Whats a Mig-21 Bis or MF?

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Is there a difference between a MigG-21MF and Mig-21/Bis?

Thanks for your time.

Bwog

2

Very definately a difference. The MF was the last of the so called 3rd generation of the 21, while the bis was the first of the 4th generation. Most of it was internal, lighter weight titanium airframe, RP-22SMA Sapfir radar replaced the RP-22S thereby giving the bis a limited “look down, shoot down” capability, a newer version of the R-23-330 Tumansky engine increased the thrust from 14,308 lbs to 15,635 lbs by using an improved afterburner system. Much of the avionics was borrowed from the Mig-23 Flogger. The biggest external difference that would be a concern to the modeler is that the dorsal spine fairing is a little bit wider and went past the leading edge of the vertical fin to nearly touching the rudder vs the MF where it barely got past the LE of the fin. The Fujimi 1/72 Mig-21MF Fishbed J is actually a bis Fishbed L. The last major variant of the Mig-21 was the bis SAU or Fishbed N. The only external difference from the L is the addition of the RSBN-2S (NATO = Swift Rod) Instrument Landing System ILS antenna under the nose and on top of the fin. These look like a smal pitot tube. The one on the fin faces backwards.

Darwin, O.F. [alien]

3

Darwin,
Thank you, that was a very complete discription. thanks for your time. From what you’ve said and a closer look at the spine fairing I believe the Academy “Mig-21mf” is closer in detail to a Bis. Works for me, because the decals im interested in specify a bis.

Thanks again and I printed off your comments and put in my stack of references…your know a reference resource.

V/r, BWog

4

yeah. It is a well known fact that the acdemy kit is actually a bis rather than an MF. good luck with the kit.

5

I heard somewhere that the literal translation of “bis” means “again”. Is that true?

E.

6

I don’t think that you should translate it that litteraly. I think it’s more like “second” for instance the I-15, followed by the I-15 Bis (also known as I-152), followed by the I-15 Ter (also known as I-153)

7

Bis comes from ancient greek, although was used by the Romans as well. It’s an ordinal number.

In theaters (opera) it is - or used to be - comon to ‘shout’ “bis, bis” when you would want to have an ‘encore’ (french for ‘another’). More literally bis, bis would be asking something for a second time.
It’s still used in theaters by people adressing opera’s, or others that seem to have been born in ancient greek times.
So, very literally, it means second. Indeed followed by Ter (3rd), Quater (4th), and so on…

Probably it was the ‘fat lady’ - having trouble singing - that was allowed to name the advanced MiG 21, and couldn;t come up with anything else than bis.

Now where’s the lingo-part of the forum…[2c]
Knowing what bis means, what’s that “exual”-thing…?[:D]