On a related note, I have a special place in my heart for this beast:

http://www.controller.com/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=1084742

Yuck. Really, you like that thing?

IMO, if you're going Soviet heritage, it begins and ends al-Fresco. :-)

Yes, I really like that thing. Performance at cruise on the Туманскиы Р35-500 is 40.21 kN, which puts it at just about Mach speeds. For $45k.

That. That is entertainment.

$89K is just the acquisition cost. Try getting a part for it.

You'd be better of with the Albatross, even if it is slower. :)

I share your appreciation of speed though.

That particular listing is $45k in this month's Controller. The nearest Микоян parts are sold out of a location in Prescott, AZ. There's a type club in Reno for L-29/L-39s, and it's possible to get parts through a chain there, but MiGs were mass-produced for third world tinpot dictatorship acquisition, with a ready supply of back-compatible parts. There's a reason it was/is the most popular fighter in the world, and that reason is a lot like why Honda is a popular bike.

Either way, it's academic, mainly because you're not getting a jet trainer, I only want to get rated for one and neither of us can afford the fuel besides.

Somebody has done their homework! ;-)

But yes you're correct... this fantasy is reserved for post acquisition day.

That thing may be ugly but it shot down countless American F-4 Phantoms over the skies of North Vietnam. Do not underestimate Soviet tech.

True, but the only thing I was evaluating was what it looked like.

Once you're in the cockpit, all it matters is the performance. I would rather fly a MIG-21 than an F-4. But, of course, if I had enough money I would prefer to fly a SU-27 or an F-16, so that I could have the performance and the looks ;-)