Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F Fresco-C – Red 2047 923rd Yeh The Fighter Rgt, VPAF, Nguyen Van Bay, Vietnam, 1972

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA5910: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F Fresco-C Red 2047
923rd Yeh The Fighter Rgt, VPAF, Nguyen Van Bay, Vietnam, 1972. Production run of 700 models.

Length 6.25 inches Wingspan 5.25 inches

In 1972 the area of Dong Hoi was being bombarded by U.S. ships sitting off shore in the Gulf of Tonkin. MiG-17Fs # 2047 and 2011 from the 923rd Fighter Regiment were modified to carry bombs to attack and destroy the U.S. ships. On April 19, 1972 MiG-17s from the 923rd “Yen The” led by Nguyen Van Bay (B) and Le Xuan Di attacked using 500 pound bombs. The USS Higbee received a hit on the rear turret while the cruiser USS Oklahoma City received minor damage.

The Soviet built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (Fresco) was initially called the MiG-15bis+45? and completed its maiden flight on January 14, 1950 and entered service in 1952. There were five variants of the MiG-17 with the MiG-17F (Fresco C) becoming the main variant. The new Klimov VK-1F engine was the first Soviet built engine with an afterburner and variable nozzle. The installation of this new engine gave the MiG-17F double the rate of climb of previous variants and greatly improved vertical maneuvers. This aircraft lacked radar and was purely a day-time fighter.