Straight-Wing Heroes – F-84 pilots battle—and beat!—the MiG-15

The MiG-15 was a robust, simple-to-operate aircraft that, after morphing into the MiG-17, continued to cause heartburn for American fighter pilots well into the 1970s. For many years, this 1954 Chinese-built (Shenyang factory) MiG-15 was flown at many U.S. airshows, as well as flying on contract to the armed services by Paul Entrekin. (Photo by Katsuhiko Tokunaga/Check Six)

The increasing numbers of MiG-15s based just north of the Yalu River in the fall of 1950 caused great concern with the Far East Air Forces (FEAF), and when these sweptwing fighters started coming south of the river in November 1950, air superiority and safety of UN ground troops were threatened. The call was made to bring the new F-86 Sabres to Korea to counter the Soviet-built MiGs. The 4th Fighter Wing was the first...

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