The Mysterious Fargo Wasn't As Bad As We Think. And It Could Fire Its Guns (Sometimes)

Talk to any aircraft enthusiast about early MiGs and they'll doubtless be able to recall many details about the MiG-15 in Korea, the MiG-17 in Vietnam. They might even know something about the enigmatic MiG-19.

But there was a fighter before all of these legendary aircraft. The MiG-9 Fargo is a mysterious aircraft in the West. Very little footage has ever surfaced about it from Russia or China. Only basic information is available. It is the jet fighter that couldn't fire its guns. As if that was unique to the Fargo.

What is sure is that without the MiG-9 there probably would have been no MiG-15. It's appearance as the first Soviet jet fighter gave the Mikoyan and Gurevich OKB the brand they needed to win subsequent competitions and emerge as the preeminent maker of Soviet combat aircraft in the Cold War.

In this video I sift through the facts and myths about the MiG-9. I also try and answer the question that's long bugged me: did it ever fight in Korea?

I hope you enjoy this one. Making it felt like a long process!