Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8


The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8 Utka was a Soviet experimental aircraft. Built of wood, the aircraft was designed and built in 1945 to test the novel canard configuration. It also used a tricycle undercarriage, the first used by the OKB. It was modified to test a variety of vertical stabilizer and wingtip configurations and was later used as a liaison aircraft for many years by the design bureau.

Design and development

Nicknamed Utka, as the word canard is French for "duck", and with the Russian aeronautics term for a canard wing being described as a "duck" scheme, the MiG-8 was an experimental aircraft designed and built by the OKB to evaluate the stability and handling of the canard configuration in conjunction with swept wings. This design has benefits in a jet-powered aircraft as it leaves the rear of the fuselage clear of interference from the jet's exhausts. To test the concept the MiG-8 was powered by a Shvetsov M-11 five-cylinder radial engine, with a pusher propeller.

Operational history

The aircraft was used as a testbed for developing the swept wing of the MiG-15, and afterwards continued to fly as a communications/utility aircraft for the OKB. Being made of wood and fabric, it was very light and reportedly a favorite among MiG OKB test pilots for its docile, slow-speed handling characteristics.