AERO 86 Patnáctka Letoun MiG-15 v čs. vojenském letectvu 2. díl – Irra Miroslav (2022)

This Czech-language booklet continues the history of the classic MiG-15 in the Czechoslovak Air Force. It follows the major reorganisation of the air force in 1958 and its material and personnel consequences into the 1960s, when operations, particularly with the original MiG-15s, gradually declined and newer supersonic aircraft entered service. The MiG-15SB fighter-bomber version, converted from aircraft originally designed solely as fighters, remained in service, alongside a small number of MiG-15T aircraft used for target towing. The book also describes an experiment intended to provide a sufficient reserve of pilots in the event of war. Pilots with basic training in Svazarm were retrained on the MiG-15 and given further training with combat units, after which they were expected to remain reserve pilots and attend regular refresher training. In practice, the plan proved unrealistic, particularly because of their position among professional military pilots and their limited opportunities for further professional development. The introduction of increasingly complex and demanding equipment also made it difficult to maintain the required level of training. The final section examines the MiG-15 from a technical perspective, including its armament and the shooting training of pilots at the time. It also lists all aircraft supplied from the Soviet Union and produced under licence, as well as the Czechoslovak modifications to the MiG-15SB and MiG-15T, the aircraft converted in this way, and the development and tactical and technical characteristics of the MiG-15SB’s rocket armament.