1:18 scale plastic replica aircraft from the Ultimate Soldier Collection. Features sliding canopy, opening gun bays, airbrakes, optional drop tanks, retractable landing gear, detailed cockpit, and articulating pilot action figure. No painting, sanding, or gluing! Prepainted and finished with major components. Assembles in a couple of minutes. Perfect for a static or hanging display. Ships today!

Model Features:

• Fully Plastic Construction
• Sliding Canopy
• Highly Detailed Cockpit
• Moderate Panel Line Details
• Poseable Split Flaps
• Moveable Ailerons, Rudder, and Elevators
• Opening Speed Brakes
• Opening Gun Bays
• Optional Drop Tanks
• Retractable Landing Gear
• Removable Armament Tray
• Highly Detailed 1:18 Scale Articulating Pilot
• For Ages 5 and Up
• Ready for Static Display or Hanging
• 22" Wingspan
• 23" Length

From the manufacturer:

Made in the Union of Soviet Socialist’s Republic, based in North Korea and flown by a Russian Pilot, 21st Century Toys announces the release of its newest version of the Mikoyan Gurevich 15. The MiG-15 ‘Fagot’ distinguished itself as one of the premier jet fighters of the 1950s and was flown by the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies as well as the Peoples Republic of China and North Korea. Armed with one 37mm NL-37D cannon with 40 rounds, and two 23mm NR-23KM cannons with 80 rounds each, this fighter carried significant firepower!

MiG-15bis Story By Roy Sutherland

Shortly after the end of WWII, the Soviet Government ordered new designs to be tendered for a swept wing jet fighter aircraft. Mikoyan-Gurevich responded with the I-310, a new design based heavily on WWII German research and development on advanced jet fighters. The I-310’s design was heavily influenced by Kurt Tank’s TA-183 (a compact German jet fighter in development at the end of WWII), but was considerably larger. Early Russian jet engines were based on German designs, but were seriously lacking in power and reliability. The British Government unwisely provided Russia with a number of Rolls-Royce Nene engines as a goodwill gesture. These were immediately reverse engineered by the Soviets and put into unlicensed production under the designation Klimov VK-1. The prototype I-310 flew in 1947, and it was immediately apparent that this airplane possessed spectacular performance. The MiG-15 went into production shortly afterwards, and the first production aircraft flew on December 31st, 1948.

The MiG-15 was first encountered in combat in 1950, during the Korean War. Allied forces were shocked by the excellent performance of this new Russian fighter. It proved to be more than a match for most Allied aircraft it encountered in the early days of the war. Armed with a pair of 23mm cannons and a single 37mm cannon under the nose, the firepower of this small jet was devastating. Designed to intercept heavy bombers, this heavy caliber armament turned out to be less than ideal for combat with nimble fighters. The slow rate of fire of the cannons, combined with the significantly different trajectories of the weapons, led to difficulties in hitting the smaller targets. The MiG-15’s clear air superiority was lost with the debut of the F-86 Sabre. In the hands of experienced pilots, both aircraft were fairly evenly matched. While the MiG-15 had an edge in maneuverability, speed and altitude, it had some dangerous handling vices. It was considered dangerous in a high speed dive, and would frequently flick out of high speed turns. Air brakes were fitted that opened at 0.9 mach to keep the airplane from becoming uncontrollable. While some North Korean pilots flew the MiG in combat during the Korean War, the bulk of the pilots were experienced Russian and Chinese pilots. The F-86’s advantages included the concentrated firepower of its six .50 caliber machine guns, diving speed, pilot’s field of vision, and the superior training and aggressive flying of the allied pilots.

The MiG-15 and the Sabre tangled often over the skies of Korea. While the kill ratio is still hotly debated today, the Sabre emerged as the clear winner. The US claims a kill ratio for the Sabre of 10:1 over the MiGs, while the Russians claim an absurd 3:1 ratio. The real ratio may never be known, but evidence suggests it is much closer to the US number. The MiG-15 was undoubtedly an excellent aircraft, and was a wake-up call that pushed US aircraft design ahead at a much accelerated pace as the Cold War heated up. After the War, the MiG-15 continued to serve with the Soviet, Eastern Block, and other air forces. A two seat training version, the MiG-15UTI (allied code named “Midget”), was produced and it became the standard jet trainer for many countries. It continued to serve in this capacity for over 40 years. Several hundred MiG-15s were license built in Poland as the Lim-1 and 2.
The MiG-15 was 33’2” long and had a wingspan of 33’1”. It was powered by a Klimov VK-1A centrifugal flow jet engine that developed 5,950 pounds of static thrust, which gave it a top speed of 650 mph. Fitted with long range fuel tanks, it had a combat range of 1,225 miles. Armament consisted of one 37mm NL-37D cannon with 40 rounds, and two 23mm NR-23KM cannons with 80 rounds each. These guns were fitted to an under slung tray that could be lowered on cables for quick rearming and ease of service. The MiG was fitted with a simple ballistic ejection seat and an ASP-3N gun sight. Over 13,000 Mig-15s of all marks were built, and many survive today. A number have been restored to fly and can be seen at air shows around the world to this day. Along with the F-86 Sabre, the MiG-15 will be remembered as one of the classic dogfight adversary aircraft.