 |
|
|
| SPECIFICATIONS |
|
|
|
| ENGINE |
|
VK-1F after-burning turbojet 7,452 lbs. of thrust |
| ARMAMENT |
|
One N-37 37mm cannon and two NR-23 23mm cannons |
| WING SPAN |
|
30 feet, 10 inches |
| LENGTH |
|
36 feet, 5 inches |
| HEIGHT |
|
12 feet, 3 inches |
| MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT |
|
13,386 pounds |
| CREW |
|
1 |
| MANUFACTURED BY |
|
Mikoyan Gurevich |
| TOTAL BUILT |
|
Over 3,000 |
| TOTAL EXISTING |
|
Unknown |
| FIRST BUILT |
|
1952 |
| MUSEUM'S AIRCRAFT BUILT |
|
1958 |
| ON DISPLAY AT |
 |
Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison Airport (KADS), Dallas, Texas |
| MAXIMUM SPEED |
|
715 m.p.h. |
| RANGE W/EXTERNAL TANKS |
|
1,038 miles |
| SERVICE CEILING |
|
52,841 feet |
|
This deadly Russian fighter earned the respect of U.S. pilots in the war-torn skies over Vietnam. Flown by North Vietnamese pilots,
the MiG-17 boasted excellent maneuverability and a heavy cannon armament. First introduced in l951, the MiG-17 has seen combat
throughout the world and has been used by more than 40 countries.
The prototype of the MiG-17 was a conversion of an older MiG-15 airframe. This prototype had a thinner wing that incorporated a
mid-span bend in the leading edge. The prototype also had a longer fuselage and a larger vertical fin than the older MiG-15. In
August 1951, with its test program completed, the aircraft was ordered into mass production and designated the MiG-17 (called
the “Fresco” by NATO). The first MiG-17F (known as the “Fresco C”) rolled off production lines in spring 1953.
The MiG-17F was the most widely produced variant of the MiG-17. The main difference between the MiG-17 Fresco A and the later MiG-17F was
the powerplant. The MiG-17F used the more powerful VK-1 F after-burning turbojet which provided a substantial increase in power for
takeoff and combat maneuvering over the older Fresco A model (the “F” in MiG-17F designates “with afterburner”).
Although it did not see combat in Korea, the MiG-17 saw extensive action in the Arab-Israeli Wars and in a wide variety of other Third World
conflicts. In 1958, Communist Chinese produced MiG-l7Fs (designated the F-5) destroyed two Republic F-84G Thunderjets and six North American F-86A
Sabres flown by Nationalist Chinese pilots. However, the MiG-17F's most visible role came during the Vietnam War. The MiG-17 proved the continued
worth of automatic cannons in a era of advanced air-to-air missiles. American flight crews repeatedly
stated they feared the North Vietnam's elderly MiG-17s far more than the newer, faster and missile-armed MiG-21 Fishbeds.
The Cavanaugh Flight Museum s MiG-17F Serial No. 1228 was manufactured by the Polish Aviation Factory (Polskie Zaklady
Lotnicze) in Mielec, Poland and given the Polish designation of Lim-5. It was delivered to the Polish Air Force on
July 30, 1958 and was initially operated by the 2nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (2 Pulk Lotnictwa Mysliwskiego) at Goleniow
airport in Szczecin, Poland.
After many years of service in Poland the aircraft was released for private sale and shipped to the United States in 1993.
It was acquired by the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in 1994 and placed on static display. The aircraft features a complete
cockpit, including its original ejection seat, gun sight, radios and instrumentation.
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