IN FOCUS
Author and historian Nikolay Yakubovich examines the development and history of the Soviet Union’s heavy-hitting swept-wing fighter, which was among the first designs to be equipped with an afterburning engine
MiG-17
Mikoyan-Gurevich’s MiG- 17 Fresco was a further development of its successful MiG-15 Fagot and was first flown in January 1949.
Despite appearing very similar to its predecessor, there were several important changes. Wing sweep was altered to 45° and area increased to 22.6m2 (243sq ft), while the aerofoil was changed to one more suited to high speeds, with an S-12S section at the wing root and an SR-11 at the tip. The average thickness/chord ratio was 8.8%, which signified a thinner wing than a MiG-15 (although other sources have claimed it was the same). Perhaps one of the more noticeable differences was the addition of a third 100mm (4in) high wing fence, to counter the increased anhedral (from 2° to 3°), while the flap area was increased to 2.86m2 (almost 11sq ft).
The empennage (horizontal stabilisers) was also changed noticeably, with a 45° leading-edge sweep and greater surface area (3.1m2/33⅓sq ft), while that of the vertical fin was also increased, to 4.26m2 (nearly 46sq ft…
