With all due respect, official NATO designation for MiG-19 was "Farmer", not the "Fake".
The Real Stuff
Development of a combat-capable supersonic fighter began in accordance with the Council of Ministers resolution dated June 10, 1950, under the codename MiG I-350 (M).
The new plane was fitted with 57-degree (25 % chord) swept wings, with four fences each, and powered by one Lyulka VRD-5 axial-flow turbojet rated at 4,500 kg static thrust.
The prototype was flown on June 16, 1951, but the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing because an engine flame out.
The project was cancelled (due to the usual failure of the Lyulka engines) after only five flights.
MiG I-350 (M) technical data
Wingspan: 31 ft. (9.48 m), length: 54.6 ft. (16.65 m), height: 13.4 ft. (4.08 m), wing surface: 400 sq. ft. (36 sq. m), take-off weight: 17,660 lb. (8,000 kg), estimated maximum speed: 771 mph (1,240 km/h), estimated service ceiling: 52,480 ft. (16,000 m).
According to the calculations of the TsAGI, a supersonic fighter would need at least 4,000 kg static thrust to reach Mach 1. The designers only had the option of using two Mikulin AM-5A axial-flow turbojets rated at 2,000 kg thrust each, because the available centrifugal-flow engines were too thirsty and too bulky.
To test the concept, a production MiG-17 was modified (decree April 20, 1951) with two AM-5A turbojets mounted side by side, under the codename MiG-17 SM-1 (I-340).
The prototype was flown in December 1951 reaching 1,193 km/h.
During test program the engines were replaced by two AM-5F with afterburning rated at 2,700 kg each.
MiG-17 SM-1 (I-340) technical data
Wingspan: 31.5 ft. (9.6 m), length: 36.9 ft. (11.26 m), height: 12.4 ft. (3.79 m), wing surface: 251 sq. ft. (22.6 sq. m), take-off weight: 11,500 lb. (5,210 kg), maximum speed: 741 mph (1,193 km/h), service ceiling: 51,168 ft. (15,600 m).
On August 10, 1951, the Soviet Council of Ministers ordered the construction of two supersonic prototypes under the designation MiG SM-2 (I-360).
The wings of the I-350 (M) were redesigned by the TsAGI with 55-degree swept (25% chord), 8.73% thickness, 4º 30’ anhedral and only one fence per wing. The wing surface was also reduced by 11 sq. m.
The first prototype SM-2/1 was flown on May 24, 1952, fitted with 56-degree swept tailfin and 55-degree swept (25% chord) “Focke-Wulf style” T-tail plane.
Tail plane buffet was experienced at high approach speeds during factory trials and the prototype was found to suffer from instability at high angles of attack, entering a deep stall.
The second prototype SM-2/2 had a conventional fuselage-mounted tailplane with increased area from 3.47 to 5.5 sq. m.
During the State acceptance trials, conducted in February 1953 the SM-2/2, it proved to be 380 km/h faster than the MiG-17F and 900 m higher ceiling, although it was inferior in turn radius and time.
The I-360 was barely supersonic and proved unable to overcome Mach 1.045 in level flight and Mach 1.19 in dive because the designers were unaware of the existence of the aerodynamic principle named “area rule”, patented by Junkers on March 1944 and rediscovered by Convair in December 1954.
On November 1953 the Soviets opted for a
brute force solution using two reheated AM-5F turbojets, but these engines had not been designed for supersonic flight and the SM-2/2 suffered turbine blades breaking on September 28, 1952.
The I-360's poor aerodynamic design only allowed it to reach Mach 1.19 with 5,400 kg thrust at a time, when the MiG-17 F reached Mach 1.03 with only 3,380 kg thrust.
Despite the seriousness of the shortcomings deployed by the I-360 prototypes it was ordered into immediate production, as MiG-19, on February 17, 1954.
MiG SM-2/2 (I-360) technical data
Wingspan: 29.5 ft. (9 m), length: 45.6 ft. (13.9 m), height: 13.3 ft. (4.04 m), wing surface: 278 sq. ft. (25 sq. m), take-off weight: 15,055 lb. (6,820 kg), maximum speed: Mach 1.19, service ceiling: 62,320 ft. (19,000 m).
It was expected that the MiG-19 could operate as supersonic interceptor when the afterburners were engaged and that could also operate as escort fighter of the Tupolev Tu-16 and Ilyushin Il-28 bombers using a single turbojet to save fuel, but it was discovered that the loss of one engine would generally damage the other.
Fire was also a problem. Lacking thermic-resistant protection, sometimes the heat generated by the afterburners caused the fuel cell nº 3 to explode.
The production version prototype was flown on January 25, 1954, powered by two reheated Mikulin AM-9B turbojets rated at 3,250 kg thrust each.
During operational trials the airplane reached Mach 1.33 in level flight and Mach 1.44 in shallow dive, but several problems were detected:
-Elevators were inefficient at supersonic speeds.
-Unreliable afterburners operation at high altitudes.
-Poor maneuverability above 10,000 m and 1,100 km/h.
-Poor operation of the ASP-5N gunsight.
In the production version delivered by March 1955, the height of the wing fences was increased almost three times.
A new canopy jettisoning system and one “Martin-Baker style” ejector seat, with face curtain incorporated into the headrest, had been installed on all aircraft.
MiG-19 SM-9 (
Farmer A) technical data
Wingspan: 29.5 ft. (9 m), length: 41 ft. (12.54 m), height: 12.7 ft. (3.88 m), wing surface: 278 sq. ft. (25 sq. m), take-off weight: 16,689 lb. (7,560 kg), maximum speed: Mach 1.44, service ceiling: 57,400 ft. (17,500 m), armament: three NR-23 cannon.
The extreme wing swept of the MiG-19 was prone to stall at low speeds and the high approach speed caused numerous accidents among MiG-17 pilots who were transitioning to the new model.
It was necessary to modify the production lines to introduce numerous improvements to the SM-9.
The new version called MiG-19 S was fitted with a fully movable tailplane (based on the
stabilator of the North American F-86E landed in Korea in October 1952), a third ventral airbrake, new wheels brakes, brake parachute, Mikulin RD-9B turbojets, SRD-3 gun ranging radar and two separate hydraulic systems.
These modifications improved the maneuverability at high speeds and eased maintenance, but the malfunctions of the hydraulic system that powered the
stabilator continued to cause accidents.
The MiG-19 S became operational by mid-1956.
Production of MiG-19 SM-9 and MiG-19 S was 2,300 aircraft only.
MiG-19 S (
Farmer C) technical data
Wingspan: 29.5 ft. (9 m), length: 41 ft. (12.54 m), height: 12.7 ft. (3.88 m), wing surface: 278 sq. ft. (25 sq. m), take-off weight: 19,497 lb. (8,832 kg), maximum speed: Mach 1.44, service ceiling: 65,600 ft. (20,000 m), armament: three NR-30 cannon.