Amazing Aircraft: The MiG-17, a Once Feared Sight

Cold War-era Russian-built aircraft have a uniqueness all on their own, and fighter aircraft like the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 falls into that category. Sixty-four years ago today, the Russian MiG-17 took to the skies for the very first on its maiden flight (January 14, 1950). Known as 'Fresco' under the NATO reporting name (as 'Type 38' by U.S. Air Force designation prior to development of NATO codes), the MiG-17 was developed from the MiG-15 (NATO code-name: 'Fagot') with a longer fuselage, a new thinner and more highly swept wing design and tailplane in order to reach near supersonic speeds. The MiG-17 is in fact a high-subsonic fighter but was able to fly at supersonic speeds in a shallow dive. It is technically one of the first fighter aircraft to have afterburning turbojet engines.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.
The 'F' model was one of the very first variants, thus making this one a rare airframe.

The aircraft was widely exported, seeing service with air forces in the Soviet Union, other communist nations, several countries in the Middle East, as well as some African countries. The fighter is still active in service with air forces in North Korea, Mali, and Tanzania. The MiG-17 first saw combat action in 1958 in the skies over the Straits of Taiwan. It also saw extensive action in the Vietnam War, flying for the then-fledgling North Vietnamese Air Force, sometimes shocking American fighter communities by downing superior, technologically advanced aircraft like the F-105 Thunderchief, F-4 Phantom, and F-8 Crusader. As a result, the U.S. Air Force acquired MiG-17s and other Soviet-built fighters through the HAVE DRILL program to properly train American pilots in successfully combating the communist aircraft in the Vietnam War.

The results of HAVE DRILL improved the kill ratio against the MiG-17 and there are now privately owned airframes flying and on display in the United States. Today, the Federal Aviation Authority lists at least 27 privately owned MiG-17s in the United States, in addition to license-built versions like the Polish PZL-Mielec Lim-5/6 and the Chinese Shenyang J-5 (F-5 when exported).

A privately owned PZL-Mielec Lim-5 (a licensed MiG-17F) taxiing during an air show.

Unlike its predecessor the MiG-15, the MiG-17 and its license-build copies were capable of going into afterburner thanks to advancement in engine technology, helping it to be able to reach near-supersonic speeds.

A PZL-Mielec Lim-6 on display at the Tillamook Air Museum; Tillamook, Oregon.

Having been operated by numerous air forces in many countries in many variants, over 11,000 MiG-17s were produced, including license-built versions from Poland and China. It has it's place in Cold War history as one of most feared sights in combat aviation from the perspective of the western world. As is the case with many rare and often foreign aircraft originating from the other side of the world, it is a privilege to see military aircraft like the Russian MiG-17 in person and more so when they take to the skies in air shows; it only gives you a small taste of what it must have been like to see this aircraft in action. Let's wish this venerable, former-adversary a happy 64th birthday.