1/72 Revell MiG 21 F 13

Gallery Article by Polly Singh on Mar 21 2013

 

 

As the Indian Air Force celebrates the golden jubilee of MiG 21 operations, I came across the Revell 1/72 MiG 21 F 13 kit.  Six F 13 s (T-74) were inducted in Apr 63 followed by six MiG 21 PFs with short chord fin (T-76) followed by roughly 700 FL,(T-77), M(T-96), MF, Bis (T-75), U/UM (T-69) and finally the Bis Upgrade. 

I had the honour to meet with Hero of the Soviet Union test Pilot Col General Stepan Mikoyan (son of Artem Mikoyan’s brother-Anastas) who had participated with the Indian delegation on evaluation flights of first the MiG 15/17 in 1955 and then the MiG 21 F13 in Aug 62. 

 

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Mikoyan's flying career began in 1941 when, after graduating from the Kacha Military Aviation Fighter-Pilot School, he joined the 11th Fighter Regiment in the defense of Moscow and Stalingrad Flying the Yak 1.  After World War II he studied at the Military Aviation Engineering Academy and became a test-pilot at the Research Flight-Test Institute of the Soviet Air Force at Akhtubinsk near Volgograd.  He tested such early jet fighters as the MiG 15 and 17, analyzing their combat worthiness in comparison to the West's Sabre and other new designs.  Beginning in 1959 he headed the fighter testing division of the Institute and in 1965 he became the Institute's second-in-command.

Mikoyan flew 102 types of fighter, bomber, and other aircraft and finished with fighters in 1974 after flying the earliest Bis variants.

I completed the model in IAF markings and the General was kind enough to autograph the base (I've placed a replica HSU next to the model).  Unfortunately I broke off the tips of the tail plane mass balances !!!

I've also attached pics of him and the Indian team evaluating the MiG 15 and the MiG 21 F13 (Blue 26).

Polly Singh

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Soviet AF Test pilots at Akhtobinsk 1970 with a MiG 21 R. Mikoyan is second right.

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babi dey, uk, stepan, dass, F-13, 11.8.62 Kubinka MiG 15 evaluation Kubinka Jul 55 Mikoyan is third from right
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Photos and text © by Polly Singh