Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 "Fresco" - Top 10 Fighter Aircraft of All Time

9) Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 "Fresco"

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Synopsis: Building upon the successes of the earlier MiG-15, the MiG-17 was a classic fighter all it's own. The system ironed out the high-speed handling issues consistent with the MiG-15 series and introduced a better top speed and top attitude in the process. The MiG-17 proved to be just as effective in the Vietnam War as the MiG-15 was in the Korean Conflict. MiG-17's added a little flair of uncertainty against American pilots in a war where the mighty US warbirds were expected to rule the skies. The close-combat capabilities of the Fresco came into play at short ranges where the missiles and gun-less American fighters were at the mercy of this little machine, supplying American aircrews with a poor kill-to-loss ratio in the process.

Pros: Light and agile when facing off against the portly, missile-minded US Vietnam-era fighters.

Notoriety: Cut American warplanners a new one when squared against US fighters at close ranges. Proved that illegally copying engine designs from the British is okay, so long as your design is the better one.

Total Production: 9,000

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