The Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the larger Sukhoi Su-27, was developed to counter new U.S. fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The MiG-29 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1982.

While originally oriented towards combat against any enemy aircraft, many MiG-29s have been furnished as multirole fighters capable of performing a number of different operations, and are commonly outfitted to use a range of air-to-surface armaments and precision munitions. The MiG-29 has been manufactured in several major variants, including the multirole Mikoyan MiG-29M and the navalized Mikoyan MiG-29K; the most advanced member of the family to date is the Mikoyan MiG-35. Later models frequently feature improved engines, glass cockpits with HOTAS-compatible flight controls, modern radar and infrared search and track (IRST) sensors, and considerably increased fuel capacity; some aircraft have also been equipped for aerial refueling.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the militaries of a number of former Soviet republics have continued to operate the MiG-29, the largest of which is the Russian Air Force. The Russian Air Force wanted to upgrade its existing fleet to the modernized MiG-29SMT configuration, but financial difficulties have limited deliveries. The MiG-29 has also been a popular export aircraft; more than 30 nations either operate or have operated the aircraft to date. As of 2013 the MiG-29 was still in production by Mikoyan, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) since 2006.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German MiG-29A Fulcrum multirole fighter that is preserved at the Militarhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow, formerly known as the Luftwaffenmuseum Berlin-Gatow. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-1/2-inches
Length: 13-3/4-inches

Release Date: January 2021

Historical Account: "Die Luftwaffenmuseum Berlin-Gatow" - In 1987, the Bundeswehr's Luftwaffe Museum was founded using objects taken from a private collection in Appen near Hamburg. After 1990, the collection was expanded by items taken from the GDR's Nationale Volksarmee (National People's Army). In 1995, the museum moved to the former British military airfield at Berlin-Gatow, where airplanes involved in the Luftbrucke ("Air Bridge") took off and landed during the Berlin Blockade 1948/49.

The museum (Militarhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr - Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow) has belonged to the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden since 2010 and is set to be revamped in the coming years. The new exhibition will focus more on cultural-historical themes and on air warfare as the most recent form of military force.

Today, the airplanes, helicopters, radar and air defense systems on the open-air airfield provide an overview of the development of military aviation and defense during the Cold War. In Hangar 3, aerial warfare in Germany since 1884 is explored; in Hangar 7 the focus is on the history of Germany's Luftwaffe, including pilot training and work(areas). The history of Gatow Airfield is presented in the tower building. There are also special exhibitions.