Markings for MiG-21bis 1/72
MiG-21bis, c/n 75061904, 2 Fighter Squadron, Taszár Air Force Base, Hungary, 1993
Ground personnel from Taszár Air Base sprayed a special paint scheme on the MiG-21bis in 1992. The purpose of the coloring was to represent the enemy aircraft in training combat. The color scheme shown here is a representation of the aircraft’s appearance at the 1993 International Air Tattoo in Fairford. The aircraft named Capeti (shark) 1904 is currently on display at the Szolnok Air Museum in a similar color scheme to the one it flew in 1992.
MiG-21bis, 115 GIAP, Soviet VVS, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, 1980
Fighter cover duties during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan were conducted by the 115 Guards’ Regiment at the end of 1979. The unit was equipped with the MiG-21bis and was based at Kokaity in Uzbekistan, a Soviet Socialist Republic at the time. Three days into the invasion, the first squadron moved to Bagram Air Base, followed by a second squadron on January 23, 1980. Due to the lack of enemy aerial power, the 115 GIAP became involved in ground support duties together with the 136 APIB. MiG-21bis aircraft of the 115th GIAP used in Afghanistan were painted in green and brown on the upper surfaces at the beginning of the war, with bottom surfaces in a blue-grey shade.
MiG-21bis, c/n 75084300, HävLLv 31, Kuopio airbase, Finland, 1980 – 1981
This aircraft was accepted for service on July 17, 1980, and assigned to 31 Fighter Squadron (Hävittäjälentolaivue 31, abbreviated HävLLv 31). It became the last of six Finnish MiG-21BIS fighters to be modified for reconnaissance tasks. After the modification, the aircraft was assigned to TiedLLv (Reconnaissance Squadron) and following its end of service it was used as a teaching aid at the Technical School located at the Kuopio Air Base. The aircraft is shown as it appeared between 1980 and 1981 before being upgraded by western avionics, which included cockpit instrumentation. Unlike other users, Finland used capital letters for designation of their MiGs, that’s why it is written as BIS here as well.
MiG-21bis, No. 47 Squadron, Iraqi Air Force, Al Hurrya Air Base, Iraq, 1990
The No. 47 Squadron was equipped with the MiG-21bis through the seventies, and over the fall of 1980 scored significant number of kills of Iranian F-4s and F-5s. During the Iran-Iraq war, Iraqi pilots flying the MiG-21bis fired not only Soviet air-to-air missiles (R-3S, R-13M), but also the French R.550. A typical loadout configuration consisted of two air-to-air rounds and three drop tanks. The aircraft were camouflaged according to the period MiG-21 standards developed for export aircraft going to Africa and the Middle East.
MiG-21bis, Free Libyan Air Force, Tobruk, Libya, November 2011
The Free Libyan national army, under the leadership of General Khalifa Haftar, occupied several air bases after its formation, some of which yielded airworthy examples of aircraft abandoned by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. One of these was this one, which was subsequently coded “800” and was flown by pilots of the Free Libyan National Army. The Free National Army, under Haftar’s leadership, added aircraft to their inventory from other airfields (MiG-21s, MiG-23s, Mirage F-1s and Su-22s) and purchased other ones from foreign sources (these again were MiG-21s and 23s, along with Mi-24/35 helicopters). The camouflage scheme of this particular aircraft hails from the days of Khaddafi and was first displayed at Lavex in 2007 in Tripoli. The upper and side surfaces of this plane were in sand, brown and green, the lower surfaces were painted a light blue-grey. The national insignias on the upper surfaces of the wing remained the pre-revolutionary Libyan ones.
MiG-21bis, 797, German Democratic Republic, Holzdorf, 1990
In the mid-1970s, the GDR Air Force began taking deliveries of its first MiG-21bis to bolster its fighter fleet of aging MiG-21MFs and PFMs. German Democratic Republic was to receive 46 aircraft of this type, 14 of which were to be of the “Fishbed-L” variant, i.e., equipped with the Lazur-M GCI (Ground Controlled Interception) guidance system. The remaining 32 were to be delivered in the “Fishbed-N” version with the Polyot-OI guidance system. To distinguish the two variants, the aircraft were designated MiG-21bis Lazur-M and MiG-21bis-SAU in GDR service.
MiG-21bisD, Eskadrila borbenih aviona, HRZ i PZO, Zagreb-Pleso, Croatia, December 2016
The Croatian Air Force purchased forty MiG-21bis fighters and MiG-21UM trainers from Ukraine in 1995. In 2003, eight MiG-21bis aircraft were modernized to bisD standard in Romania. The modernization program included an upgrade of the navigation, communication and IFF equipment. In 2014, another modernization took place involving seven Croat MiG-21bisD/UMD aircraft, along with the purchase of another five aircraft from a repair facility in Odessa. The modernized aircraft received an all-grey camouflage scheme. Aircraft coded 116 received a stylized number 25 on the left side of the fin to commemorate 25th anniversary of the Croatian Air Force.
MiG-21bis, San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, 1990
Deliveries of the most modern MiG-21bis aircraft to the Cuban Air Force began in 1981. A total of eighty (with some sources claiming ninety) aircraft served in four regiments. After completing its military career, aircraft coded 637 was used as an instructional airframe at the Instituto Tecnico Militar in Havana. The aircraft was camouflaged in a green and blue-grey scheme, which was used by the Cubans from the beginning of the nineties.
MiG-21bis, c/n 75080880, 1 Pucki DLMW, Lotnictwo Marynarki Wojennej, Gdynia-Babie Doły, Poland, late 1997
This aircraft was delivered to Poland on March 22, 1980 and was assigned to the 1 Pucki Dywizjon Lotniczy (Air Division) of the Polish Naval Forces. The emblem on the tail surface indicates service with the 2 Eskadra (Squadron) of the Division. The look of the plane evolved over time and in 2001 it flew with a sharkmouth and a tiger motif on the brake chute housing.
MiG-21bis, C2776, No. 26 Squadron “The Warriors”, Indian Air Force, Adampur, 1990
No. 26 Squadron took of Indian Air Force an active part in combat on the Indo-Pakistani border at the end of 1971. At that time, however, they were equipped with the Sukhoi Su-7. Most Indian MiG-21bis aircraft were painted in an overall light grey with only a few being camouflaged with more colors. This particular aircraft was also photographed without the unit badge as well. The camouflage was sprayed over the original light grey surface, which was still visible around the aircraft code on the tail and on the canopy frame.