MiG-21

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames include: Balalaika, because its planform resembles the stringed musical instruments of the same name; Ołówek, Polish for "pencil", due to the shape of its fuselage, and; Én bạc, meaning "Silver Swallow", in Vietnamese. 

MiG-21
Romanian MiG-21 Lancer-C in flight
Role	Fighter and interceptor aircraft
National origin	Soviet Union
Design group	Mikoyan-Gurevich
First flight	14 February 1956 (Ye-2)
Introduction	1959 (MiG-21F)
Status	In service
Primary users	Soviet Air Forces (historical) Indian Air Force Croatian Air Force Romanian Air Force Serbian Air Force
Produced	1959 (MiG-21F) – 1985 (MiG-21bis)
Number built	11,496 (10,645 produced in the USSR, 657 in India, 194 in Czechoslovakia)
Unit cost	MiG-21FL (Indian version): $ 2 million (1974)
Variants	Chengdu J-7

Approximately 60 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations six decades after its maiden flight. It made aviation records, became the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history, the most-produced combat aircraft since the korean war and previously the longest production run of a combat aircraft (now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon). It's also one of the earliest examples of planes capable of performing the Cobra maneuver.