The initial design for the
MiG-15 had everything but a suitable engine. Russia purchased Rolls
Royce Nene turbojet engines and used it's design to produce the Klimov
RD-45 that powered their new fighter. The MiG-15 entered service in
1949. It came as a surprise how advanced it was when encountered
by Western forces in Korea. It became the staple fighter for many
Eastern Bloc nations during the cold war. Russia built over 8,000 of
the MiG-15, while Poland and Czechoslovakia made additional ones. The
first ones to appear in the hands of private collectors in the US was
in the 1980s. Today, about 20 of these have been imported with about 15
still flyable in the United States. This one is owned by Bill Reeseman,
who also owns the Red Bull MiG-17.
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