The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB design buro is a well known Soviet design buro. Following Second World War designed aircraft, they started
with jet fighter design. In the nineteen-fifties, after the emerge of the Mig-15, Mig-17 and Mig-21, the Mig-21 was designed as a
Mach 2-capable interceptor fighter. The MiG-21 was born from a variety of prototypes and developmental flight models. After numerous
wing designs, the final design got a delta main wing with both pairs swept and mid-mounted to the fuselage. The main wings were thin
and near-triangular shapes with clipped wingtips. It got NATO code name "Fishbed". Deliveries of the MiG-21 to the Soviet Air Force began
in late 1957 and continued into 1985. The type was officially introduced as the MiG-21F in 1959. Many versions, including the Mikoyan
Gurevitch MiG-21MF, were developed with later types being significantly different from early types. Production of trainers and fighters
was split between three major plants in Gorkiy, Moscow and Tbilisi. Gorkiy produced no less than 5,278 airframes; Moscow 3,203 and Tbilisi
delivered some 1,660 aircraft. The official total topped 10,158 aircraft while overall totals ranged up to 11,496. In the Soviet/Russian
inventories alone, the aircraft served for decades until it was throughout the 1990s replaced in active service by the MiG-29 Fulcrum.
On 20 September 2018, the Mikoyan Gurevitch MiG-21MF Fishbed-J was seen in its original Polish Air Force, 3.ELT '8706' colors at Teuge Airport,
the Netherlands. The MiG belongs to the collection of the Koude Oorlog Museum that has its home in the Skydeck Hangar at Teuge. In February 1974,
this MiG-21MF c/n 968706 entered service with the Polish Air Force as '8706' with 26 PLM at Zegrze Pomorskie AB, Poland. During its active life
with the Polish Air Force, the '8706' was transferred to 3.ELT - 3 Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego, the 3rd Tactical Squadron was a fighter squadron
of the Polish Air Force that was established in 2001 and based at Poznan / Krzesiny airbase. In August 2002, the '8706' was sold to van Vliet Trucks,
Nieuwerkerk aan de IJssel and transported to the Netherlands. The same month, MiG '8706' was offered for sale by van Vliet Trucks. In November 2004,
the '8706' moved to the next owner: Oldtimermuseum De Rijke in Oostvoorne, Nethetherlands. After the dead of the owner of the museum in 2015, Oldtimermuseum
De Rijke closed in 2016, and the collection was offered for sale. In September 2017, entrepreneur T. Verkooyen in Vessem, bought the entire museum collection
for resale, including 205 old-timer cars; 80 old-timer trucks; one Mil Mi-2 helicopter and the MiG-21MF '8706'. On 6 December 2017, MiG-21MF '8706' arrived
at Teuge airfield, where the aircraft was added to the collection of the Koude Oorlog Museum.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
