[2020] MiG-21bis: Ultimate Fishbed

: You can find the details for this event on the announcement page [url=https://steamcommunity.com/ogg/236390/announcements/detail/2919981985054288420]here[/url].

The MiG-21bis is the most advanced massively produced version of the renowned Soviet Cold War era jet fighter. Soon, this top performing and highly anticipated jet fighter will make its way into the aerial battlefields of War Thunder with the release of the upcoming update “New Power”!

MiG-21bis, jet fighter, USSR, VI rank.

➕ Climb rate 225 m/s!
➕ Increased flight performance
➕ Very capable both against aerial and ground targets
➖ No countermeasures

With its insanely powerful engine, improved flight characteristics and deadly missiles, the MiG-21bis will not only become the new crowning jewel of the Soviet aviation tree but will also quickly become the new fan-favorite among jet jockeys!



Starting off with the feature that truly makes the MiG-21bis stand out from all its predecessors - namely the engine. Being powered by the Tumansky R-25-300 turbojet engine, generating up to a mind-boggling 9,900 kgf of thrust while afterburning at sea level at Mach 0.9-1.0, the MiG-21bis can reach about the same top speeds as its predecessors (up to Mach 2.04 at high altitudes), but doing this much faster thanks to greater acceleration.

Subsequently, the aircraft’s climb rate has also seen a substantial increase up to 225 meters per second, while constructional changes to the aircraft’s airframe also allow it to sustain higher load factors. All these improvements will become most noticeable to pilots during low altitude dogfights, making the MiG-21bis a much more formidable dogfighter in this combat scenario than its preceding variants as a result.



However, the MiG-21bis didn’t only receive major upgrades to its flight performance; its firepower was also improved! While still carrying the twin-barrel Gsh-23 gun pod as its primary weapon, the MiG-21bis does carry an increased ammunition load of 250 rounds for this weapon. Furthermore, the total number of air-to-air missiles the aircraft can carry was also increased to a total of six, compared to four on the preceding MiG-21SMT.



Lastly, the MiG-21bis receives access to a brand new missile too. While still carrying the familiar R-3R, R-3S and R-60 missiles, the new R-13M missile now also joins the arsenal. Being in essence a further developed modification of the R-3S, the R-13M that possesses a longer range and better agility, allowing it to better track targets. The MiG-21bis also retains access to unguided munitions such as bombs and rockets of various calibers for all those passionate close air support pilots out there.