MIG-21P / Ye-7/1 / Yb-7/2

The Ye-7/1 and Ye-7/2 were both direct descendants of the Ye-6T. The MiG-21P was therefore a direct descendant of the MiG-21F, with the same R-11F-300 turbojet but a new 170-1 (45-US gallon) fuel tank behind the cockpit. To make the aircraft usable at rough strips the main gear was fitted with bigger wheels (type KT-50/2, tire size 800 x 200), and to shorten its takeoff roll two attachment points were added under rear fuselage for two solid propellant ‘‘accelerators" that could be dropped after ten seconds of burning time. The Ye-7s had the KAP-1 autopilot, but oscillations were damped on the roll axis only.

The MiG-2 IP was the first member of the family without cannons. The new air-battle concept prevailing at that time called for missiles to be the only armament of fighter aircraft It was thought that the consid­erable increase in fighter speed had ended the era of close combat. Confined conflicts such as the Vietnam War would reveal the errors of that doctrine.

The MiG-21P was also the first member of the family to be equipped with a real interception system, the MiG-21 P-13, which included TsD-30T radar (with surveillance, acquisition, tracking, and fire control modes), command receiver, SOD-57M decimetric transpon­der, Vozdukh-l-Lazur guidance system, KSI navigation system, IFF interrogator, and two K-13 IR homing air-to-air missiles. In place of missiles, the MiG-21P could cany unguided rocket pods, bombs, and even napalm containers. For ground-attack missions the pilot had the PKI-1 gunsight, which could also be used in the event of radar failure. The ejection seat was of the SK type.

The Ye-7/1 prototype made its first flight on 10 August 1958, the Ye-7/2 on 18 January 1960. The factory tests, conducted by P. M. Ostapyenko and I. N. Kravtsov, ended on 8 May 1960, and production was launched in June The performance of the MiG-21 P was identical to that of the MiG-21F except for the service ceiling, which increased to 19,100 m (62,650 feet); the climb rate at sea level in clean configura­tion, which was reduced to 150 m/sec (29,530 ft/min); and the landing roll with tail chute, which was reduced to 650 m (2,130 feet). Its maxi­mum operating limit load factor was 7 8