MiG-15 "Fagot" (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

A MiG-15 in Russian Air Force colors takes off during the 2007 "Aviation Nation" airshow held at Nellis Air Force Base.   The MiG-15 received the NATO reporting name "fagot".

When it entered combat in Korea it was clear that the MiG was far superior to western jet fighters like the British-design Gloster Meteorand the American F-80 Shooting Star and F-84 Thunderjet, all of which were straight-winged.   American aircraft had been able to roam largely unopposed throughout Korea, but the MiGs started taking a heavy toll on the B-29s and other piston-engined bombers, which had to be withdrawn from enemy airspace during daylight hours.

From this angle you can see the large cannons mounted under the MiG's nose, two 23mm cannon on the port side and a 37mm cannon on the starboard.   These had much more hitting power than the six50 caliber machine guns of the MiG-15's main enemy during theKorean war, the F-86 Sabre, however the MiG had a very limited amount of ammunition, only 160 rounds for the 23mm guns and 40 rounds for the 37mm.   The cannon were originally fitted to allow the MiG to destroy American bombers like the B-29 Superfortress, and it was much harder to hit small maneuverable fighters like the F-86.   On the other hand, as well as having heavy armament, the MiG-15 was also tough, some successfully returning to base after being thoroughly shot up by Sabres.