Photo: Platinum Fighters
I know, the way MiGs are behaving in the skies over and bordering Ukraine these days might make this topic a sensitive pill to swallow. But you have to admit, given the fighter plane family's history and the hype that once surrounded it, hearing about one of them being up for grabs in the U.S. for Nissan Kicks money is something that doesn't happen every day.
The MiG-15 is perhaps one of the most important members of the Mikoyan-Gurevich family of military airplanes. It started being made for operational service in 1949, and it was assembled in incredibly large numbers, over 13,000 units. Despite being so old, some examples of the plane are probably still in service with the North Korean Air Force.
More importantly, it is one of the few Soviet planes to have been used in direct combat against American aircraft. The swept-wing flying machine saw action in the skies over several of the world's wars, including the one in Korea, where it became a nightmare for American B-29 bombers.
In all fairness, the MiG-15 was not entirely a Soviet creation. The plane had been developed using quite a lot of German technology, to which the Russians had access after defeating the Nazis. Powered by a single 5,950 pounds of thrust jet engine, it could climb to 50,900 feet (15,500 meters) and reach sub-sonic speeds of 668 mph (1,074 kph).
It was meant to shoot enemy planes down, so the MiG-15 packed three main guns, and could carry both bombs and unguided rockets.
Being so widespread meant that Americans got a hold of the plane, not in small part thanks to crashed ones, so the U.S. quickly learned of ways to counter the threat it posed. Some examples even made it to the American mainland, including the one we have here now, originally produced in 1955.
Its story is not entirely known, but the plane was for a while part of the Texas-based Cavanaugh Flight Museum exhibit. It's a MiG-15 of the SB Lim-2 variety, meaning it was the variant of the airplane produced in communist Poland for use by the local air force.
It's not an actual combat aircraft, despite being fitted with a 12.7 mm machine gun, but a trainer, and that makes it quite rare. Wearing Soviet markings all over, it comes in restored condition, but it is not flight worthy.
Probably because of this the museum is now selling the MiG for just $25,000 on Platinum Fighters. And that's a real bargain if you think about it. Sure, you won't be able to fly it at air shows, but it'll certainly make for an incredible display in another museum, or even somewhere in a large backyard.
More importantly, it is one of the few Soviet planes to have been used in direct combat against American aircraft. The swept-wing flying machine saw action in the skies over several of the world's wars, including the one in Korea, where it became a nightmare for American B-29 bombers.
In all fairness, the MiG-15 was not entirely a Soviet creation. The plane had been developed using quite a lot of German technology, to which the Russians had access after defeating the Nazis. Powered by a single 5,950 pounds of thrust jet engine, it could climb to 50,900 feet (15,500 meters) and reach sub-sonic speeds of 668 mph (1,074 kph).
It was meant to shoot enemy planes down, so the MiG-15 packed three main guns, and could carry both bombs and unguided rockets.
Being so widespread meant that Americans got a hold of the plane, not in small part thanks to crashed ones, so the U.S. quickly learned of ways to counter the threat it posed. Some examples even made it to the American mainland, including the one we have here now, originally produced in 1955.
Its story is not entirely known, but the plane was for a while part of the Texas-based Cavanaugh Flight Museum exhibit. It's a MiG-15 of the SB Lim-2 variety, meaning it was the variant of the airplane produced in communist Poland for use by the local air force.
It's not an actual combat aircraft, despite being fitted with a 12.7 mm machine gun, but a trainer, and that makes it quite rare. Wearing Soviet markings all over, it comes in restored condition, but it is not flight worthy.
Probably because of this the museum is now selling the MiG for just $25,000 on Platinum Fighters. And that's a real bargain if you think about it. Sure, you won't be able to fly it at air shows, but it'll certainly make for an incredible display in another museum, or even somewhere in a large backyard.
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