Mig-15, Latvia

This lonely MiG-15 aircraft sits near a private runway in Latvia. This Soviet Union jet fighter was developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich. It was an early innovator in the development of jet fighters with swept wings for the purpose of reaching supersonic speeds. It is recognised that the MiG-15 had the potential to reach supersonic speeds while diving. Unfortunately, without a “all-flying” tail, the pilot could not control the aircraft as it approached Mach 1. As a direct consequence of this, pilots are aware that they cannot go faster than Mach 0.92, the point at which control loss became a real risk!

I photographed this plane during the 2019 Baltics Tour.

History of the MiG-15 aircraft

In December of 1947, the first prototypes, which were given the designation I-310, started test flights. It was a swept-wing fighter with 35-degree wings and tail, with two wing fences to increase airflow over the wings. The  The design utilised just one engine, which received air through a split intake within the nose of the plane. At 3,000 metres (9,800 feet), it hit 1,042 kph (647 mph), demonstrating outstanding performance even in prototype form.

The first MiG-15 flew on December 31, 1948, and it entered service soon after. Due to manufacturing inconsistencies, early production examples rolled left or right. Subsequently aerodynamic trimmers called “nozhi” (knives) were added and modified by ground workers until the aircraft flew correctly. The MiG-15bis (“second”) entered service in early 1950, with a new engine and some minor tweaks and improvements.

The MiG-15 was built primarily to intercept large bombers, such as the American B-29. To destroy large bombers, the MiG-15 had two 23 mm autocannons with 80 rounds each and one 37 mm with 40 rounds. Although effective as interceptors, these weapons lacked the speed and rate of fire necessary to effectively engage and destroy agile, fast-moving enemy jet aircraft.

The MiG-15 saw extensive service during the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War , as well as skirmishes during the Cold War period. The MiG-15 was one of the most mass-produced jet aircraft, with about 13,000 constructed. Even now, the MiG-15 serves the Korean People’s Army Air Force (KPAAF)  as an advanced trainer.