MiG I-224

Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB · Soviet Union · first flew 1944 · fighter

The MiG I-224 was a Soviet single-seat high-altitude fighter prototype developed in 1944 to intercept high-flying German reconnaissance aircraft, featuring a pressurised cockpit and a powerful supercharged engine.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsMid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage8.9 m fuselage
T — TailConventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Elegant tapered mid-wing layout with a long, smooth engine cowling housing the supercharged inline engine; pressurised teardrop canopy differentiates it from standard MiG fighters of the period.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The I-224 was part of a series of Soviet high-altitude piston fighter experiments driven by the threat of German high-altitude reconnaissance. It achieved exceptional speed for a piston aircraft of its era but the programme was overtaken by jet propulsion.

Variants

Related high-altitude MiG prototypes of the period included the I-222 and I-225; the I-224 represented an intermediate step.

Where you'll see it

Never entered operational service; strictly a prototype.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.