Specification MiG-21PF 'Fishbed-D' (1962)

Powerplant: one 60.00 kN (22,110 lb st) Tumanskii R-11 F2-300 turbojet with afterburning

Dimensions: fuselage length 12.285m (40 ft 3½ in); height 4.806m (15 ft 9 in); wing span 7.154m (23ft 5½ in)

Weights: take-off ('clean') 7,750 kg (17,085 lb); Max Take-Off Weight estimated around 8,800 kg (19,400 lb)

Performance: max level speed at 13,000m (42,650 ft) Mach 2.05 or 2,175 km/h (1,353 mph); max level speed at sea level 1,300 km/h (809 mph); service ceiling 19,000m (62,320 ft)

Armament: 2 R-13R (AA-2 Atoll) IR air-to-air missiles or two rocket pods, with each up to 16 57mm unguided rockets, carried on two underwing pylons and one 490 liter (129 gal) drop tank carried on the centre line

TABLE 1: Comparison table of most important variants, click

Specification MiG-21bis-B 'Fishbed-N' (1972)

Powerplant: one 69.61 kN (25,650 lb st) Tumanskii R-25-300 turbojet with afterburning

Dimensions: fuselage length 12.285m (40 ft 3½ in); height 4.10m (13 ft 5½ in); wing span 7.154m (23ft 5½ in)

Weights: take-off ('clean') 8,725 kg (19,235 lb); Max Take-Off Weight 10,400 kg (22,925 lb)

Performance: max level speed at 13,000m (42,650 ft) Mach 2.05 or 2,175 km/h (1,353 mph); max level speed at sea level 1,450 km/h (902 mph); service ceiling 17,800m (58,400 ft)

Armament: one 23mm GSh-23L two-barrel cannon with 200 rounds; 1500 kg (3,307 lb) of disposable stores, including up to 4 air-to-air missiles and/or single large-calibre rockets (240mm), freefall bombs (50-500kg), rocket launchers (57mm rockets), drop tanks, gun, camera, recce and ECM pods, carried on five external hardpoints (including centre line)

TABLE 1: Comparison table of most important variants, click