65-507: [REDACTED] Look up विजेता in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Vijeta or Vijetha may refer to: Vijeta (1982 film) , a 1982 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age film Vijetha , a 1985 Indian Telugu-language film Vijetha (2018 film) , a 2018 Indian Telugu-language film by Rakesh Sashi Vijeta (1996 film) , a 1996 Indian Hindi-language action film Vijeta (2020 film) ,
130-466: A rudder . The stabilator has a sweep angle of 57°, an area of 3.94 m and a span of 2.6 m. The MiG-21 uses a tricycle type undercarriage. On most variants, the main landing gear uses tires that are 800 mm in diameter and 200 mm in width. Only the MiG-21F variants use tires with the size 660×200 mm. The wheels of the main landing gear retract into the fuselage after rotating 87° and
195-464: A 2020 Indian Marathi-language sports drama film See also [ edit ] Vijetha Vikram , a 1987 Indian film Vijitha , a Sinhalese name Vijayta Pandit (born 1967), Indian actress and singer Vijayta Films , an Indian film production company Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Vijeta . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
260-787: A MiG-17 unit. Because the VPAF's 923rd FR was newer and less experienced, they continued to operate MiG-17s, while the arrival of the MiG-19s ( J-6 versions) from China in 1969 led to North Vietnam's only MiG-19 unit, the 925th FR. On 3 February 1972, North Vietnam commissioned its fourth and last fighter regiment created during the war with South Vietnam, the MiG-21PFM (Type 94)-equipped 927th FR. Former MiG-17 pilot Nguyen Nhat Chieu and his wingman Tran Ngoc Siu intercepted USAF F-105Ds while on CAP duty over Phuc Yen Airbase (a.k.a. Noi Bai Airbase) on 7 July 1966, shooting down one piloted by Capt. Tomes with
325-405: A MiG-21, a VPAF MiG-21MF (number 5121) from the 921st Fighter Regiment, flown by Major Phạm Tuân over Hanoi, claimed the first aerial combat kill of a B-52. The B-52 had been above Hanoi at over 30,000 feet (9,100 m) when Major Tuân launched two Atoll missiles from 2 kilometres away and claimed to have destroyed one of the bombers flying in the three-plane formation. Other sources argue that
390-616: A climbing rate of 254 meters/second, equalling the F-16's nominal capabilities in a close-quarters dogfight. The use of WEP thrust was limited to 2 minutes to reduce stress on the engines' 750 (250+250+250) flight hours lifetime since every second of super-afterburner counted as several minutes of regular power run due to extreme thermal stress. With WEP on, the MiG-21bis's R-25 engine produced a huge 10–12 meter long blowtorch exhaust, with six or seven brightly glowing rhomboid "shock diamonds" visible inside
455-494: A factor in this phenomenon. When in afterburner , the engine operates very close to its surge line and the ingestion of even a small bird can lead to an engine surge/seizure and flame out. In view of the several incidents that have occurred after the 1999 Kargil War , the modernized MiG-21 Bison seems to have at present the role of an interceptor and possibly a limited role of a fighter aircraft. On 11 December 2013, India's second-generation supersonic jet fighter, MiG-21FL
520-539: A fighter pilot. Nihal is a clean-shaven Sikh, Neelima is a Hindu, Angad is a Sikh and Anna a Christian , while Angad's fellow officers represent all religions. The film is notable for some rarely seen aerial photography of combat aircraft active with the IAF in the 1980s. The central character of Angad is a MiG-21 pilot and is shown flying the aircraft in the ground attack role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . Much of
585-463: A film which shows the Indian Air Force, its gallant men and their life in true colours." According to Asiaweek , " Vijeta is a tribute to the IAF in celebration of its golden jubilee last year". Won MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 ( Russian : Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21 ; NATO reporting name : Fishbed ) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft , designed by
650-510: A million sorties and nearly 1,000 US aircraft losses, Operation Rolling Thunder came to an end on 1 November 1968. A poor air-to-air combat loss-exchange ratio against the smaller, more agile enemy MiGs during the early part of the war eventually led the US Navy to create their Navy Fighter Weapons School , also known as " TOPGUN ", at Naval Air Station Miramar , California , on 3 March 1969. The USAF quickly followed with its own version, called
715-584: A salvo from Tran's UB-16-57 / S-5M unguided rocket-equipped MiG-21, while flight leader Nguyen was unable to establish a lock on another, wildly-evading F-105 with his R-3S AAM; this was the first instance of a VPAF MiG-21 shooting down a piloted enemy aircraft in the Vietnam War. Although 13 of North Vietnam's flying aces attained their status while flying the MiG-21 (cf. three in the MiG-17), many VPAF pilots preferred
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#1732877190306780-455: A similar fuselage shape with swept-back wings. However, the characteristic layout with the shock cone and front air intake did not see widespread use outside the USSR and ultimately proved to have limited development potential, mainly due to the small available space for the radar. Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range. This was exacerbated by the poor placement of
845-459: Is a 1982 Indian coming-of-age Hindi film produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Govind Nihalani . It stars Shashi Kapoor, his son Kunal Kapoor , Rekha , Amrish Puri and Supriya Pathak with K.K. Raina, Raja Bundela and Shafi Inamdar . Angad ( Kunal Kapoor ) is a confused teenager trying to find himself and is caught in between the marital problems of his Maharashtrian mother Neelima ( Rekha ) and Punjabi father Nihal ( Shashi Kapoor ), it
910-535: Is said to have perished in the explosion of a B-52 hit by his own missiles, having approached the target too closely. In this case, the Vietnamese version appears to be erroneous: while one MiG-21 kill was claimed by Phantoms that night (this may have been Thieu's MiG), no B-52s were lost for any reason on the date of the claimed kill. On 3 January 1968, a single MiG-21 pilot, Ha Van Chuc, entered battle with 36 American planes and claimed one F-105 Thunderchief. During
975-519: Is the largest operator of MiG-21s. In 1961, the Indian Air Force (IAF) opted to purchase the MiG-21 over several other Western competitors. As part of the deal, the Soviet Union offered India full transfer of technology and rights for local assembly. In 1964, the MiG-21 became the first supersonic fighter jet to enter service with the IAF. Due to limited induction numbers and lack of pilot training,
1040-654: Is thus comparable to the American Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter and the French Dassault Mirage III . Its basic layout was used for numerous other Soviet designs; delta-winged aircraft included the Su-9 interceptor and fast E-150 prototype from the MiG bureau, while the successful mass-produced frontline fighter Su-7 and Mikoyan's I-75 experimental interceptor combined
1105-625: Is time for him to decide what he wants to do with his life. Angad chooses to join the Indian Air Force and become a fighter pilot . What follows is his struggle to become a victor both with his self and the outer world. Angad is attracted to Anna Varghese ( Supriya Pathak ), who is the daughter of his flying instructor Group Captain Varghese ( Amrish Puri ) a Malayali Syrian Christian . Angad must learn to adapt to flying, leaving his mom and dad for long periods of time, as well as try and woo Anna who helps him overcome his fears and realize his potential as
1170-763: The Dissimilar Air Combat Training (sometimes referred to as Red Flag ) program at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada . These two programs employed the subsonic Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and supersonic F-5 Tiger II , as well as the Mach 2.4-capable USAF Convair F-106 Delta Dart , to mimick the MiG-21. The culmination of the air struggle over Vietnam in early 1972 was 10 May, when VPAF aircraft completed 64 sorties, resulting in 15 air battles. The VPAF claimed 7 F-4s were shot down (the U.S. confirmed five F-4s were lost. ) The F-4s, in turn, managed to destroy two MiG-21s, three MiG-17s and one MiG-19. On 11 May, two MiG-21s, playing
1235-668: The MiG-29 would the Soviet Union ultimately replace the MiG-21 as a maneuvering dogfighter to counter new American air superiority types. The MiG-21 was exported widely and remains in use. The aircraft's simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope , enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots; this, in turn, enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools. While technologically inferior to
1300-676: The Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union . Its nicknames include: " Balalaika ", because its planform resembles the stringed musical instrument of the same name; " Ołówek ", Polish for "pencil", due to the shape of its fuselage , and " Én Bạc ", meaning "silver swallow ", in Vietnamese . Approximately 60 countries across four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations seven decades after its maiden flight. It set aviation records, becoming
1365-605: The Pakistan Air Force shot down an Indian MiG-21 and captured its pilot . The MiG-21's debris had fallen in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The pilot was later returned to India. The Indonesian Air Force purchased 22 MiG-21s. In 1962, 20 MiG-21F-13s and MiG-21Us were received during Operation Trikora in the Western New Guinea conflict. Indonesian MiG-21s never fought in any dogfights. Right after
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#17328771903061430-454: The Sukhoi Su-7 , or tailed deltas , of which the MiG-21 would be the most successful. Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. This project was very quickly reworked when it was determined that the planned engine was underpowered; the redesign led to the second prototype,
1495-450: The "bait", brought four F-4s to 2 MiG-21s circling at low altitude. The MiGs quickly stormed the Phantoms and 3 missiles shot down two F-4s. On 13 May, a MiG-21 unit intercepted a group of F-4s and a second pair of MiGs made a missile attack before being hit by two F-4s. On 18 May, VPAF aircraft made 26 sorties, eight of which resulted in combat, downing four F-4s without any VPAF losses. Over
1560-469: The Atoll missiles failed to hit their mark, but as it was disengaging, a B-52 from a three-bomber cell in front of his target took a hit from a surface-to-air missile (SAM), exploding in mid-air: this may have caused Tuân to think his missiles destroyed the target he had been aiming for. The Vietnamese claimed another kill on 28 December 1972 by a MiG-21 from the 921st FR, this time flown by Vu Xuan Thieu. Thieu
1625-671: The B-52. The first aerial victory was scored on 18 December 1972 by tail gunner Staff Sgt Samuel Turner, who was awarded the Silver Star . The second took place on 24 December 1972, when A1C Albert E. Moore downed a MiG-21 over the Thai Nguyen railroad yards. Both actions occurred during Operation Linebacker II , also known as the Christmas Bombings . These air-to-air kills were not confirmed by VPAF. The biggest threat to North Vietnam during
1690-595: The IAF MiG-21 played a limited role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . However, the IAF gained valuable experience while operating the MiG-21 for defensive sorties during the war. The positive feedback from IAF pilots during the 1965 war prompted India to place more orders for the fighter jet and also invest heavily in building the MiG-21's maintenance infrastructure and pilot training programs. Since 1963, India has introduced more than 1,200 MiG fighters into its air force. As of 2024, 40 MiG-21s are known to be in operation in
1755-580: The IAF. At its peak, IAF operated 400 MiG-21s in 19 squadrons. In 2023, the IAF announced that it would replace its MiG-21 Bisons with indigenously built Tejas fighter jet. The plane has been plagued by safety problems. Since 1970 more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents, thus the unofficial nickname "flying coffin". Over half of the 840 aircraft built between 1966 and 1984 were lost to crashes. At least 14 MiG-21s crashed between 2010 and 2013. Poor maintenance and quality of replacement parts has been considered to be
1820-448: The MiG-17 because the high wing loading of the MiG-21 made it relatively less maneuverable and the lighter framed canopy of the MiG-17 gave better visibility. However, this is not the impression British author Roger Boniface got when he interviewed Pham Ngoc Lan and ace Nguyễn Nhật Chiêu (who scored victories flying both the MiG-17 and MiG-21). Pham Ngoc Lan told Boniface that "The MiG-21
1885-490: The MiG-21SM, but at the cost of worsening all other performance figures, such as a lower service ceiling and slower time to altitude. The delta wing, while excellent for a fast-climbing interceptor, meant any form of turning combat led to a rapid loss of speed. However, the light loading of the aircraft could mean that a climb rate of 235 m/s (46,250 ft/min) was possible with a combat-loaded MiG-21bis, not far short of
1950-650: The MiGs in ambush battle stations to make "one pass, then haul ass" attacks. The MiGs made fast and often accurate attacks against US formations from several directions (usually the MiG-17s performed head-on attacks and the MiG-21s attacked from the rear). After shooting down a few American planes and forcing some of the F-105s to drop their bombs prematurely, the MiGs did not wait for retaliation but disengaged rapidly. These "guerrilla warfare in
2015-519: The MiGs. But in confrontations with the lighter MiG-21, F-4s began to suffer losses. From May to December 1966, the USAF lost 47 aircraft, destroying only 12 VPAF fighters in return. From April 1965 to November 1968, over 268 air battles occurred over the skies of North Vietnam. North Vietnam claimed 244 downed U.S. aircraft while admitting to the loss of 85 MiGs. Of 46 air battles between F-4s and MiG-21s, losses amounted to 27 F-4 Phantoms and 20 MiG-21s. After
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2080-964: The Soviet forces. Moscow constructed single-seaters for export, and Tbilisi manufactured two-seaters both for export and the USSR, though there were exceptions. The MiG-21R and MiG-21bis for export and for the USSR were built in Gorky, 17 single-seaters were built in Tbilisi (MiG-21 and MiG-21F), the MiG-21MF was first constructed in Moscow and then Gorky, and the MiG-21U was built in Moscow as well as in Tbilisi. A total of 194 MiG-21F-13s were built under licence in Czechoslovakia , and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. of India built 657 MiG-21FL, MiG-21M and MiG-21bis (of which 225 were bis) Due to
2145-452: The U.S.-backed anti-communist forces took over the government, 13 Indonesian MiG-21s were delivered to the U.S. in exchange for T-33, UH-34D, and later, F-5 and OV-10 aircraft. All remaining MiG-21s were grounded and retired due to a lack of spare parts and the withdrawal of Soviet maintenance support. The MiGs were added to the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron ("Red Eagles"), a USAF aggressor squadron at Tonopah Test Range. The MiG-21
2210-710: The Ye-2. Both these and other early prototypes featured swept wings. The first prototype with the delta wings found on production variants was the Ye-4. It made its maiden flight on 16 June 1955 and its first public appearance during the Soviet Aviation Day display at Moscow's Tushino airfield in July 1956. In the West, due to the lack of available information, early details of the MiG-21 often were confused with those of similar Soviet fighters of
2275-421: The ailerons there are small wing fences . The fuselage is semi-monocoque with an elliptical profile and a maximum width of 1.24 m (4 ft 1 in). The air flow to the engine is regulated by an inlet cone in the air intake. On early model MiG-21s, the cone has three positions. For speeds up to Mach 1.5, the cone is fully retracted to the maximum aft position. For speeds between Mach 1.5 and Mach 1.9
2340-458: The air" tactics generally proved successful during the war. In December 1966, the MiG-21 pilots of the 921st FR downed 14 F-105 Thunderchiefs without any losses. The USAF and the US Navy had high expectations of the F-4 Phantom, assuming that their massive firepower, best available on-board radar, highest speed and acceleration properties, coupled with new tactics, would provide an advantage over
2405-493: The canopy and below the pilot's eyeline. The cabin is pressurized and air-conditioned. On variants prior to the MiG-21PFM, the cabin canopy is hinged at the front. When ejecting, the SK-1 ejection seat connects with the canopy to provide a windbreak from the high-speed airflow encountered during high-speed ejections. After ejection, the canopy opens to allow the pilot to parachute to the ground. However, ejecting at low altitudes can cause
2470-432: The canopy to take too long to separate, sometimes resulting in pilot death. The minimum height for ejection in level flight was 110 m. Starting with the MiG-21PFM, a new ejection seat proved to be very reliable and did not need the canopy to protect the pilot which had never been fully satisfactory. The canopy is hinged on the right side of the cockpit. On the underside of the aircraft, there are three air brakes, two at
2535-402: The center of gravity. The Chinese variants somewhat improved the internal fuel tank layout (as did the second generation of Soviet variants), and also carried significantly larger external fuel tanks to counter this issue. Additionally, when more than half the fuel was used up, violent maneuvers prevented fuel from flowing into the engine , thereby causing it to shut down in flight. This increased
2600-460: The cone moves to the middle position. For speeds higher than Mach 1.9 the cone moves to the maximum forward position. On the later model MiG-21PF, the intake cone moves to a position based on the actual speed. The cone position for a given speed is calculated by the UVD-2M system using air pressures from in front and behind the compressor of the engine. On both sides of the nose, there are gills to supply
2665-484: The course of the air war, between 3 April 1965 and 8 January 1973, each side would ultimately claim favorable kill ratios. In 1972, the number of air battles between American and Vietnamese planes stood at 201. The VPAF lost 54 MiGs (including 36 MiG-21s and one MiG-21US) and claimed 90 U.S. aircraft shot down, including 74 F-4 fighters and two RF-4C reconnaissance jets (MiG-21s shot down 67 enemy aircraft while MiG-17s shot down 11 and MiG-19s downed another 12 ). One MiG-21
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2730-575: The end of the war. According to one Western military analyst, the MiG-21FLs had clearly "won" the much anticipated air combat between the MiG-21FL and the F-104A Starfighter. Because of the performance of India's MiG-21s, several nations, including Iraq , approached India for MiG-21 pilot training. By the early 1970s, more than 120 Iraqi pilots were being trained by the Indian Air Force. One MiG-21
2795-458: The engine with more air while on the ground and during takeoff . In the first variant of the MiG-21, the pitot tube is attached to the bottom of the nose. After the MiG-21P variant, this tube is attached to the top of the air intake. Later versions shifted the pitot tube attachment point 15 degrees to the right, as seen from the cockpit, and had an emergency pitot head on the right side, just ahead of
2860-412: The engine would increase by 2.5% and the compression ratio would thus increase, with a rise in exhaust temperature. The limit of operation is 2 minutes for both practice and actual wartime use, as further use causes the engine to overheat. The fuel consumption increased by 50% over the rate in full afterburner. Use of this temporary power gave the MiG-21bis slightly better than 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio and
2925-447: The era. In one instance, Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1960–1961 listed the "Fishbed" as a Sukhoi design and used an illustration of the Su-9 'Fishpot' . The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor characteristics in a single aircraft. It was a lightweight fighter, achieving Mach 2 with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet , and
2990-477: The exhaust. The Russians gave the emergency power setting its "diamond regime" name, never used in India. Given a skilled pilot and capable missiles, it could give a good account of itself against contemporary fighters. Its G-limits were increased from +7Gs in initial variants to +8.5Gs in the latest variants. It was replaced by the newer variable-geometry MiG-23 and MiG-27 for ground support duties. However, not until
3055-401: The front and one at the rear. The front air brakes have an area of 0.76 m , and a deflection angle of 35°. The rear air brake has an area of 0.47 m and a deflection angle of 40°. The rear air brake is blocked if the airplane carries an external fuel tank. Behind the air brakes are the bays for the main landing gear . On the underside of the airplane, just behind the trailing edge of
3120-410: The internal fuel tanks ahead of the centre of gravity. As the internal fuel was consumed, the center of gravity would shift rearward beyond acceptable parameters. This had the effect of making the plane statically unstable to the point of being difficult to control, resulting in an endurance of only 45 minutes in clean condition. This can be somewhat countered by carrying fuel in external tanks closer to
3185-399: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vijeta&oldid=1259951456 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Vijeta (1982 film) Vijeta (English: The Victor)
3250-538: The mass production, the aircraft was very cheap: the MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1 The F-4 Phantom 's cost was several times higher than MiG-21. The MiG-21 has a delta wing . The sweep angle on the leading edge is 57° with a TsAGI S-12 airfoil . The angle of incidence is 0° while the dihedral angle is −2°. On the trailing edge there are ailerons with an area of 1.18 m , and flaps with an area of 1.87 m . In front of
3315-734: The more advanced fighters it often faced, low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of nations buying Eastern Bloc military hardware. Several Russian, Israeli and Romanian firms have begun to offer upgrade packages to MiG-21 operators, designed to bring the aircraft up to a modern standard, with greatly upgraded avionics and armaments. A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR. They were produced in three factories: AZ 30 (3,203 aircraft) in Moscow (also known as MMZ Znamya Truda ), GAZ 21 (5,765 aircraft) in Gorky , and TAZ 31 (1,678 aircraft) in Tbilisi . Generally, Gorky built single-seaters for
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#17328771903063380-503: The most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history , the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War and, previously, the longest production run of any combat aircraft. The MiG-21 jet fighter was a continuation of Soviet jet fighters, starting with the subsonic MiG-15 and MiG-17 , and the supersonic MiG-19 . A number of experimental Mach 2 Soviet designs were based on nose intakes with either swept-back wings , such as
3445-462: The movie, including the climax involving a MiG-21bis , was shot at Pune. The IAF No.4 Squadron (the ' Oorials ') provided the pilots and planes for the film's aerial sequences. The movie included good color footage of the Oorials aircraft in flight and in operation. Vasant Dev wrote all the songs. Film World magazine rated the film "Good" and wrote, " Vijeta is perhaps the first film of its kind,
3510-449: The performance of the later F-16A . MiG-21's Tumansky R-25 jet engine's specialty was the addition of a second fuel pump in the afterburning stage. Activating the ЧР (rus. "чрезвычайный режим" - emergency mode)(Emergency Power Rating, EPR in India) booster feature allows the engine to develop 97.4 kilonewtons (21,896 lbf) of thrust under 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) of altitude. The rpm of
3575-534: The risk of tank implosions (MiG-21 had tanks pressurized with air from the engine's compressor), a problem inherited from the MiG-15 , MiG-17 and MiG-19 . The short endurance and low fuel capacity of the MiG-21F, PF, PFM, S/SM and M/MF variants—though each had a somewhat greater fuel capacity than its predecessor—led to the development of the MT and SMT variants. These had an increased range of 250 km (155 mi) compared to
3640-417: The shock absorbers retract into the wing. The nose gear retracts forward into the fuselage under the radar. The nose wheel can be lowered manually by simply unlocking its hatch from inside the cockpit. Thus, landing with undercarriage locked in the up position due to an internal failure was not a major issue, with a number of such successful landings on the nosewheel and ventral fuel tank or the airbrake. India
3705-544: The war had always been the Strategic Air Command 's B-52 bombers. Hanoi 's MiG-17 and MiG-19 interceptors could not deal with the B-52s at their flying altitude. In the summer of 1972, the VPAF was directed to train 12 MiG-21 pilots for the specific mission of shooting the B-52 bombers, with two-thirds of the pilots specifically trained in night attacks. On 26 December 1972, just two days after tail gunner Albert Moore downed
3770-750: The war, the MiG-21s played a crucial role in giving the IAF air superiority over vital points and areas in the western theater of the conflict. The 1971 war witnessed the first supersonic air combat in the subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FL claimed a PAF F-104A Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin-barrelled 23 mm cannon. By the time the hostilities came to an end, the IAF MiG-21FLs had claimed four PAF F-104As , two PAF Shenyang F-6s , one PAF North American F-86 Sabre and one PAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules . But only two kills were confirmed (both F-104As). Two more F-104s were critically damaged by MiG-21 fighters. Pakistan decommissioned all F-104s shortly after
3835-470: The wing are attachment points for two JATO rockets. The front section of the fuselage ends at former #28. The rear section of the fuselage starts at former #28a and is removable for engine maintenance. The empennage of the MiG-21 consists of a vertical stabilizer , a stabilator and a small fin on the bottom of the tail to improve yaw control. The vertical stabilizer has a sweep angle of 60° and an area of 5.32 m (on earlier version 3.8 m ) and
3900-619: Was always confident of a kill over an F-4 Phantom when flying a MiG-21." Although the MiG-21 lacked the long-range radar, missiles, and heavy bomb load of its contemporary multi-mission U.S. fighters, its RP-21 Sapfir radar helped make it a challenging adversary in the hands of experienced pilots, especially when used in high-speed hit-and-run attacks under GCI control. MiG-21 intercepts of Republic F-105 Thunderchief strike groups were effective in downing US aircraft or forcing them to jettison their bomb loads. The VPAF flew their interceptors with guidance from ground controllers, who positioned
3965-485: Was decommissioned after being in service for 50 years. The Indian Air Force plans to decommission all MiG-21s by 2025. The expansion of the IAF MiG-21 fleet marked a developing India-Soviet Union military partnership, which enabled India to field a formidable air force to counter Chinese and Pakistani threats. The capabilities of the MiG-21 were put to the test during the Bangladesh Liberation War . During
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#17328771903064030-542: Was designed for very short ground-controlled interception (GCI) missions. It became renowned for this type of mission in the skies over North Vietnam . The first MiG-21s arrived directly from the Soviet Union by ship in April 1966. After being unloaded and assembled they were given to the Vietnam People's Air Force 's (VPAF) oldest fighter unit, the 921st Fighter Regiment (921st FR), which had been created on 3 February 1964 as
4095-400: Was much faster, and it had two Atoll missiles which were very accurate and reliable when fired between 1,000 and 1,200 yards." And Chiêu asserted that "... for me personally, I preferred the MiG-21 because it was superior in all specifications in climb, speed and armament. The Atoll missile was very accurate and I scored four kills with the Atoll. ... In general combat conditions, I
4160-457: Was shot down by a Pakistani soldier using a shoulder-fired MANPADS missile during the Kargil war. On 10 August 1999, two MiG-21FLs of the Indian Air Force intercepted and shot down a Pakistani Bréguet 1150 Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft with an R-60 missile after it allegedly entered Indian airspace for surveillance, killing all on board. During the 2019 Jammu and Kashmir airstrikes ,
4225-421: Was shot down on 21 February 1972 by a USAF F-4 Phantom based at Udorn RTAFB , Thailand and piloted by Major Lodge with 1st Lt Roger Locher as his weapon systems officer (WSO). This was claimed as the first-ever USAF MiG kill at night, and the first in four years at that time. Two MiG-21s were claimed shot down by USAF Boeing B-52 Stratofortress tail gunners ; the only confirmed air-to-air kills ever made by
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