Therefore, the NKAP ordered Lavochkin, Sukhoi, Yakovlev and Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) bureaus to design and develop jet aircraft quickly. As they were aware of the problems with other novel propulsion systems, like ramjets, both Sukhoi and MiG chose to use VRDK booster engine that had been in development since 1942.
Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau presented their design, under the internal designation of I-250 which was a low-wing all-metal aircraft with a monocoque fuselage. The design was of a very conventional nature, except for the cockpit which was pushed very far back, almost to the base of the tail. The two spar-wings had a thick of 10% to preserve aileron control to avoid tip stall. They were fitted with Frise ailerons and slotted flaps and there was a fuel tank containing up to 412 litre (91imp. gal., 109 US gal) and a 100 litre (22 imp gal, 26 US gal) tank in each wing. It had a conventional landing gear with a levered suspension that retracted inwards. The tail wheel retracted aft into the small ventral fin.
It was powered by two engines, as the jet engine wasn't enough to achieve the results ordered by the NKAP. A primary 1650hp Klimov VK-107RV-12 propeller engine and the VRDK jet engine. It was armed with three 20mm Berezin B-20 autocannons, two of them fitted to one side each of the nose and a third one firing through the propeller shaft.
Two prototypes were built, the first one armed and the second one unarmed and both were tested until July 1945 when the order for the pre-production aircraft was placed shortly after, in September 1945 at Factory No.381, in Moscow. The order was to have at least five aircraft made by the end of the year, but by December only one of them was delivered as the engines weren't completely ready yet. In spite of the production problems, the aircraft was submitted for state acceptance trials under the designation of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-13 but the production order associated to the tests acceptances with a deadline of 5th July 1946 was stymied again as the airframes were completed but not the engines. On 8th August the first production MiG-13 flew for the first time, but they had some engine seal failures which forced them to make reparations which made it to miss the acceptance trials. Later, on 15th September it was handed to the NII VVS (Air Force Institute) to finally pass the trials and by October all ten of them (the ones they had been able to fully build, complete with engines) were delivered, although one of them was used as a static engine testbed.
Stalin convined a meeting to settle the dispute of the jet fighters and it was decided that the MiG-9 was going to be the main fighter with the Yakovlev Yak-15 relegated to conversion training and familiarization. Due to the access to both British and German jet engines, there was no longer need for mixed-powered fighters, however Stalin himself demanded the MiG-13 to undergo state acceptance trials and keep both designs and airframes even if the programme was already cancelled.
In May 1947 MiG tried to sell it to the Soviet Navy as an escort for their torpedo bombers, with a revised design with increased fuel capacity, however, as by that date there were far better options available, by 21st January 1948 the MiG-13 was declared not having passed the trials. In total, the MiG-13 flew only for two hours and twenty-five minutes and the VDRK rocket engine was run only run for a minute and half during a ground test.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_I-250
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
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