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MiG-17s were not used during the Korean War, period. An error or mistake in identity. The MiG-17 went into prodution in 1952. The Chinese were the first ones to use it in combat.
MiG-17s were not used during the Korean War, period. An error or mistake in identity. The MiG-17 went into prodution in 1952. The Chinese were the first ones to use it in combat.
No - the Soviets were giving MiG-15 production priority and the -17 didn't go into mass production until late 1952. Even though some operational "lessons learned" were incorporated into the -17, there is no hard evidence to suggest that the Soviets introduced the MiG-17 in Korea. The afterburning MiG-17s entered production in early 1953.I don't know and I'm not disputing you but, since, as you said, the MiG-17 was in production prior to the end of the Korean war and we now know the Russians did have pilots flying against our forces - isn't it possible (even probable) that they would have "tested" the MiG-17 in combat at that time?
I doubt it. If a MiG-17 would have been used over MiG alley, it would have been flown by a Soviet and would not have been alone. The MiG-15 has "multiple rails" on it's wings and I think it was just a matter of recognition. Early production MiG-17s had the same engine as the MiG-15. Although the refined design gave the airframe more speed, there wasn't a great advantage over the F-86.The first production batch of MiG 17 left the factory in August 1951, and were assigned to combat units, in October 1951, for 'Operational Testing'. Is it possible that this included sending one or two to North Korea, or China? If so, then this could explain the sighting perhaps?
I was born in 1942 .... and so by 1952, when the Korean War was winding down, and I was buying "greatest airplanes" bubblegum trading cards and starting to read comic books, and go to movies .... the Korean war was a very immediate theme ..... I had bad dreams about waves of padded Chinese troops with burb guns coming out of the night.
There was a trading card for the Mig 17. IIRC , not a photo, an artist's rendition, and the aircraft had a purplish tinge to it and a high T tail. It was very much like this aircraft, and not at all like the actual Mig-17 - as it turned out.
MM