Blanchette’s model was a MiG-17PF. Its “F” designation refers to the engine, a Klimov VK-1F. Equipped with the VK-1F, the MiG‑17 was the first Soviet fighter with an afterburner.

Designed at the height of the Cold War, the MiG-17 (Mikoyan-Gurevich) was one of the most iconic fighters of Soviet military aviation. Originally created to replace the MiG-15, which had already shown ...

Hartman fired a burst from his 20mm cannons, striking one MiG-17, which began trailing smoke and crashed into the sea beyond. Johnson, meanwhile, maneuvered behind the second MiG and hit it with ...