Red Menace
Brightly painted MiG-17 at the Lone Star Flight Museum
When the Soviet Union fell, the respective governments that arose in the aftermath began selling obsolete military equipment at fire sale prices in an effort to take in enough money to prop themselves up. As a consequence, much of it made its way to the U.S. This one was license built in Poland, was acquired by an American collector, and painted in the scheme of a Soviet air demonstration team similar to the USAF Thunderbirds and the USN Blue Angels.
MiG-17s were used in Korea and Vietnam and performed well in air combat against American and allied jets. They were maneuverable and well-armed, and could fly at high subsonic speeds. The MiG-17 was the world's first production aircraft that had an afterburning engine.
Red Menace
Brightly painted MiG-17 at the Lone Star Flight Museum
When the Soviet Union fell, the respective governments that arose in the aftermath began selling obsolete military equipment at fire sale prices in an effort to take in enough money to prop themselves up. As a consequence, much of it made its way to the U.S. This one was license built in Poland, was acquired by an American collector, and painted in the scheme of a Soviet air demonstration team similar to the USAF Thunderbirds and the USN Blue Angels.
MiG-17s were used in Korea and Vietnam and performed well in air combat against American and allied jets. They were maneuverable and well-armed, and could fly at high subsonic speeds. The MiG-17 was the world's first production aircraft that had an afterburning engine.