The Effective, Long-Lasting MiG-21

Ride along on a 'Microsoft Flight Simulator' journey through history in Russia's iconic supersonic jet fighter.

Patrick Chovanec

Friday, June 09, 2023 at 12:08 PM ET

Verified

[Image courtesy Patrick Chovanec]

Key Takeaways:

The MiG-21, a Cold War icon, became the most widely produced supersonic jet fighter globally, with its design licensed or reverse-engineered by multiple countries, leading to its widespread use in over 60 nations.
Despite its relative simplicity compared to Western adversaries, the MiG-21 proved highly effective in various conflicts (e.g., Vietnam, Indo-Pakistani wars), often leveraging its speed, agility, and weaponry to challenge more advanced aircraft and even influencing U.S. air combat training (TOPGUN).
Known as the "AK-47 of airplanes" for its reliability, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness, the MiG-21 enjoyed an exceptionally long service life, with some countries still operating it today despite growing challenges related to aging fleets, maintenance issues, and safety concerns.

See a mistake? Contact us.

For this session in Microsoft Flight Simulator, I’ll be flying the Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, a Cold War icon that was produced in larger numbers than any other supersonic jet fighter in the world.

The MiG-21 was produced by the Soviet state design bureau led by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. Founded in 1939, the bureau achieved modest success during World War II, but broke through as a leading designer of jet fighters with the swept-wing MiG-15, which contended with U.S. aircraft for control of the skies during the Korean War.