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Mig 15 in the Korean War. SFW - jokes, humor, girls, accidents, cars, photos of celebrities and much more

MiG-15 (according to NATO classification Fagot, version of MiG-15UTI - Midget) - the first mass-produced soviet fighter, which was designed by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the late 40s of the last century. It is the most popular jet combat aircraft in aviation. The fighter made its first flight on December 30, 1947, the first production aircraft took off exactly a year later on December 30, 1948. The first combat units to receive the MiG-15 were formed in 1949. In total, 11,073 fighter aircraft of all modifications were built in the USSR. They were quite widely exported to China, North Korea and the Warsaw Pact countries, as well as to a number of countries in the Middle East (Syria, Egypt). In total, taking into account aircraft that were produced under license in Czechoslovakia and Poland, the total number of fighters produced reached 15,560.

History of creation

The RD-10 and RD-20 jet engines, mastered at one time by Soviet industry, had completely exhausted their capabilities by 1947. There was an urgent need for new engines. At the same time, in the West at the end of the 40s, the best engines were considered to be engines with a centrifugal compressor, which were also called the “Whittle turbine”. The power plant of this type was quite reliable, simple and undemanding to operate, and although these engines could not develop high thrust, this scheme became in demand in the aviation of many countries for several years.

Designing a new Soviet jet fighter it was decided to start with these engines. To this end, at the end of 1946, a delegation from the USSR went to England, which in those years was considered the leader of the world jet engine industry, which included the chief designers: engine designer V. Ya. Klimov, aircraft designer A. I. Mikoyan and a leading aviation specialist materials science S. T. Kishkin. The Soviet delegation purchased in Great Britain the most advanced turbojet engines of the Rolls-Royce company at that time: Nin-I with a thrust of 2040 kgf and Nin-II with a thrust of 2270 kgf, as well as Derwent-V with a thrust of 1590 kgf . Already in February 1947, the USSR received Derwent-V engines (30 units in total), as well as Nin-I (20 units), and in November 1947, 5 Nin-II engines were also received.

Subsequently, new products from the English engine industry were quite successfully copied and put into mass production. “Nin-I” and “Nin-II” received the indexes RD-45 and RD-45F, respectively, and “Derwent-V” was called RD-500. Preparations for serial production of these engines in the USSR began in May 1947. At the same time, specialists from the Design Bureau of Plant No. 45, which worked on RD-45 engines, spent a total of 6 Nin engines, including 2 engines of the second version, on analysis of materials, drawing of drawings and long-term testing.

The appearance of new engines in the USSR made it possible to begin designing jet fighters belonging to a new generation. Already on March 11, 1947, the Council of Ministers of the USSR signed a resolution on experimental aircraft construction plans for the current year. As part of this plan, the design team headed by A. I. Mikoyan was approved for the creation of a front-line jet fighter with a pressurized cabin. The aircraft was planned to be built in 2 copies and presented for state tests in December 1947. In fact, work on a new fighter at OKB-155 of A. I. Mikoyan began back in January 1947.

The designed fighter was named I-310 and the factory code was “C”. The first prototype of the vehicle, designated S-1, was cleared for flight testing on December 19, 1947. After ground testing procedures, the aircraft, piloted by test pilot V.N. Yuganov, took off on December 30, 1947. Already at the first stage of testing, the new aircraft showed excellent results. In this regard, on March 15, 1948, the fighter, which received the designation MiG-15 and was equipped with an RD-45 engine, was put into production. The construction of the aircraft was carried out at plant No. 1 named after. Stalin. In the spring of 1949, at the Kubinka airbase near Moscow, the 29th Guards Aviation Regiment began military tests a new front-line fighter. The tests lasted from May 20 to September 15, and a total of 20 aircraft took part in them.

Description of the MiG-15 design

The front-line jet fighter MiG-15 was a mid-wing fighter with a swept wing and tail, the design of the aircraft was all-metal. The fuselage of the aircraft had a round cross-section and was of semi-monocoque type. The rear fuselage was detachable, using internal flanges to accommodate engine installation and extensive servicing. In the forward part of the fuselage there was an engine air intake, which covered the cockpit on both sides.

The fighter's wing was single-spar and had an oblique transverse beam, which formed a triangular niche for the retractable landing gear. The wing of the aircraft consisted of 2 detachable consoles, which were connected directly to the fuselage of the aircraft. The power beams of the frames passed through the fuselage, which acted as a continuation of the power beam of the wing and spar.

The aircraft's wing had ailerons with sliding flaps on rail carriages and internal aerodynamic compensation. The flaps could be deflected up to 55° during landing, and up to 20° during takeoff. Four aerodynamic ridges were placed on top of the wing, which prevented the air flow from flowing along the wing and the flow from breaking off at the end of the wing during flight at high angles of attack. The fighter's tail was cruciform, the stabilizer and fin were double-spar. The rudder consisted of 2 parts located under and above the stabilizer.

The fighter's chassis was three-wheeled, with a nose strut and a lever suspension of the wheels. The landing gear, as well as 2 brake flaps in the rear part of the fuselage, were extended and retracted using a hydraulic system. The brakes were on the main landing gear wheels; the braking system was pneumatic. Control of the fighter was tough and consisted of rockers and rods. On latest versions For the MiG-15, hydraulic boosters were introduced into the aircraft control system. The power plant of the vehicle consisted of one RD-45F engine with a centrifugal compressor. The maximum engine thrust was 2270 kgf. The MiG-15 bis version of the fighter used a more powerful VK-1 engine.

The aircraft's armament was cannon and included a 37-mm NS-37 cannon, as well as a second 23-mm NS-23 cannon. All guns were located in the lower part of the aircraft fuselage. To facilitate the reloading process, the guns were mounted on a special removable carriage, which could be lowered down using a winch. Under the wing of the fighter it was possible to hang 2 additional fuel tanks or 2 bombs.

Combat use of vehicles in Korea

Pause in combat use fighter aircraft after World War II lasted only 5 years. Historians had not yet finished writing their works on past battles when new air battles unfolded in the skies over Korea. Many experts have called these fighting a kind of training ground for testing new military equipment. It was in this war that jet fighters and fighter-bombers fully tested their capabilities in the air for the first time. Particular importance was paid to the confrontation between the American Saber F-86 and the Soviet MiG-15.

The main opponents of the Korean War are the MiG-15 and Saber" F-86

During 3 years of combat operations in the skies over Korea, Soviet internationalist pilots from the 64th Fighter Air Corps conducted 1,872 air battles, in which they were able to shoot down 1,106 American aircraft, of which about 650 Sabers. At the same time, MiG losses amounted to only 335 aircraft.

Both the American Saber and the Soviet MiG-15 represented the first generation of jet fighters, both aircraft differed slightly in their combat capabilities. The Soviet fighter was 2.5 tons lighter, but excess weight The Saber compensated with a more high-torque engine. The aircraft's ground speed and thrust-to-weight ratio were almost identical. At the same time, the F-86 maneuvered better at low altitudes, and the MiG-15 gained an advantage in climb rate and acceleration at high altitude. The American could also stay in the air for longer due to the “extra” 1.5 tons of fuel. The fighters conducted their main battles in transonic flight mode.

Different approaches among fighters were noted only in weapons. The MiG-15 had a much larger second salvo due to its cannon armament, which was represented by two 23 mm and one 37 mm cannon. In turn, the Sabers were armed with only 6 12.7 mm machine guns (at the very end of the war, versions with 4 20 mm guns appeared). In general, the analysis of the machines’ “questionnaire” data did not allow an inexperienced expert to make a choice in favor of a potential winner. All doubts could be resolved only in practice.

Already the first air battles demonstrated that, contrary to many forecasts, technological progress practically did not change the content and form of air combat. He preserved all the patterns and traditions of the past, remaining group, maneuverable and close. All this was explained by the fact that no revolution had occurred in the armament of aircraft. On board the new jet fighters, guns and machine guns were migrated from piston fighters - active participants last war. That is why the “lethal” distance for attacks remained almost the same. The relative weakness of a single salvo, as during World War II, forced it to be compensated by the number of guns of the fighters participating in the attack.

At the same time, the MiG-15 was created for air combat and was fully consistent with its intended purpose. The machine designers were able to preserve the ideas that were characteristic of the MiG-1 and MiG-3 aircraft: machine speed, altitude and rate of climb, which allowed the fighter pilot to focus on conducting a pronounced offensive battle. One of the most strengths The fighter had a higher destructive potential, which gave it a tangible advantage in the main stage of the battle - the attack. However, to win it was necessary to accumulate positional and information advantages in the previous stages of the air battle.

Straight-line flight, which combined a head-on approach to a target with an attack, became available to fighters only 30 years later - after the appearance of missiles on airplanes medium range and radars. The MiG-15 combined approaching the target with a sharp maneuver and entry into the rear hemisphere. If the Saber noticed a Soviet fighter at a distance, it sought to impose a maneuverable battle on it (especially at low altitudes), which was disadvantageous for the MiG-15.

Although the Soviet fighter was somewhat inferior to the F-86 in horizontal maneuvering, this was not so noticeable as to completely abandon it if necessary. The activity of effective defense was directly related to the teamwork of a pair of pilots and the implementation of the “shield and sword” principle in battle. When one of the planes carried out an attack, and the second was providing cover. Experience and practice have shown that a coordinated and inextricably operating pair of MiG-15s is practically invulnerable in close maneuver combat. The experience that Soviet fighter pilots, including regiment commanders, received during the Great Patriotic War also played a role. The stacked formation and the principles of group combat still worked in the skies of Korea.

Performance characteristics MiG-15:
Dimensions: wingspan – 10.08 m, length – 10.10 m, height – 3.17 m.
Wing area – 20.6 sq. m.
Aircraft weight, kg.
- empty – 3,149;
- normal take-off – 4,806;
Engine type - 1 turbojet engine RD-45F, maximum thrust 2270 kgf.
The maximum speed at the ground is 1,047 km/h, at altitude – 1,031 km/h.
Practical flight range – 1,310 km.
Service ceiling – 15,200 m.
Crew – 1 person.
Armament: 1x37-mm NS-37 cannon (40 rounds per barrel) and 2x23-mm NS-23 cannon (80 rounds per barrel).

Information sources:
- http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fighter/mig15.html
- http://www.opoccuu.com/mig-15.htm
- http://www.airforce.ru/history/localwars/localwar1.htm
- http://ru.wikipedia.org/

The latest best military aircraft of the Russian Air Force and the world photos, pictures, videos about the value of a fighter aircraft as weapon capable of ensuring “air supremacy” was recognized by the military circles of all states by the spring of 1916. This required the creation of a combat special aircraft, superior to all others in speed, maneuverability, height and use of offensive weapons small arms. In November 1915, Nieuport II Webe biplanes arrived at the front. This was the first aircraft built in France that was intended for air combat.

The most modern domestic military aircraft in Russia and the world owe their appearance to the popularization and development of aviation in Russia, which was facilitated by the flights of Russian pilots M. Efimov, N. Popov, G. Alekhnovich, A. Shiukov, B. Rossiysky, S. Utochkin. The first domestic cars of designers J. Gakkel, I. Sikorsky, D. Grigorovich, V. Slesarev, I. Steglau began to appear. In 1913, the Russian Knight heavy aircraft made its first flight. But one cannot help but recall the first creator of the aircraft in the world - Captain 1st Rank Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky.

Soviet military aircraft of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War sought to hit enemy troops, their communications and other targets in the rear with air strikes, which led to the creation of bomber aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load over considerable distances. The variety of combat missions to bomb enemy forces in the tactical and operational depth of the fronts led to the understanding of the fact that their implementation must be commensurate with the tactical and technical capabilities of a particular aircraft. Therefore, the design teams had to resolve the issue of specialization of bomber aircraft, which led to the emergence of several classes of these machines.

Types and classification, latest models of military aircraft in Russia and the world. It was obvious that it would take time to create a specialized fighter aircraft, so the first step in this direction was an attempt to arm existing aircraft with small offensive weapons. Mobile machine gun mounts, which began to be equipped with aircraft, required excessive efforts from pilots, since controlling the machine in maneuverable combat and simultaneously firing from unstable weapons reduced the effectiveness of shooting. The use of a two-seater aircraft as a fighter, where one of the crew members served as a gunner, also created certain problems, because the increase in weight and drag of the machine led to a decrease in its flight qualities.

What types of planes are there? In our years, aviation has made a big qualitative leap, expressed in a significant increase in flight speed. This was facilitated by progress in the field of aerodynamics, the creation of new, more powerful engines, structural materials, and electronic equipment. computerization of calculation methods, etc. Supersonic speeds have become the main flight modes of fighter aircraft. However, the race for speed also had its own negative sides- the takeoff and landing characteristics and maneuverability of aircraft have sharply deteriorated. During these years, the level of aircraft construction reached such a level that it became possible to begin creating aircraft with variable sweep wings.

For Russian combat aircraft, in order to further increase the flight speeds of jet fighters exceeding the speed of sound, it was necessary to increase their power supply, increase the specific characteristics of turbojet engines, and also improve the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft. For this purpose, engines with an axial compressor were developed, which had smaller frontal dimensions, higher efficiency and better weight characteristics. To significantly increase thrust, and therefore flight speed, afterburners were introduced into the engine design. Improving the aerodynamic shapes of aircraft consisted of using wings and tail surfaces with large sweep angles (in the transition to thin delta wings), as well as supersonic air intakes.

The Mig 15 is a wonderful Russian fighter, light, simple and inexpensive to produce. Its rival is the American Saber F-86, which is technically complex, heavy and expensive. In 1950, the Korean War broke out, and during three years of air combat, jet fighters met and fought each other for the first time. In June 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea, fearing the spread of communism, the Americans provided assistance to the South Korean government.

During the fighting that unfolded on the ground, the Americans managed to push the enemy back beyond the 38th parallel; the war on land was extremely fierce, but by the end of the year even more difficult battles would unfold in the air. The Americans first met Mig15 in the sky in November 1950. The use of this aircraft by Chinese and Korean troops came as a complete surprise to everyone. According to the plan of the Russian command, the main task instants was to shoot down American fighters and bombers that supported the action of ground troops south korea. The instant was almost unknown to Western military experts, and then they became convinced of its crushing power. At the first stage of hostilities, the Mig15 was much faster and stronger than the previously used American F51 Mustang. The Mig 15 was the fastest machine in the Korean skies, and North Korean military pilots were very proud of this beautiful combat vehicle.

The Russians began developing the Mig15 in 1947. A year later, the car was ready to take to the skies; a team of designers headed by Mikoyan and Gurevich created a first-class fighter of that time. Speed is the main advantage over American aircraft. It flew twice as fast as enemy piston aircraft. The first Mig15 was equipped with a British engine, the British handed over the engine plans when they were allies during the war against Nazi Germany. In 1950, Russian military designers improved the design of the English engine and created a new and more powerful VK1 engine. Six months after the start of the war, the small and unpretentious Mig15 developed a speed of 1045 kilometers per hour, and was ready to gain dominance in the Korean skies. Mig15 seemed invincible; the simplicity of its design made it possible to remain in the sky, despite numerous damage from enemy fire.

As soon as the Americans became acquainted with the Mig15 that appeared in the skies over Korea, they hastily threw the Saber F-86 into battle, this machine was intended to patrol US airspace. And during testing, American pilots considered it an excellent fighter. The speed of the Mig15 and Saber F-86 was approximately the same; both exceeded more than 1000 kilometers per hour. And thanks to this, the Russians and Americans took advantage of a new invention, the swept wing. Jet models of early jet aircraft were used with straight wings, but at high speeds the straight wing created direct pressure ahead of itself, resulting in additional loads; to avoid this, designers positioned the wings at an angle of 35 degrees. This made it possible to reduce overloads. In 1950, the Mig15 and Saber F-86 were the fastest aircraft in the world. The Saber F-86 had a major difference from the Mig15, the Saber F-86 was heavy and powerful while the Mig15 was small and light. Its light weight allowed it to gain speed faster and it also had another advantage: it gained altitude faster than the Saber F-86. Mig15 could gain altitude up to 18 kilometers, which provided significant tactical advantage, which made it possible to choose the moment to attack or escape.

The massive and heavy Saber F-86 could not reach such heights and attack speeds; the Saber F-86 had a climb ceiling of 13 kilometers, and if it climbed to greater height, then he could not maneuver at high altitude at all. That's why american planes usually patrolled and tried to lure the enemy to a height of 8-10 kilometers. But still, the initiative to conduct the battle belonged to the Mig15, so it could choose its time and angle of attack. But to really test the car, it was a head-to-head battle. Attacking on a collision course, the Mig15 and Saber F-86 fought almost on equal terms. Achieving success, the pilots had to squeeze everything they could out of their machines. Firepower was on the side of Mig15. Armed with three guns, the shooter high explosive shells he was a serious opponent. And after being hit by the Saber, the F-86 fell to pieces. There were cases when the Saber F-86 fired all its ammunition at the Mig15, but it continued to stay in the air and conduct an air battle.

Over the entire period of the war, two types of aircraft constantly met in air battles, each having its own advantages. The Mig15 had more powerful weapons, climb and speed, while the Saber F-86 had better maneuverability. But the outcome of the battle still depended on the skill of the pilot.

The pause in the combat use of fighters after World War II lasted only five years. Before historians had time to finish writing about past battles, new ones broke out in the skies of distant Korea. The account was opened for large-scale local wars that shook the world regularly in each subsequent decade.

Many experts call these wars a kind of testing ground for new military equipment. In relation to the Korean War that began in November 1950, this definition was fully suitable. We checked ours for the first time combat capabilities jet fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, fighter-bombers. Particular importance was attached to the confrontation between the Soviet MiG-15 and the American Saber F-86.

During the three years of the war in Korea, internationalist pilots of the 64th IAK (Fighter Aviation Corps) conducted 1,872 air battles and shot down 1,106 American-made aircraft, including 650 Sabers. MiG losses amounted to 335 aircraft.

The MiG-15 and Saber are representatives of the first generation of jet fighters, differing little in their combat capabilities. Our plane was two and a half tons lighter (take-off weight 5044 kg), but the “heaviness” of the Saber was compensated by greater engine thrust (4090 kg versus 2700 kg for the MiG). Their thrust-to-weight ratio was almost the same - 0.54 and 0.53, just like maximum speed near the ground - 1100 km/h. At high altitudes, the MiG-15 gained an advantage in acceleration and rate of climb, while the Saber maneuvered better at low altitudes. It could also stay in the air longer, having 1.5 tons of “extra” fuel.

Installation of jet engines on aircraft, and implementation in their design latest achievements in aerodynamics, the transonic range of flight speeds was made “working”. The fighters entered the stratosphere (the Saber's service ceiling is 12,000 m, and the MiG-15's is 15,000 m).

The different approaches were only evident in the weapons. The MiG15 had one 37 mm and two 23 mm cannons, and the Saber had six 12.7 mm machine guns (at the end of the war, Sabers appeared with four 20 mm cannons). In general, the analysis of the “questionnaire” data did not allow even a sophisticated expert to determine the potential winner. Only practice could give the answer.

Already the first battles showed that, contrary to forecasts, technological progress did not radically change the forms and content of armed confrontation in the air. The battle preserved all the traditions and patterns of the past. He remained close, maneuverable, and group.

This was largely due to the fact that the armament of the fighters had undergone virtually no qualitative changes. Machine guns and cannons from piston fighters that took part in the Second World War migrated onto the jet aircraft. Therefore, the “killer” range and area of possible attacks have remained almost unchanged. The relative weakness of a single salvo forced, as before, to compensate for it with the number of “barrels” of the aircraft participating in the attack.

Thrice Hero Soviet Union Ivan Kozhedub, who commanded a division in the Korean War, wrote: “The main thing is to be fluent in piloting and shooting techniques. If the pilot’s attention is not absorbed in the process of controlling the aircraft, then he can correctly perform the maneuver, quickly approach the enemy, aim accurately and defeat him.”

The MiG-15 was created for air combat, that is, it fully corresponded to its intended purpose. The designers retained in the aircraft the ideas embodied in the MiG-1 and MiG-3: speed - rate of climb - altitude, which allowed the pilot to focus on a pronounced offensive battle. Our internationalist pilots had no doubt that they were fighting on the best fighter in the world.

One of the strengths of the MiG-15 was its higher destructive potential, which allowed it to have a win in the main stage of the battle - the attack. However, to win it was necessary to accumulate information and positional advantage in the previous stages.

The pilot (leader of the group) could seize the initiative and begin to dictate his terms to the Sabers if he was the first to receive information about the enemy. The time reserve was used to draw up a battle plan, occupy an advantageous starting position, and rebuild order of battle. Here the pilot was assisted by a ground command post, located technical means long-range detection. Before establishing the neighbor eye contact with Sabers, the command post combat crew informed the pilot about the situation and location of all detected “targets”. The MiG-15, having a slightly greater excess of thrust (especially at high altitude), could shorten the distance faster than the Saber and approach the enemy. Stealth was ensured by the camouflage coloring of the aircraft (“under the terrain” - from above, “under the sky” - from below). Tactical requirements required skillful use of the sun and clouds, and varying the density of aircraft formations in the air.

Straight-line flight, combining rendezvous with attack, became possible only thirty years later - after fighters were equipped with radars and medium-range missiles. The MiG-15 combined approach with a sharp maneuver into the rear hemisphere of the enemy. If the Saber noticed a MiG at a safe distance, it tried to force it into a maneuverable battle (especially at low altitudes), which was disadvantageous to our fighter.

Although the MiG-15 was somewhat inferior to the Saber in horizontal maneuver, it was not so much that it would have to be abandoned if necessary. The activity of defense was associated with the teamwork of the pair and the implementation of the tactical (organizational) principle of “sword” and “shield”. The function of the first is attack, the second is cover. Experience has shown: an inseparable and coordinated pair of MiG-15 aircraft is invulnerable in close maneuver combat.

In the three-element formation of a squadron, a pair or link received one more function, which was considered multi-purpose: increasing efforts, reserve, free maneuver. The pair stood "high above everyone else", with a wide view and were ready to be the first to eliminate the threat of a surprise attack, as well as to support the "sword" or "shield" if necessary. The product of the creative thought of internationalist pilots was a new “organization” - six fighters with a distribution of functions similar to that of a squadron. This experience was subsequently adopted and successfully used by Syrian pilots on the MiG-21 in the October 1973 war in the Middle East.

During the Korean War, combat crews from ground command posts became full participants in air combat. The decision to fly a squadron was usually made by the corps command post after detecting an air enemy at the limit of “visibility” of ground-based radars located on its (Chinese) territory. The guidance navigator, who observed the situation on the surveillance radar screen, led the fighters to the line of entry into battle. The leader of the group was given information first, and then - command information. The first (about the enemy) was taken into account, the second was executed. The CP sought to provide the MiG-15 with a tactically advantageous position before establishing visual contact with the Sabers. Having visually detected the “target”, the presenter took control. The warning function remained behind the control panel.

The order of entry into battle depended on the disposition of enemy forces and the distance to him. The Sabers did not obey the standards and changed their formation structure in the air. Therefore, the most advantageous option “strike - cover - build up efforts” could turn out to be losing. The change of plan had to happen instantly, because there was no time left to think.

After the Sabers broke into the battle formation, the battle broke up into link and then pair battles. The squadron commander, already occupied with “his” enemy, could not control the actions of all his subordinates. There was a deliberate decentralization of management. Flight commanders received independence - the right to make decisions “according to the situation.” Command post notified about the approach of enemy reserves, monitored the time (remaining fuel) and could remove fighters from the battle. Additional forces were sent to cover the retreat.

It is important to note that all division commanders and most MiG-15 regiment commanders participated in the Great Patriotic War, possessed operational management skills. “Experience does not become obsolete, it is only rethought and adapted to specific conditions,” wrote the famous ace A.I. Pokryshkin. It didn't take much effort to rethink tactics. The formation of a squadron in a whatnot format was borrowed from the battle in the Kuban in 1943, and the functions of the groups that were part of it did not change. The principles of group combat remain the same.

The success of the pilots who fought on the MiG-15 jets was determined by:
- equipment whose capabilities fully corresponded to the conditions of combat operations;
- maximum use strengths of your weapon;
- rational tactics (theory and practice of combat);
- well-established interaction, the ability of commanders to manage the resources entrusted to them in the air.

It is also necessary to reveal the causes of combat losses. Note that out of 335 MiG-15s shot down large percentage(more than half) is associated with cases of pilots safely leaving a damaged (lost control) aircraft. Almost all of them returned to duty and spoke with respect about the reliability and simplicity of the MiG-15 ejection system.

A large share of the losses incurred are during landing. The first line airfields (Andong, Dapu, Miaogou) were located close to the sea, and MiG-15s were prohibited from entering from the sea. That's where the Sabers concentrated with special assignment: attack MiGs over the airfield. On the landing line, the plane was with its landing gear and flaps extended, that is, it was not ready to repel the attack or evade it. The quality of equipment and the level of training of the pilot lost their role in this forced situation.

The majority of those shot down directly in battles are loners, “lost the ranks” and deprived of support. Statistics also show that fifty percent of flight personnel losses were incurred in the first ten sorties. Survival is thus closely related to experience.

Attentive attitude to experience, borrowing from it everything useful that has not lost its relevance - distinguishing feature combat activities of our fighters in Korea.

Russian Air Force website data

On December 22, 1950, during the Korean War (1950−1953), the first major air battle took place between Soviet and American pilots. Losses of both sides: two MiG-15 Fagots against five F-86 Sabers.

Jet firstborns

The American F-86 Saber and the Soviet MiG-15 Bassoon are the first-born jets with swept wings.

Even during the war years, the Americans tried to implement the NA-140 jet fighter project, but it did not work out. After the defeat of Germany in 1945, specialists were sent there to study German developments in the field of jet aircraft. Based on the data obtained, the NA-140 project was converted to a swept wing, which had advantages over a straight wing at speeds of about M = 0.9. New project was approved Army Air Forces USA November 1, 1945. The first production aircraft were assembled at the Inglewood plant in May 1948. In June 1948, the aircraft received a new designation - F-86. It was adopted by the US Air Force in 1949. The first 19 F-86A units (of which only 15 aircraft were initially combat-ready) arrived in Korea on December 16, 1950. On December 17, their first sighting battle took place with the MiG-15 (without mutual losses), and on December 22, the Sabers and Fagots suffered serious losses: 5 to 2 in favor of the MiG-15.

The development of this aircraft began on April 15, 1947 at OKB-155 of A.I. Mikoyan, who was tasked with developing a front-line fighter with jet engine and a pressurized cabin. For the first time on a domestic production aircraft, it was decided to use a swept wing. On December 18, production of the first prototype was completed. December 30, 1947 test pilot V.N. Yuganov took it into the sky for the first time. On March 15, 1948, the MiG-15 was put into serial production at plant No. 1 named after. Stalin. Soon he began to enlist in the troops.

To provide air cover for the Chinese army that entered the Korean War, the USSR sent the 64th Fighter Air Corps, armed with the MiG-15, to China. They soon entered into their first battle with American aircraft, which came as a complete surprise to the US Air Force, which did not expect that they would have to face the newest Soviet fighter. The American F-80s used so far were inferior to the MiGs in speed due to their straight wing. To combat a new air enemy on Far East The F-86 Saber, which had just begun to enter service, was urgently sent. From late December 1950 until the end of the war in July 1953, the MiG-15 and F-86 became the main adversaries in the skies of Korea.

According to basic flight tactical data, the Soviet MiG-15 fighter and the American F-86 Saber were equal, but each had its own strengths and weak sides. The MiG was superior to the Saber in climb rate and thrust-to-weight ratio. The F-86 picked up speed faster in a dive, was more maneuverable, and had a longer flight range. The significant point was that the F-86 pilots used anti-g suits, which their Soviet colleagues could only dream of.

However, the F-86 was outgunned. 6 large-caliber “Sabre” Colt Browning machine guns, despite the high rate of fire (1,200 rounds per minute), were inferior to three MiG guns: two 23-mm caliber and one 37-mm. Their shells penetrated any armor. These planes collided on December 22, 1950 in a fierce battle.

Fighting in Korean skies

I was unable to find detailed documentary evidence about that battle. But the archive preserves a transcript of the flight-tactical conference of the formation, held on July 25-26, 1951. The most successful pilot of the Korean War spoke about a similar battle there. Nikolai Sutyagin.“The task was carried out by ten,” Nikolai said to the audience. — Shock link — Major Pulov, cover link - Captain Artemchenko on the right above and a couple Perepelkina. I walked in the cover link with a wingman Senior Lieutenant Shulev. At the moment of a left turn in the Sensen area, I fell behind Captain Artemchenko’s pair by a distance of 400-500 m. Having turned 50-60 degrees to the left, I noticed: below on the left, from under the leading link, a pair of F-86s was coming into our “tail” . I gave the command: “Attack, cover,” and with a left combat turn, at the moment I released the brakes and removed the gas, followed by a half-flip, I went after the pair of F-86s. On the second loop we were already in the “tail” of the F-86-x, and in the upper position I fired two short bursts at the wingman. The queues passed: one with an undershoot, the other with an overshoot. I decided to come closer. After exiting the dive, the pair of F-86s made a turn to the right, and then to the left while climbing. Due to this lapel, the distance was reduced to 200-300 meters. Noticing this, the enemy made a coup. Having released the brakes, we followed the F-86 at an angle of 70-75 degrees towards the sea. Having approached to a distance of 150-200 meters, I opened fire on the wingman. The F-86 was shot down."

There is also a documented story about another fight with the Sabers. On June 22, 1951, at the moment of a turn, a flight of Soviet pilots led by Nikolai Sutyagin came into the “tail” of four F-86s. A skillful maneuver, and our pilots are already in the “tail” of the F-86. Having noticed the MiGs, the Americans went into a dive after a left turn. Sutyagin opened fire on his wingman at a distance of 400-500 meters. But the second pair of Americans came into the “tail” of the flight, this was noticed by the wingman, Senior Lieutenant Shulev, who with a sharp maneuver got out of the way of the attack. The leader of the first American pair, noticing that they were shooting at the follower, went to the “oblique loop”. But he could not resist the skill of Sutyagin, who, in the upper position, having already closed to 250-300 meters, opened fire on him. The F-86 burst into flames and began to fall. A little later, another Saber was destroyed.

The record holder of the Korean War, Nikolai Sutyagin, fought 66 air battles and personally shot down 21 aircraft. He has 15 F-86 Sabers, 2 F-80 Shooting Stars, 2 F-84 Thunderjets and 2 piston-powered Gloucester Meteors.

Contractions... on paper

Unfortunately, we lost another battle - for the truth about that war and its heroes. While our intelligence services were classifying materials about it, American researchers of the Korean War “took” all the records for themselves. For example, in the book “MiG Alley”, published in Texas in 1970, Sutyagin’s exploits are, of course, silent, but they call him the first jet ace in history Captain James Jabara who has 15 air victories (6 less than our fighter!). In total, 39 US pilots are noted who shot down from 15 to 5 of our aircraft.

Of course, we must pay tribute to the courage and skill of the American pilots; they fought with dignity, and sometimes on equal terms with the Soviet aces. But our score is more solid. Nikolai Sutyagin - 21 aerial victories. Won 20 fights Colonel Anatoly Pepelyaev. 15 enemy aircraft were destroyed Captain Lev Shchukin, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Smorchkov and Major Dmitry Oskin. Another 6 Soviet pilots scored 10 or more victories. 43 Soviet pilots scored 5 or more victories.

Until now, the United States is trying to correct the overall outcome of the air war. Thus, the Encyclopedia of Aviation (New York, 1977) notes that during the war, American pilots shot down 2,300 aircraft of the USSR, China and the DPRK, the losses of the USA and their allies were 114. The ratio was 20:1. Impressive? However, immediately after the war, when total losses was difficult to hide, a documentary book “Air Power is the Decisive Force in Korea” was published (Toronto - New York - London, 1957). It stated that the US Air Force lost about 2,000 aircraft in combat battles alone, the losses of “communist” They then estimated the aircraft more modestly - at about 1,000 aircraft. However, these figures are most likely far from the truth.

For today General base The Russian Armed Forces have declassified some documents from the Korean War. Here are the general data. Soviet pilots The 64th Fighter Aviation Corps (during the war it consisted of ten divisions alternately - from six months to one year) conducted 1,872 air battles, during which 1,106 enemy aircraft were shot down, of which 650 F-86s. Hull losses: 335 aircraft. The ratio is 3:1 in favor of Soviet pilots, including the latest aircraft (MiG-15 and F-86 Saber) - 2:1.

The data of the opposing sides differ not only as a result of subjectivity. The Americans and I have different calculation technologies. The Americans recorded their victories only using a photo-machine gun (FKP), because the situation in Korea did not allow them to receive confirmation from the ground. This method, according to Hero of the Soviet Union K.V. Sukhova, was approximately 75% effective, since only a hit was recorded, which did not always mean the destruction of the aircraft.

In Soviet air units there was a more strict procedure for recording victories. First of all, the FKP cadres. Then - testimonies of partners. But the main thing was confirmation of ground units, without which a downed plane, as a rule, was not counted. In addition, representatives of the regiment went to the site of the crash of the enemy vehicle, photographed it and were supposed to bring some part, preferably a factory tag. The testimony of the pilots themselves was almost not taken into account.

It is impossible not to take into account the fact that American victories also included defeats of Korean and Chinese pilots, who, of course, were “green” compared to the pilots of the USSR and the USA.

From the "SP" dossier:

TTX F-86

Wingspan 11.32 m

length 11.45 m

height 4.5 m

Weight, kg:

empty 4582,

maximum takeoff 6128

Maximum speed, km/h:

near the ground 1086

at an altitude of 10,000 m - 1112

Rate of climb at the ground, m/s 38