Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 135: MiG-21 Aces of the Vietnam War

MiG-21 Aces of the Vietnam WarIstván Toperczer (Author) , Jim Laurier (Illustrator)Having learned their trade on the subsonic MiG-17, pilots of the Vietnamese People's Air Force (VPAF) received their first examples of the legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter in 1966. Soon thrown into combat over North Vietnam, the guided-missile equipped MiG-21 proved a deadly opponent for the US Air Force, US Navy and US Marine Corps crews striking at targets deep in communist territory.Although the communist pilots initially struggled to come to terms with the fighter's air-search radar and weapons systems, the ceaseless cycle of combat operations quickly honed their skills. Indeed, by the time the last US aircraft (a B-52) was claimed by the VPAF on December 28, 1972, no fewer than 13 pilots had become aces flying the MiG-21.Fully illustrated with wartime photographs and detailed color artwork plates, and including enthralling combat reports, this book examines the many variants of the MiG-21 that fought in the conflict, the schemes they wore, and the pilots that flew them.Published Sep 19 2017Format PaperbackPages 112ISBN 9781472823564Imprint Osprey PublishingIllustrations 70 b/w; 30 colDimensions 10 x 7 inchesSeries Aircraft of the AcesShort code ACE 135Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing