Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 facts for kids

A MiG-19

The MiG-19 Farmer was a fast fighter aircraft built in the Soviet Union by a company called Mikoyan. It took its first flight in 1953 and started being used by air forces in 1955. This jet was designed to take the place of an older plane, the MiG-17 Fresco. During the Vietnam War, the MiG-19 was used by North Vietnam, but not as much as other jets like the MiG-17 or the MiG-21 Fishbed.

The MiG-19 was the first supersonic fighter jet made by the Soviet Union. This means it could fly faster than the speed of sound! Later on, a newer and even faster jet, the MiG-21, took its place.

Features of the MiG-19

The MiG-19 was a powerful aircraft for its time. It had several important features that made it a strong fighter.

Weapons and Gear

The MiG-19 was armed with three 30mm cannon. These were used to shoot down enemy planes. It could also carry up to four bombs or rockets under its wings. This allowed it to attack targets on the ground.

Size and Weight

This jet was quite large. It was about 12 feet (3.7 meters) high. Its wingspan was around 29.5 feet (9 meters) wide. The plane was 42 feet 11 inches (13.1 meters) long from nose to tail.

When empty, the MiG-19 weighed about 11,397 pounds (5,170 kilograms). When fully loaded with fuel and weapons, it could weigh up to 19,621 pounds (8,900 kilograms).

Engines and Speed

The MiG-19 was powered by two Tumansky RD-9 jet engines. Each engine produced a lot of power, especially when using its afterburner. An afterburner gives a jet engine extra thrust for short bursts of speed.

With these powerful engines, the MiG-19 could fly very fast. Its top speed was about 903 miles per hour (1,450 kilometers per hour). This made it a very quick plane in the sky.

Related pages

• MiG-17 Fresco
• MiG-21 Fishbed
• F-8 Crusader
• F-4 Phantom II