MiG 17

Since Airshows don't come around every weekend, I get to watch the list of scheduled performers grow as the show date gets closer.  And when I get so see something new to me, the days can't pas fast enough.

Going to Charleston, there were two aircraft I have not seen before, a FW-190 and MiG 17.  These were targets for me.  The FW-190 will show up later.

For now the shots of the MiG 17.

I am a big fan of the 1940 to 1945 era aircraft.  It's not that I'm not a big fan of all early fighters, I just don't know that much about them.  And the MiG 17 fits the bill.

The MiG 17 had it's first flight in January of 1950, with general introduction in October of 1952.  That's probably about right for slide rule engineering of the time.  During the years of production, over 10,600 were built.

It's one thing to look at a piston powered fighter and enjoy the engineering.  There is nothing to compare it to today.  As for the jets, we can see the engineering progression.  Although the MiG 17 is a jet, it was designed to chase down subsonic bombers.  As a result, it was not designed for supersonic flight.  It turned out that the jet could fight and did so against US F-4 Phantoms and similar aircraft.  (For the record, I think the F-4 Phantom was the best fighter of the time!)

Anyway, the engineering and design of a Soviet era aircraft is interesting to me.  And after looking at the photos, the one item that caught my interest was the afterburner.  Looks very thin.  My uneducated engine design thoughts are that the fuel is not atomized before entering the burner chamber.  Looks like a dump of a stream of fuel.  In American engines, the fuel is atomized when it enters the afterburner chamber.  Under pressure.  I know this as I worked on J-85 engines - with afterburners.  I remember stuff.

The MiG 17 shots.

MiG 17 On Approach

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

150 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

MiG 17 in Afterburner

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

330 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

MiG 17 Tower Fly By

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

450 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 180

EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX

MiG 17 Top View

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

450 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100

EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX

Hopefully there will be another time with more lens power for closer shots.  But for now, these will do.