• Created By: theschell
• Downloadable File Size: 13.75 M (approx.)
• File Format: Poser
This product contains: cr2, pp2, pz2, and/ or other Poser files.
• Texturing: Texture Maps

Product Description

The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining Fighter and Interceptor characteristics in a single aircraft. It was a lightweight Fighter, achieving Mach 2 with a relatively low-powered After-burning Turbojet, and is thus comparable to the American Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter, and the French Mirage III. Its basic layout was used for numerous other Soviet designs; delta-winged aircraft included SU-9 Interceptor and the fast E-150 Prototype from the MiG Bureau while the mass-produced successful Front-line Fighter SU-7 and Mikoyan`s I-75 Experimental Interceptor combined a similar fuselage shape with swept-back wings. However, the characteristic layout with the shock cone and front air intake did not see widespread use outside the USSR and finally proved to have limited development potential, mainly because of the very small space available for the radar.

Like many aircraft designed as Interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range. This was not helped by a design defect where the center of gravity shifted rearwards once two-thirds of the fuel had been used. This had the effect of making the plane uncontrollable, resulting in an endurance of only 45 minutes in clean condition. Additionally when more than half the fuel was used up, violent maneuvers prevented fuel from flowing into the engine, thereby causing the aircraft to shutdown midflight. The issue of the short endurance and low fuel capacity of the MiG-21F, PF, PFM, S/SM and M/MF variants—though each had a somewhat greater fuel capacity than its predecessor—led to the development of the MT and SMT variants. These had a range increase of 250 km (155 mi) compared to the MiG-21SM, but at the cost of worsening all other performance figures (such as a lower service ceiling and slower time to altitude).

The delta wing, while excellent for a fast-climbing Interceptor, meant any form of turning combat led to a rapid loss of speed. However, the light loading of the aircraft could mean that a Climb Rate of 235 m/s (46,250 ft/min) was possible with a combat-loaded MiG-21Bis, not far short of the performance of the later F-16. Given a skilled pilot and capable missiles, it could give a good account of itself against contemporary Fighters. Its G-limits were increased from +7Gs in initial variants to +8.5Gs in the latest variants. It was replaced by the newer variable-geometry MiG-23 and MiG-27 for ground support duties. However, not until the MiG-29 would the Soviet Union ultimately replace the MiG-21 as a maneuvering Dog-fighter to counter new American Air Superiority types.

The MiG-21 was exported widely and continues to be used. The aircraft`s simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the Flight Envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots; this in turn enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools. While technologically inferior to the more advanced Fighters it often faced, low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of nations buying Eastern Block military hardware. Several Russian, Israeli and Romanian firms have begun to offer upgrade packages to MiG-21 operators, designed to bring the aircraft up to a modern standard, with greatly upgraded avionics and armaments.

The North Vietnamese Air Force received the first MiG-21`s in 1965 and were used to such devastating effect during the early Rolling Thunder Bomber Raids that the US Navy and Air Force conducted Operation "Bolo" specifically to try and counter the MiG threat over North Vietnam. The issue of dealing with the MiG-21 led to development of what later became known as the "Top Gun" US Navy Fighter Weapons and "Red Flag" US Air Force Dissimilar Air Combat Schools (First started, at NAS Miramar and AFB Nellis respectively, in 1969 to teach Navy and Air Force pilots how to deal specifically with the MiG threat over `Nam) and affected all subsequent NATO aircraft designs for many years to come.

Here are some of the Highlights:
• Over 50 Points of Articulation on the main figure!

• Moving Flaps, Ailerons, Spoilers, Rudder. Stabilator, Speed Brakes, Opening Landing Gear Doors, Raising and Lowering Gear, Spin-able Wheels, Steer-able Nose Gear, Opening Canopies, Deployable Slats, Folding Wings, Deployable Emergency Drag Chute, Fully Functional Cockpit Flight Controls, and Working Ejection Seat...

• Numerous ERC dials for ease of control from one main location, including dials for various basic flight maneuvers. The weapons sets also have ERC controls for ease of use in images and animation!

• Nose Radome opens to reveal the RP-21 Sapfir Radar Set.

• Conforming Dummy Aircrew figure to use to place a Pilot in the Cockpit.

• Conforming Crew Boarding Ladder and FOD Storage Covers for the Engine and Air Intake.

• 9 Separate Conforming Weapons sets designed to be Mixed and Matched to create multiple load-outs for the Weapons most commonly carried by the MiG-21 Fishbed, with fully controllable ordinance deployment. These Sets are broken down by mounting location so that each set can be properly mix and matched with the others, allowing a total combination of nearly 100 variations of weapons loads that can be loaded based on mission requirements!

Note: All of this product`s content was created by "theschell" (Christopher D. Schell) with additional help with ERC controls, Poser MAT Files & Additional Texturing by Mark A. Fares (KageRyu). My thanks to Mark for his extra hard work on this figure!

No additional files will be needed to use this product... it is a stand-alone figure!