Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque in Bernalillo County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 “Fishbed”
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, August 23, 2021
1. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 “Fishbed” Marker
Our MiG-21 S/N 13-2313, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, single seat, single engine supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It entered service in 1960. The insignia is the Soviet red star on the tail and wings.
The single seat MiG-21 was the Soviet Union's first Mach 2 fighter and has flown in over 50 different Air Forces. During the Cold War, NATO had code names for airplane identification. The MiG-21 was code named “Fishbed”.
During the Vietnam War, 1955-1973, the MiG-21 was as fast as the U.S. jets, more agile than the F-4 Phantom and was a dangerous adversary. There were 15,000 made and at one time a special version held the world speed record (July 1962).
Technical Notes from the National Museum of the United States Air Force:
Engine: Tumansky R-HF2-300 with more than 13,000 lbs. thrust
Maximum speed: 1,300 mph
Range: 870 miles, 1,110 miles with auxiliary tank
Ceiling: 62,000 ft
This aircraft is on loan from the U.S. Air Force Heritage Program
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold. A significant historical year for this entry is 1960.
Location. 35° 3.924′ N, 106° 32.028′ W. Marker is in Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. New Mexico Air Guard, "The Tacos" (a few steps from this marker); F-105D Thunderchief (a few steps from this marker); TA-7C Corsair II (a few steps from this marker); The 100 Foot Tower (within shouting distance of this marker); Trinity Test (within shouting distance of this marker); B-29 Superfortress (within shouting distance of this marker); Silverplate and Saddletree Bombers (within shouting distance of this marker); Redstone (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Albuquerque.
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, August 23, 2021
2. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 “Fishbed” and Marker
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, August 23, 2021
3. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 “Fishbed” and Donors Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2021, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. This page has been viewed 217 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 6, 2021, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.
