INTERMEDIATE BUILD
ROCKETEER FRESCO
Airfix’s lovely MiG-17F returns as the Polish licence-produced LIM-5 variant, and Mike Williams examines how the basic styrene can be improved.
As one of the most successful post-war Soviet jet fighter designs, Mikoyan-Gurevich’s MiG-17 was coveted by other Warsaw Pact nations, who were keen to upgrade their fighter forces with the latest type.
Poland was granted a licence to build the aircraft in 1955 and, over the following five years, approximately 477 aircraft were produced for both the Polish Air Force use and export sales, notably to neighbouring East Germany. Built by PZL (Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze – State Aviation Works), they were designated LIM-5, which translates loosely as ‘License-built aircraft No.5’.