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In Nov. 1950 when the Russian-built MiG-15 was introduced into battle by the Communists, U.N. forces were startled by its advanced design and exceptional performance and hoped one of the planes could be acquired for technical analysis and flight evaluation. However, MiG-15 pilots were very careful not to fly over U.N. territory where they might be forced down.

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In Apr. 1953, the U.S. Far East Command made an offer of $100,000 for the first MiG-15 delivered intact. No enemy pilot took advantage of this offer and when the Korean Truce went into effect on July 27, 1953, the U.N. still had not acquired a MiG-15 for flight-testing.

On Sep. 21, 1953, personnel at Kimpo Air Base near Seoul, Korea were surprised to see a MiG-15 suddenly land downwind and roll to a stop. The plane was piloted by a 21-year old Senior Lt. Kum Sok No of the North Korean Air Force who had decided to fly to South Korea because he "was sick and tired of the red deceit."

Shortly after landing at Kimpo AB, the young pilot not only learned of the $100,000 reward, but also that his mother had been safely evacuated from North to South Korea in 1951 and that she was still alive and well.

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The MiG-15 was taken to Okinawa where it was first flown by Wright Field Test Pilot, Capt. H.E. "Tom" Collins. Subsequent test flights were made by Capt. Collins and Maj. C.E. "Chuck" Yeager. The airplane was next disassembled and airlifted to Wright-Patterson AFB in Dec. 1953 where it was reassembled and given exhaustive flight-testing. The U.S. then offered to return the MiG to its rightful owners but when no country claimed the plane, it was transferred to the USAF Museum in 1957.

At his request, No came to the States, changed his name, and became a U.S. citizen. He graduated from the University of Delaware, he was joined by his mother, and he was married. Interestingly, just below the gunsight on Lt. No's MiG-15 was the following admonition in red Korean characters: "Pour out and zero in this vindictive ammunition to the damn Yankees."

PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT COURTESY OF THE AIR FORCE MUSEUM

 

The Flight To Freedom

America's First MiG

Officially, the Korean War was all but over. All sides were discussing terms at the peace table. Forces on both sides of the 38th Parallel were ready but not engaged in combat.

 

It was the morning of September 21, 1953. For Lt. Kum Sok No, a 21-year old, elite North Korean Air Force MiG pilot, the dawn heralded anything but just another day. As he poured over operational orders and charts, his mind was racing. Today would be the day that he would take his airplane, Russia's finest and most secret jet fighter, the MiG-15, to the South and defect.

As he finalized his flight planning, Lt. No set his mind to the goal of flying his MiG to Kimpo AFB, Seoul, Korea. The base was a good choice, not far across the border. Kimpo was home to the 4th Fighter Wing's F-86 Sabre squadrons and the 67th Tac Recon Wing, flying RF-86s, RF-80s, WB-26C and RB-26C Invaders, as well as base for the Australian contingent, the 77th RAAF Squadron, flying Meteors. It was a risky mission -- if any of the American or Australian pilots spotted his MiG, he would almost certainly be shot down.

Lt. No climbed into the cockpit of MiG number 2057, and quickly completed his preflight checks. He waved for engine start. Before taxiing toward the runway, he glanced beneath his gunsight and saw the red letters of the words written there, "Pour out and zero in this vindictive ammunition to the damn Yankees."

He pushed forward the throttle -- not today, there would be no combat with the Americans.

 

Heading South
 

Once airborne, Lt. No headed south with a vengeance. He didn't know that the United States and United Nations had made an offer of $100,000 to any pilot who would defect with a MiG. Instead, his reason for leaving was simple: he was "was sick and tired of the Red deceit."

 Suddenly, he broke formation and dove for freedom. With Seoul only about 50 miles south of the DMZ, he flashed into UN territory at top speed. At more than 550 mph, the MiG was flying south at a rate of about one mile every six seconds -- it would be just four tense minutes after crossing the border. He spotted Kimpo AFB and came straight in, ignoring the traffic pattern. He actually landed downwind, opposite the direction of the pattern -- if an F-86 had been on the runway, they would have collided. He landed hot and fast, but he had made it -- he was on the ground.

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He pulled the plane off the runway and was surprised to see a ground crewman, mistaking the MiG for an F-86, wave him in toward the ramp. Ignoring the signal, he shut down the engine and stood up in the cockpit, his arms held up to surrender.

Across the base, dozens of pilots and aircrews had seen the MiG. They knew exactly what it was. Now, they were piling into Jeeps and trucks and careening across the base for a closer look. Many brought their cameras, eager to capture a moment of history on film. The excitement of the moment was palpable.

The control tower at Kimpo was already in action. The pilots in the two ready F-86s on the ramp called in that a MiG had just landed. The tower scrambled everything they had. Within minutes, the entire 4th Fighter Wing was airborne, as was the 77th RAAF Squadron of Australian Meteors. The squadrons took off one after another and established an extensive combat air patrol to defend the skies around the base. Shortly thereafter, other squadrons and wings from other bases were scrambled as well. There would be no opportunity given to the Soviets or North Koreans to attack and destroy the MiG on the ground at Kimpo.

 Despite the scramble of the base's fighter squadrons, Kimpo itself was abuzz. Four personnel from the base recon squadrons were already beside the MiG, having arrived even before the Air Police. Now, seeing the flashing lights of the approaching APs, they piled back into their Jeep and drove off, leaving the stunned pilot still standing in the cockpit, hoping to surrender to somebody. Ground crewman were heading to the plane as fast as they could. One of the 11th Tac Recon pilots, Lt. Gene Johnson, was riding his bicycle down a nearby taxiway and when he saw the MiG. He pedaled up and was one of the first there, even before the MiG pilot had stepped out of the plane. It wasn't long before a small crowd had gathered.

The Air Police quickly secured the area, took the pilot away, and moved the plane into a nearby hangar to hide it from the North. Of the numerous photographs taken at the scene, the Air Police did an excellent job of stripping film. Forty years later, the Wright-Patterson AFB Museum had but one photograph of the plane as it appeared right after it landed. This one shot, taken at a distance from a passing truck, gave but a blurred account of the MiG on the ground.

The ultimate prize was in hand -- America's first MiG, primed and ready for study and evaluation. Incredibly, the plane still had fuel on board and its guns were fully loaded. In effect, the MiG was a frontline, combat-ready airplane -- a unique windfall. Within the day, the MiG was gone. A cargo plane was brought in to fly it to Okinawa for testing.

 

Test Flights In Okinawa

 

Let's See What She'll Do

With the MiG-15 safely at Okinawa, its markings were stripped off and USAF insignia and numbering applied. Taking no chances of an in-flight accident, the USAF flew in its two best test pilots to evaluate the plane's performance, flight characteristics, and capabilities. The MiG-15 would be extensively studied and compared against America's leading jet fighter, the F-86 Sabre.

 The top two Wright Field Test Pilots, Capt. H.E. "Tom" Collins and Major C. E. "Chuck" Yeager, the man who had been the first to break the sound barrier just six years before, were selected for the job. Collins flew the plane first, then Yeager. Initial reports were made and performance data collected, but more detailed study would be required.

Initial testing lasted several months, with comparisons against the F-86 at varying altitudes. Fuel consumption, payload, rough performance tables and other data were assembled. Its cannon were test fired to determine muzzle velocity and range. As quickly as possible, the lessons learned were passed to the operational squadrons. A film and discussion program traveled throughout Korea to disclose the plane's performance and weaknesses.

 With this accomplished, even more detailed data was called for. In December, with utmost secrecy, the plane was again disassembled and airlifted to Wright-Patterson AFB. At WPAFB, the plane went through incredibly exhaustive flight testing. Every corner of its performance was analyzed and recorded, every bolt, spar, and control cable was examined, every system tested and researched. Lessons learned were shared with American pilots worldwide and passed to the aircraft industry to help define the country's next generation "century" fighters, the F-100, F-102, and F-104.

BASIC PERFORMANCE:
Maximum speed: 670 mph
Cruising speed: 525 mph
Range: 500 miles
Service Ceiling: 51,000 ft.

 

The Lessons Learned

 

Performance & Characteristics

The findings were amazing. In almost every respect, the MiG-15 was equal to the nation's top fighter, the F-86. It was a better dogfighter, with an edge in maneuverability and excellent acceleration. Its top speed, however, was slightly less than that of the F-86. USAF pilots who had fought the plane often rated it a match for their Sabres, but now, with one in hand, the USAF had the opportunity to determine where the differing performance of the two planes could be used to advantage.

Among the items discovered, the MiG's cockpit heating and environmental systems were poor. If the pilot was forced to dive rapidly from high altitude to the deck, the canopy would fog up, limiting visibility. Additionally, the comfort level of North Korean and Russian pilots at high altitudes would hamper their fighting ability.

Putting the plane into a vertical dive was found to be deadly. Yeager was almost killed when controllability was lost during steep dive tests. So, the word was passed to the American fighter squadrons: engage the enemy in the high altitudes and cold. And if you have run, dive away rapidly.

The only problem with the tests was the American test engineers and crews were extrapolating the performance and systems of a single plane to the entire fleet. This was a known risk, but engineers felt that with close evaluation of varying models, they would be able to predict performance changes.

 

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The risk came to light many years later, after the fall of the Soviet Union. Other MiGs and MiG pilots were now more routinely available for analysis and even outright purchase. The MiG-15, now seriously out of date, was of little interest, but one fact emerged: the MiG that arrived at Kimpo that day was not quite perfect. Its cockpit heating and environmental system were broken -- indeed, the other MiG pilots in the world always would remember the -15 as one of the most comfortable planes to fly at altitude, well designed and with great heating system.

As for the problems encountered in the dive, these proved absolutely accurate. Years later, Chuck Yeager met with a Russian MiG engineer and they discussed this point. The engineer simply couldn't get over the fact the Yeager had somehow survived the dive and had been able to recover control of the airplane. It was a basic flaw of the design, but one which would be corrected in later model MiGs, like the -17 and -19.

Where to See the MiG Today
In the end, America's first MiG was offered for return to the North Koreans or Russians. Neither country claimed the plane and it finally was turned over to the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB for display. Today, you can see the plane at the museum where it is a proud centerpiece in the Korean War collection, right alongside its American counterpart, the F-86.

If you get a chance to look into the cockpit, you'll still be able to make out the Korean lettering of the words Lt. No read under the gunsight during that last mission that September day in 1953: "Pour out and zero in this vindictive ammunition to the damn Yankees."

 

 

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