North Vietnamese fighter aircraft MIG-17 FRESCO COBI 2424 - Vietnam War

You know that:

• The design of the MIG-17 is based on its successful predecessor, the MIG-15, but the wing design has been substantially redesigned.
• The result is a heavily armed fighter capable of flight in all weather conditions.
• Although the Klimov VK-1 engine was identical to the MIG-15, there was one significant change. For the first time, the afterburner function was used on a Russian engine.
• However, the first prototype was not without its problems. Already in February 1950, Soviet pilot Ivan Ivashchenko exceeded the speed of 1114 km/h on the SI-01 prototype, but on the next flight the machine failed fatally and the test pilot died. 
• Without the cause of the tragedy being properly investigated, the command decided to start serial production under the pressure of the emerging new generation of American jet aircraft.
• Eventually, the MIG-17 became a very successful aircraft, which was armed by all Warsaw Pact countries.
• Several countries, such as Angola, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania, and North Korea, still fly the MIG-17 today.
• With the advent of the American B-58 and FB-111 supersonic bombers, the MIG-17 became obsolete and was gradually replaced by the MIG-21, but that's another story.
• The first pilot of the North Vietnam People's Force was a deserter from the Royal Laotian Air Force who defected with a Trojan T-28 trainer.
• Before the first deliveries of Mig 17s from the Soviet Union, the Viet Cong used many curious aircraft for air strikes, such as the AN-2 biplane nicknamed "Andula."
• On January 12, 1968, the North Vietnamese attempted to attack an American base using two armed but obsolete AN-2s. The attack was disrupted by a UH-1 Huey helicopter patrolling over the base. The battle ended with the two AN-2s hitting each other after wild maneuvering, to the incredible amazement of the patrolling helicopter crew. For several weeks, U.S. military intelligence was still sorting out whether this was really an attack or a suicide provocation designed to prove the resolve of the North Vietnamese.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: wingspan 9.628 m, length 11.36 m, height 3.8 m
• weight 3 950 kg
• maximum take-off weight 5 354 kg
• powerplant Klimow WK-1F Turbojet engine with a thrust of 26.48 kN (33.15 kN with afterburner)
• maximum speed 1 145 km/h
• climb time 5 minutes and 48 seconds to an altitude of 10 000 m
• maximum flight level16,600 m
• range 1 255 km
• fuel tank capacity 1 415 l
• armament N-37D 37 mm cannon (40 rounds) + 2x NR-23 23 mm cannon (2x80 rounds) and up to 500 kg of guided or unguided missiles
• crew 1