against supersonic fighters (operating at subsonic speeds) well into the 1960s. Despite being designed by the Soviet Air Force to down slow-moving bombers, it was capable of going toe-to-toe with supersonic fighters of the time that were not optimized for operation at subsonic speeds.
Despite its older design compared to the more high-tech aircraft it was up against, it was used as the primary interceptor by the North Vietnamese air force. In 1965, aging MiG-17s shot down more advanced Mach-2 class F-105 Thunderchiefs over North Vietnam. Between 1965 and 1971, they shot down 71 USAF aircraft mostly consisting of F-4 Phantom IIs, F-105 Thunderchiefs, and F-8 Crusaders.
Details[]
- Length: 36ft-37ft
- Wngspan: 30ft. 10in.
- Wing Area: 243ft
- Maximum Speed: 716 mph
- Rate of Climb: Roughly 5 min to 32,000ft
Variants[]
- I-330, a MiG-17 prototype, I-340, J-4, J-5, KP, Lim-5, Lim-5M, Lim-5P, Lim-5R, Lim-6, Lim-6bis, Lim-6M, Lim-6MR, Lim-6R, MiG-17A, MiG-17 F, MiG-17P, MiG-17PF, MiG-17PFU, MiG-17PM, MiG-17SA, SF, SI, SI-10, SM-1, SN.
