The Modelling News: Handbags at ten paces! Mig-15 Fagot Vs Fagot bis - Two new-tooled kits from Bronco in 48th scale...

“You’re cheap and you’re haggard”. is not the words we would use for these two newly tooled fagots from Bronco Models. We look at the Mig-15 from the Korean Conflict and the Mig 15 Bis and what features are for which airframe in our new item preview...

A new pair of Mig-15's in 48th from Bronco

The subject: Mikoyan MiG-15 “Fagot”
The MiG-15 is the first swept-wing jet fighter produced by the former Soviet Union and the world's first practical jet fighter.

In March 1946, the former Soviet Union government instructed the major aircraft design bureaus to develop a light, highly manoeuvrable, high subsonic jet fighter. To this end, the Mikoyan Design Bureau selected a newly designed jet engine and adopted a swept-back wing layout to successfully design the MiG-15 aircraft. NATO gave it the nickname "Falcon" (Falcon), perhaps because it shares the same name with the West itself for many aircraft, and later changed to the derogatory "Fagot" (Fagot).

On December 30, 1947, the newly designed prototype took off for the first time, code-named -310. After flight testing and modification, the new aircraft was put into mass production in August 1948 and was named MiG-15. In October of the same year began to equip troops. On May 20, 1949, the Politburo of the Soviet Union decided to cancel the production plan for jet aircraft such as La-15, Yak-17 and Yak-23, and fully develop MiG-15 aircraft. By 1956, more than 17,000 aircraft had been produced.

Our People's Air Force began to equip MiG-15 aircraft at the end of 1950. During the Korean War, young pilots of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Air Force flew MiG-15 aircraft in the skies of North Korea, shocking the world. Western military experts also have to admit that the MiG-15 is a fighter with excellent manoeuvrability. In the homeland air defence operations, the People’s Air Force used the MiG-15 aircraft to shoot down the U.S. Air Force’s B-19, PB-4Y, F4U, PBM-5A and the Kuomintang Air Force’s F-47, P-2V and other invading aircraft.

The MiG-15 (No. 08) aircraft on display at the China Aviation Museum was once piloted by Li Han. It was the first record for the Volunteer Air Force to injure and shoot down US Air Force jet fighters during the Anti-US Aid Korea. Zhao Baotong drove a MiG-15 (unit 25) in the North Korean air battle, and shot down and wounded 9 enemy aircraft. He was the only first-class combat hero to have won special merits twice. The aircraft they used are typical weapons in major battles in history and are important national cultural relics.

Mikoyan MiG-15 bis “Fagot-B”
The MiG-15bis is an improved version of the MiG-15 aircraft produced in the former Soviet Union. In view of the success of the MiG-15 aircraft design, the Mikoyan Design Bureau quickly improved it. The improvements include: increasing engine thrust; improving aircraft equipment and control systems; strengthening local aircraft structure to adapt to flight speeds The increase. The improved prototype flew for the first time in September 1949 and was put into production in 1952, named MiG-15bis. "Bis" is derived from Latin and means "again", which means "an improved version derived from the prototype". NATO uses the code name "Fagot".

The MiG-15 Bis and MiG-15 have little difference in the shape of the aircraft. However, the MiG-15bis aircraft produced after 1953 added the instruments and equipment required for night and complicated weather flights, so under their wings are equipped with black "π" antennas with radio altimeters. The presence or absence of this antenna can be used as one of the signs to distinguish the above two models.

In 1952, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army Air Force began to equip MiG-15 Bis aircraft. For this reason, the United States was forced to put its best F-86 Sabre fighter into the Korean battlefield. The brave Volunteer Air Force fighters, with their weapons in hand, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy aircraft. For example, Zhao Baotong shot down 7 enemy planes (3 of which were F-86) and damaged 2 enemy planes, setting a record for the People’s Air Force to shoot down enemy planes. His squadron shot down and wounded 17 enemy planes.

The Northeast Military Region awarded the title of "Hero Squadron"; Liu Yudi shot down and wounded 8 enemy aircraft, and also shot down 4 enemy aircraft in a battle; Wang Hai not only shot down and injured 9 enemy aircraft personally, but also the flight he led The brigade created a collective battle that shot down and wounded 29 enemy aircraft; Zhang Jihui killed Davis, the ace pilot of the US Air Force. There are many other heroes' achievements, together with the MiG-15 bis planes they fly, which will always remain in people's hearts.

This new kit from Bronco Models
These two new kits follow the forms of the Mig 15, and the export version the Mig 15 Bis. Bronco has given us a CAD diagram series of the differences between their two new Fagots: