The MiG-21 saw frequent action in the Vietnam War and was one of the most advanced aircraft at the time. However, many North Vietnamese aces preferred flying the MiG-17, due to the high wing loading on the MiG-21's. With high wing loading, the MiG-21 was not as agile or manueverable as the MiG-17. Employing a delta wing configuration, it was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor in a single aircraft. It was a lightweight fighter, achieving Mach 2 speed using a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet, and is thus comparable to the American F-104 Starfighter and French Dassault Mirage III.

It was also used extensively in the Middle East conflicts of the 1960s and 1970s, by the air forces of Egypt, Syria and Iraq against Israel. The plane was outclassed by the more modern F-15 Eagle (designed primarily to combat the Soviet MiG-25 "Foxbat"), which was acquired by Israel in the 1970s. The Indian Air Force has been one of the largest users of this plane after it was used in the 1971 war with good results. The war also witnessed the first supersonic air combat in the subcontinent when a MiG-21 shot down a F-104 Starfighter. It was also used as late as 1999 in the Kargil War with mixed results, and employed during the early stages of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but was soon outclassed by the newer MiG-23 and MiG-27.

Due to the lack of available information, early details of the MiG-21 were often confused with those of the similar Sukhoi fighters also under development. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1960-1961 describes the "Fishbed" as a Sukhoi design, and uses an illustration of the Su-9 "Fishpot."

This particular 1:72 scale MiG-21 served with the North Vietnamese Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 "Fishbed" Fighter and was piloted by Lt. Phanm Tuan. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 8-inches
Length: 3-3/4-inches

Release Date: March 2015

Historical Account: "Red Star Regiment" - This MiG-21MF was in service with the 921st Sao Do at the time. The aircraft went on to serve during the Operation Linebacker II, in December 1972, and is said to have been the mount of Phanm Tuan, when he claimed a kill against a USAF B-52D, on 27 December. This kill was never confirmed, however, as the USAF never lost a B-52 on that day. Nevertheless, the plane was subsequently seen displaying eight kill markings, apparently a sign of the number of claims by several Vietnamese pilots who flew it. Pham Tuan, on the other side, went on to become the first Vietnamese in the space.