The Mig-21 in the Restoration Hangar at the San Diego Air & Space Museum's Gillespie Field Annex in El Cajon, California.

The restoration of preservation of historic aircraft is at the core of the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s mission, including restorations at its main location and at its Annex at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, just minutes from the Museum’s location in Balboa Park.

Currently, the Museum’s excellent restoration volunteers have taken on a bold new project: a Mig-21.

The Mig-21 (NATO reporting name: Fishbed), is a is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, originally designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union in the late 1950’s. The MiG-21 was a continuation of Soviet jet fighters, starting with the subsonic MiG-15 and MiG-17.

The Museum has a MiG-15 here at the Gillespie Field site which can be seen on the runway, as well as a Mig-17 in the Pavilion of Flight at the Museum’s Balboa Park location. More than 60 countries in four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations seven decades after its introduction. The MiG-21 has also set many aviation records, becoming the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history and the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War.

The Museum acquired it’s MiG-21 in 2003 through joint effort with the Hungarian government, Connie Cole-Reddick, President of Advanced Aviation, Inc., and private donor. This aircraft was retired from active service with the Hungarian Air Force in 2001. The MiG-21bis, very similar to the MF version, was the last and most modern version of the aircraft in Hungarian service.

The Museum’s MiG-21 is currently under restoration to repair and replace corroded metal on the fuselage and wings. Once completed, it will receive new paint and will retain its original Hungarian Air Force color scheme and markings.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum’s Annex at Gillespie Field is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The El Cajon site serves as an additional exhibit space for the Museum's growing collection, as well as a storage and restoration facility. Located at the northeastern corner of Gillespie Field, visitors can view various aircraft, including many examples of military jets, private sport aircraft and small racing planes, as well as an impressive display of various aircraft engines. Recent additions at Gillespie are the S-3 Viking, the P2 Neptune, and Baron Hilton’s Staggerwing.

To learn more, visit: https://sandiegoairandspace.org/visit/gillespie-field-annex