MiG-17

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (NATO code name: Fresco) was a Russian fighter-bomber and the replacement for the MiG-15. Russian designers began work on it in 1949; the prototype flew in 1950 and it went into general service in 1951.

Service

Although it went into service in 1951, very few fought in the Korean War. The latest version of the aircraft was armed with four AA-1 missiles and, although nearly obsolete, served notably in the Vietnam War. Eventually, the aircraft served with over 20 countries worldwide, including North Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Indonesia, and Cambodia, besides the Soviet Union. China received a license to build MiG-17s under the name of J-5.

Design

The MiG-17 has a blunt nose, bubble canopy, and a short, cigar-shaped fuselage. The single exhaust is overhung by a fin. The swept wings have thick wing roots and blunt tips.