Small, fast, and produced in vast numbers, the MiG-21 served with air forces worldwide and became an enduring symbol of Cold War aviation. Its delta wing and nose intake favored speed and climb over endurance, leading many operators to adapt tactics around limited fuel, visibility, and weapons capacity.
INTERACTIVE MODEL LOADS WHEN NEARBY
2016 / ModernAirframe B
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin · Conventional multirole fighter
HISTORICAL FIELD NOTE
The conventional-runway F-35A combines low-observable shaping, sensor fusion, and internal weapons carriage with the lightest airframe and largest internal fuel load of the three F-35 variants. It entered U.S. Air Force operational service in 2016 and is designed for both air-to-air and precision-strike missions.
PERFORMANCE
SPECIFICATION BREAKDOWN
METRICMiG-21 FishbedF-35A Lightning II
Top speed
Mach 2.05REFERENCE VALUE
Mach 1.6REFERENCE VALUE
Ceiling
57,400 ftREFERENCE VALUE
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
Range
751 miREFERENCE VALUE
1,200+ nmiAPPROXIMATE / PUBLISHED
Archive milestone
Service entry · 1959REFERENCE VALUE
Service entry · 2016REFERENCE VALUE
Nation
Soviet UnionDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Primary role
InterceptorDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Conventional multirole fighterDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Values are concise archive references and can vary by variant, payload, configuration, altitude, operating conditions, and source. Range may describe different published measures where a directly comparable figure is unavailable.
