russian designation type nato reporting fighter developed years immediately world war reverse engineered german engines categorized generation jet fighter moderately successful suffered persistent problems engine firing guns high altitudes gun gas number different armament configurations tested solved problem different engines evaluated flown prototype promised superior performance total aircraft built including prototypes entered service soviet transferred defend chinese cities air raids nationalist chinese train chinese pilots jet operations quickly replaced known survive development origins february ordered develop single seat jet fighter equipped german engines intended destroy bombers aircraft equipped single millimeter millimeter gun plus millimeter guns detailed directive issued april setting requirements aircraft maximum speed kilometers hour mph sea level speed mph altitude meters able climb altitude minutes maximum range kilometers prototypes ordered ready flight tests march chose pod boom layout new fighter called model product offered advantages improved landing performance better visibility cockpit landing like unfamiliar arrangement landing gear protecting rear fuselage jet exhaust place aircraft armament metal aircraft mid mounted wings prominent air nose wings fitted flaps powerplant comprised soviet manufactured versions engines located cockpit lower fuselage exhaust exiting tail unit steel installed rear fuselage protect exhaust bag type fuel tanks fuselage wing providing total internal fuel capacity gallons cockpit planned armament consisted cannon mounted centerline engine intake bulkhead mounted lower lip air gun provided rounds cannon rounds construction prototypes began late prototype began manufacturer testing december ground testing revealed engine exhaust caused low pressure area rear fuselage caused fighter tilt tail engine tests mounted caused underside rear fuselage steel skin fuselage different expansion heated rear fuselage redesigned eliminate problems march prototype airfield begin preparations flight testing according aviation historian april representatives tossed coin determine aircraft soviet jet fly brought won flight lasted minutes early flights revealed problems stability aircraft vibration problems new articulated twelfth flight partially cured problem aircraft crashed killing pilot demonstration high ranking officials july attachment wing leading edge failed hit horizontal remaining prototypes began flight testing following month preparations november parade commemorating october revolution delayed start state acceptance trials december horizontal second prototype flight pilot able land aircraft safely incident happened prototype february forced tail reinforced aircraft given service designation internal designations small batch aircraft equipped original german engines ordered factory flight testing completed intended parade bad weather forced cancellation assigned participate state acceptance trials programs trials concluded june generally met performance goals set test pilots found fighter easy simple fly defects noted testing engines firing cannon high altitudes gun gas seat fitted air brakes fire suppression system fuel tanks self sealing armor provided pilot despite ordered production factory acceptance tests completed soviet leadership believed shortcomings production batch aircraft single seat fighters seat trainers ordered late participate day parade recognition accomplishment awarded prize seat trainer internal designations prototype converted parade aircraft fuel capacity reduced room second tandem cockpit dual controls fitted allow instructor student communicate air man seat designed germans fighter aircraft delivered january flight testing completed april seats tested air required extensive testing ground ensure proper operation seat state acceptance trials completed june aircraft rejected poor visibility rear cockpit second aircraft completed july visibility rear cockpit improved replacing original larger glass plate canopy panels removing partition aircraft fitted air brakes wings imp gal gal drop tanks hung passed state acceptance trials later recommended production service designation seats extensively tested approved use time aircraft deemed obsolete point building training version order aircraft placed modified single aircraft lacking armament manufactured march april standard armament rounds guns production line shut afterward incorporate desired changes included reinforcement vertical tail improve lateral stability air brakes added wings fuel system improved underside rear fuselage smooth air flow engine exhaust air inside fuselage eliminated production restarted total single completed remainder year fighters trainers scheduled built production disrupted preparations begin manufacture vastly superior later year fighters delivered year production ceased fourth fifth aircraft parade batch flight tests eliminate engine problem late early fitted prominent rectangular hollow barrel cannon nicknamed butterfly allowed cannon fired simultaneously altitudes meters fin shots dangerous debris fin engines additional problem fin hampered directional stability aircraft caused shots attempt fix problem modification production aircraft moved port aircraft apparently successful attempts problem included fitting muzzle brake extending barrel worked alternative engines airframe single lbf replaced pair armament rearranged cannon moved fuselage gun centerline bulkhead ammunition supply increased rounds aircraft intended cockpit overall weight reduced kilograms engine ready testing aircraft development cancelled prototype began flight testing early ordered development versions based engine engines maximum power lbf intended increase aircraft speed mph sea level mph meters directed build prototypes millimeter gun replacing begin flight tests april added millimeter armor plates fore aft protect pilot provided changes aircraft ready flight testing month late use german engines soviet built versions tested manufacturer flight tests completed june fighter began state acceptance trials august engines replaced crashed august second prototype converted fifth aircraft parade batch retained butterfly earlier gun trials given cockpit armor prototype soviet built later engines began flight trials december demonstrated speed mph altitude meters mph meters development work late production aircraft received engine prototype equipped engines cockpit completed june known internally given service designation armament rearranged attempt gun gas problem mounted starboard fuselage port aft gun barrels air intake caused cockpit moved forward slightly gave pilot better view landing number fuel tanks reduced aircraft total capacity remained flight july factory flight tests completed early despite speed mph meters failed state acceptance tests reasons given engines continued flame run low rpm altitudes meters mounts cannon fully developed cockpit low real reason aircraft inferior flight testing engined version imported rolls flow rated lbf armament rearranged attempt eliminate gas problem cannon moved underside fuselage guns moved fuselage gun barrels past lips air construction began late completed prototype engine higher performance modified serve air launched anti shipping cruise missile second cockpit built line trailing edge wing guidance system operator aircraft fitted radars target illumination radar prominent bullet shaped air aft looking radar mounted cigar shaped vertical system intended test mid course guidance system launching aircraft guidance systems missile signals radar received small bullet shaped leading edges wings aircraft served role years missile passed state acceptance trials service flown soviet service fighter regiments 1st 7th 14th 15th based near respectively addition near flew aircraft divisions regiments aircraft transferred china november december air defense training duties 17th defended guarded protected defended shanghai guarded protected units later handed aircraft 6th 7th 12th 14th 16th 17th fighter divisions training complete chinese considered sending korea soviet pressure commanders reported believed better pilots versions prototype built production variant engines prototype cannon moved fuselage prototype engine completed prototypes engines prototype engine completed aircraft modified test air launched anti shipping cruise missile prototype engines seat training aircraft built operators soviet_union soviet air force people republic china people liberation army air force survivors red russia white beijing beijing air space museum beijing china fourth fuselage photographed stored outdoors downtown beijing china near data gordon general characteristics crew length wingspan height wing area weight gross weight fuel capacity gallons powerplant flow lbf thrust speed mph maximum speed exceed speed mph range nmi service ceiling limits rate climb min armament cannon cannon
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9