Chengdu F-7
The Mikoyan MiG-21 was, by production numbers, the most-built supersonic jet fighter in history, manufactured by the thousands across the Soviet Union, China, India, and Czechoslovakia over several decades. Its simple, lightweight delta-wing design made it cheap to build and easy to maintain, qualities that led dozens of air forces around the world to adopt it during the Cold War. It saw extensive combat over Vietnam and the Middle East, becoming one of the most battle-tested fighters of the entire jet age. A number of upgraded MiG-21s remain in limited frontline service with smaller air forces even today.
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Did you know?
The MiG-21 is history's most-built supersonic jet fighter, thanks to a simple, cheap delta-wing design that dozens of air forces could afford and maintain.
Specifications
| Length | 15.8 m (52 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 7.2 m (23 ft) |
| Height | 4.1 m (14 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 10.4 t |
| Range | 700 NM (1,296 km) |
| Maximum speed | 1,177 kt (2,180 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 57,500 ft (17,526 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 35,000 ft (10,668 m) |
| Rate of climb | 35,400 ft/min (179.8 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 900 m (2,953 ft) |
| Landing distance | 950 m (3,117 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 2,300 l |
| Engines | 1x Tumansky R-25 |
| Units built | 2,400 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Chengdu F-7 starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Chengdu, the F-7 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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