Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI
Mikoyan-Gurevich · USSR · first flew 1949 · fighter
The MiG-15UTI (NATO: Midget) is the two-seat trainer derivative of the MiG-15, recognisable by its raised tandem cockpit with extended canopy. It is arguably the most widely exported Soviet jet trainer and remains the aircraft in which Yuri Gagarin died.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tandem two-seat cockpit with extended, raised rear canopy — the fuselage hump behind the intake is unmistakeable |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tandem two-seat cockpit with extended, raised rear canopy — the fuselage hump behind the intake is unmistakeable
- Nose intake with round profile shared with all MiG-15 variants
- Single ventral fin (or twin short fins on some versions) under rear fuselage — trainers retained this MiG-15 feature
The raised tandem cockpit distinguishes the UTI from the single-seat MiG-15bis at a glance. The hump behind the cockpit is higher and more pronounced than the clean MiG-15. The round nose intake and swept wing are shared with all MiG-15 marks. Against the MiG-17 (a related but distinct aircraft), the MiG-15 family has a shorter, stubbier fuselage.
Specifications
- The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI has a length of 10.11 m (33 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.08 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1015 km/h (631 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flight 1949; produced in vast numbers in the USSR, Poland (as the SBLim-2), and Czechoslovakia (as the CS-102). Exported to virtually every Warsaw Pact and aligned nation. Yuri Gagarin and Vladimir Seryogin were killed in a MiG-15UTI crash in 1968. Chinese licence version is the JJ-2.
Variants
The SBLim-1 and SBLim-2 are Polish variants. The CS-102 is Czech-built. The JJ-2 is Chinese. All are externally near-identical.
Where you'll see it
USSR and export 1950s onwards; some nations operated the UTI into the 1990s. Large numbers survive in museums worldwide; a few remain airworthy in private ownership.
Related aircraft
- MiG-17
- MiG-15
- Mikoyan-Gurevich I-350
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F
- Arsenal VG 90
- Dassault MD 450 Ouragan
- de Havilland DH.112 Venom
- De Havilland DH.113 Vampire NF
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