Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>MIG-21>HA0193
MIG-21 BIS 1st Fighter Squadron "Avenger of Dubrovnik" Croatian Air Force, 1993
General Background
The Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-21 is the world most widely used supersonic fighter which has been used by over 30 countries and 56 air forces. It is the most produced aircraft since World War II with an estimation of over 10,000 in the Soviet Union alone.
The Mig-21 has a top speed of Mach 2 and has proven to be an effective and easy to maintain aircraft in many conflicts. It first achieved renown in the Vietnam War where it posed itself a challenging adversary for more technological advanced aircrafts like the F-105 and F-4 Phantom. The Mig-21 is certainly one of the most famous aircrafts in the world for all times.
The Mig-21 has a top speed of Mach 2 and has proven to be an effective and easy to maintain aircraft in many conflicts. It first achieved renown in the Vietnam War where it posed itself a challenging adversary for more technological advanced aircrafts like the F-105 and F-4 Phantom. The Mig-21 is certainly one of the most famous aircrafts in the world for all times.
The Aircraft
In 1991 a War of Independence between Croatia and Yugoslavia began and lasted until
November 1995 when Croatia won. Croatia gained its three MiG-21BIS’s in February
1992 and May 1993 when Croatian born pilots defected from the Yugoslav Air Force.
The aircraft were painted with the Croatian emblem and re-serialed 101, 102 and 103.
102 was flown by Colonel Ivan Selak. Later 102 was named “OSVETNIK DUBROVNIKA
– AVENGER OF DUBROVNIK” with the 1st FS emblem on the port-side nose. The only
survivor 102 is on display at the 91st Air Base Museum, Zagreb-Pleso.
Specifications :
| Power Plant: | One 41.55kN (9,340lb st) or 64.73kN (14,550lb st) with afterburner Tumansky R-13-300 turbojet |
| Wingspan: | 7.15m (23ft 5 1/2in) |
| Length: | 15.76m (51ft 8 1/2in) - incl pitot boom |
| Max T-O weight: | 9,400kg (20,725lb) |
| Max speed: | Mach 2.1 (2,230km/h - 1,385mph) above 11,000m (36,000ft) |
| Mach 1.06 (1,300km/h - 807mph) at low level | |
| Range: | 1,100km (683 miles) - internal fuel only |
| 1,800km (1,118 miles) - with three external drop tanks, one under fuselage, one under each wing | |
| Armament: | One 23mm twin-barrel GSh-23 cannon with 200 rounds in belly pack |
| Various air-to-air and air-to-ground stores carried on four under wing pylons including: | |
| K-13A "Atoll" or "Advanced Atoll" a-a missiles, | |
| UV-16-57 rocket packs, | |
S-24 a-s rockets, |
|
250kg and 500kg bombs |
|
Eventually Sidewinder missiles |