MiG-17 “FRESCO”

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a swept-wing jet fighter first flown in 1950 and produced in the USSR from 1952. Operated by numerous air forces in many variants, licensed production was carried out in East Germany, Poland (PZL-Mielec Lim-6) and the Peoples Republic of China (Shenyang J-5). NATO reporting name “Fresco”.

The MiG-17 design was based on a previously successful Mikoyan and Gurevich fighter, the MiG-15. Both shared the same Klimov VK-1 engine and major design similarities. The major novelty was its introduction of a swept wing with a “compound sweep” configuration: a 45° angle near the fuselage, and a 42° angle for the outboard part of the wings. Other easily visible differences to its predecessor were the three wing-fences on each wing, instead of the MiG-15’s two, and the addition of a ventral fin.

The museum’s Royal Moroccan Air Force MiG – 17F, veteran of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, was brought into the United States in 1983 with the express approval of His Highness, King Hassan II of Morocco. Initially displayed in Mesa, AZ where it wore the colors of the North Vietnamese People’s Air Force, the aircraft was transferred to the Seattle Museum of Flight in 1991. Transferred to the March Field Air Museum in late 2023, MFAM staff moved the MiG south where it has been restored and re-painted in the livery of the Royal Moroccan Air Force.

First Flight – January 14, 1950

First Use – October 1952

Crew – One

Wingspan – 31 ft. 7 in.

Length – 37 ft.

Height – 12 ft. 6 in.

Engine – 1 VK-1F 7,500 thrust with afterburners

Cruise Speed – 664 mph

Maximum Speed – 712 mph

Service Ceiling – 54,500 ft.

Range – 1035 miles

Armament – two 23mm and one 37mm cannons plus bombs

Manufacturer – Mikoyan-Gurevich, USSR

Total built – 10,600, plus unknown number in China.