Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 was a first-generation Soviet turbojet fighter and attack aircraft developed in the years immediately after World War II.
The MiG-9 was developed from the I-300 prototype which first flew on April 24, 1946. Its powerplant comprised two RD-20 turbojets, which were derived from the war-time German BMW 003, these being mounted side-by-side to the rear of the cockpit. Initial armament consisted of a 37-mm Nudelmann cannon. The production versions of the MiG-9 were commonly armed with a single 37-mm cannon and two 23-mm cannon.
The I-300 reached a speed of 565mph (910 km/h) during initial tests, and after further refinement, it entered service with the VVS as the MiG-9 during the winter of 1946-47. The jet had many performance and steering related problems, however it was put into service mainly because of political considerations.
The MiG-9 was deployed largely in the ground-attack role and 550 aircraft were built in different versions by the time production ended in 1948.
The MiG-9 was allocated the NATO reporting name of "Fargo" and Soviet designation I-301. An earlier MiG fighter, a development of the MiG-3 was also called "MiG-9", but did not enter production.
Technical characteristics
- Wing Span: 10 m
- Length: 9.75m
- Empty Weight: 3540kg
- Max.Weight: 5500kg
- Speed: 910km/h
- Ceiling: 13000m
- Range: 1100km
