During the Korean War the US were keen to acquire a MiG-15 for evaluation, offering a $100,000 reward for an example delivered intact. In September 1953 the pilot of this one defected across the DMZ and landed at Kimpo AB. After important intelligence data was obtained from this advanced version, offers of return to its owners in the east were ignored and it was passed to the USAF Museum as long ago as 1957

The former NVA 103 is seen here preserved in Finow, with its German serial 2057 painted out.

On display in the Korean War Gallery at NMUSAF. This early MiG-15bis with an FS-155 landing light on the splitter was flown by the KPAF. A S-13 gun camera is on the upper lip. On 21 Sep 1953, Lt No Kum-Sok flying an armed patrol defected by crossing the DMZ and landed his MiG-15bis at Kimpo Air Base. The U.S. was keen to acquire a MiG-15 and offered a $100,000 reward for the first one delivered intact. The aircraft was extensively tested and then offered back to its "rightful owners", but there was no response to the offer by N. Korea, China or the Soviet Union. It went to the museum in 1957.

ex East Germany Air Force 103

ex East Germany Air Force 103

This is possibly the most valuable MiG-15 ever produced, certainly from an US perspective. During the Korean War the US tried unsuccessfully to obtain a 'Fagot' for technical and evaluation puposes but this example landed at Kimpo AB, South Korea by defecting pilot No Kum-Sok. Subsequently test flown and evaluated an offer to North Korea to hand back the plane to it's 'righful owners' was rebuffed and so instead it went on display at the National Museum of the USAF at Dayton.