Fairey Firefly, Ethiopian and Thai users

 

The Fairey Firefly is a British World-War 2 era carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft which was developed by Fairey Aviation Company. With more than 1.000 machines manufactured, the type saw service abroad in service with many countries, among them, the following ones:

• Ethiopia: Although Ethiopia was liberated in 1941 it wasn't until 1946 that the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force (IEAF) was established with help of a Swedish aristocrat. Until late 1940s the IEAF operated only communication and transport aircraft. Fireflies were chosen to form the first Ethiopian fighter squadron thanks to their suitability for defence duties in the high Ethiopian altitudes and temperatures. Initially, Ethiopia ordered 35 machines in December 1950, but only an initial batch of nine were delivered. All of them were stored as Royal Navy surplus at RNAS Abbotsinch and were finally reconditioned at Fairey's factory in Stockport. 
  The first of eight Fireflies F.1 and a single T.2 for the IEAF was accepted at RAF Ringway on 20th September 1951 and was flown to Ethiopia by easy stages. Thanks to the introduction of the Firefly, the first Ethiopian fighter unit was created and was supplemented by some Saab 17 light attack bombers, all of them based at Bishoftu Air Base, 30 milles (48 km) south from Addis Abeba, the capital. 
  Later, as the United Kingdom vetoed any further delivery to Ethiopia, the IEAF turned to Canada and acquired 15 additional Fireflies, consisting on 11 FR.1s, three T.1s and another T.2. It's also probable that a Canadian FR.4 reached Ethiopia as the Canadian Fireflies were ferried to the United Kingdom on board of the HMCS Magnificent in February 1954 and later they were sent to Ethiopia. They served officially until 1957-1958 when the IEAF was supplied with North-American F-86 Sabre and Lockheed T-33 fighters and trainers respectively, though unofficially they were still flying in 1960. Some wrecks were discovered in 1993.
• Thailand: In spite of the Thai alliance with Japan during World War 2, the British aided and assisted in the creation of a modern Thai Air Force in the post-war period. Thailand ordered 30 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVs and 12 Fireflies. The first delivery of Fireflies took place in the summer of 1951, with the batch consisting on 10 Fireflies F.1 and two T.2 trainers. Every Firefly had belonged previously to the Royal Navy and were reconditioned by Fairey in the second half of 1951, when they were dispatched by sea in crates. They were initially bought for the Royal Thai Naval Air Division but they entered service with the Royal Thai Air Force due to political disagreements. In March 1952, the No.1 Squadron, operating from Don Muang, was operational for a brief period of time because in 1954 they switched to American material. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Firefly-F-Mk-I-t6589

3. https://issuu.com/mtaye/docs/the_long_life_of_ethiopian_fairey_fireflies

4. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, various users

 

The Fairey Firefly was a British World War II era carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft that in its TT (Target Tug) version was produced in small numbers from various of the original fighter variants like the Mk.I or the Mk.4. It was exported to various countries, among them, the following ones:

• Denmark: The Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) received two Firefly TT.1 originally converted from the Swedish Svensk Flygtjänst AB. The TT.1 was adopted by the RDAF as the standard target-towing equipment for all their three aerial branches of the Army, Navy and Air Force. 
  The first TT.1 was flown to Copenhagen on 4th October 1951 by Cpt. A.M. Kock. Additional four Fireflies were received from the Royal Canadian Navy one year later in 1952. Those ones were converted to the target-towing role in Denmark using Fairey's conversion kits. They served until 1957 when the three surviving Fireflies were sold back to the Svensk Flygtjänst AB which employed them only for spare parts.
• Sweden: Back during World War 2 the Swedish civilian company Svensk Flygtjänst AB, provided airborne target services for the Swedish Army. In order to fulfil this task, the company looked in 1948 for an effective target-tug and asked Fairey to develop a version of the Firefly. Therefore, Fairey modified 14 Fireflies Mk.I to TT.1 standards by adding windmill-operated type B.Mk.2B winches.
  A total of 12 Firefly TT.1 were delivered to Svensk Flygtjänst AB, being the last two ones diverted to Denmark. Fairey's chief test pilot, Group Cpt. G. Slade, delivered the first Firefly TT.1 by air to Sweden in December 1948. Four further Fireflies were acquired later and served until as late as 1964.
• India: The, back then, newly founded Indian Naval Air Arm bought two Firefly TT.1 which were delivered to Cochin, in the Indian State of Kerala, on 14th February 1955. Three further TT.1s arrived in India three months later. Another five Firefly TT.4 were exported in September 1958.
  Indian Fireflies were used by the 550 Squadron of the Indian Navy at Cochin Air Base to tow drogue targets for the Fleet's anti-aircraft gunnery practices. The TT.4 versions were fully armed with four 20 mm guns and were able to carry offensive stores beneath the wings, in addition to long-range fuel tanks.

Sources:

1. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

3. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Firefly-T-Mk-1-t113116

Fairey Firefly, Canadian users

 

The Fairey Firefly was a British carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft that was developed during the Second World War. It served with the naval arms of various Commonwealth countries, among them, Canada, which is the subject of this post.

In May 1945, after the en of the war in Europe, and anticipating a major naval offensive against the Japanese mainland, the Canadian government accepted a British offer of loaning two Colossus-class aircraft carriers to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). In order to equip those carriers, it was necessary to procure naval fighters and, based upon the feedback of veteran pilots, Canada opted to acquire the Firefly over the other alternative that favoured the acquisition of American fighters.
As an interim measure, the Fireflies were acquired from the Royal Navy while more advanced purpose-built aircraft were being constructed. Therefore, between 1946 and 1954 the RCN employed a total of 64 (65 according to wikipedia). Initially they were based at HMCS Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and they served aboard HMCS Warrior and HMCS Magnificent aircraft carriers operated by the No.825 and 826 squadrons of the RCN. The Firefly AS Mk.V (AS stands for anti-submarine) was ordered in 1949 to meet a NATO role for the RCN in anti-submarine warfare. Those AS.Mk V operated in this role until late 1950s when they were replaced by Grumman Avenger AS.Mk.3. 
Canadian Fireflies were sold to various countries during the 1950s like Ethiopia, Denmark and the Netherlands. Some older FR.I variants were used briefly for training purposes.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. https://www.warplane.com/aircraft/collection/details.aspx?aircraftId=18

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang J-6, African Users

 

The Shenyang J-6/F-6 is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. 

With thousands of aircraft produced, it has been exported to various countries all around the globe, among the following ones:

• Sudan: The Sudanese Air Force had ten (or nine, depending on the source) F-6  in force by 1981. Later, presumably in the early 1990s they were joined by an unknown number of FT-6 trainers and additional F-6 fighters. Nowadays, as December 2019, twenty F-6/FT-6 are still in active service with the Sudanese Air Force.
• Tanzania: In 1973 or 1974, the Air Wing of the Tanzania People's Defence Forces received twelve Shenyang F-6 interceptors and FT-6 trainers. All of them were based at Mikumi Air Base, located 130 km (80 milles) north of Dar Es Salaam, the capital. 
  In 1978, when Uganda waged war on Tanzania, Tanzanian F-6, together with the older F-5, were tasked with engaging any possible Ugandan aircraft, which consisted on the MiG-15 and the MiG-17, while the Chengdu F-7A (the Chinese-built MiG-21) of the Tanzanian Air Force were tasked to deal with the more advanced aircraft of Uganda's allies, namely the Libyan Tupolev Tu-22 bomber.
  Nowadays, three F-6 and a single FT-6 are known to be still in active service.
• Zambia: It's known that by 1991 the Zambian Air Force had 12 F-6C in active. Nowadays, eight F-6C and two FT-6 are still in service. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of this, the drawing should be considered as speculative.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 - The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/187130

4. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/187149

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Egyptian and Somalian users

 

The Shenyang F-6C is a day fighter version armed with three Type 30-1 30 mm cannons, which are a copy of the Soviet NR-30. It's a direct copy of the MiG-19S but it differs in having a braking parachute at the base of the rudder. 

The aircraft has been exported to various countries, among them, Egypt and Somalia, which are the main topic of this post:

• Egypt: When Cairo and Moscow broke up relations in 1976, Egypt turned to China for spares support. China saw the opportunity and sold around 40 Shenyang F-6C fighter-bombers and an unknown number of FT-6 trainers. According to Interavia, Egypt had no less than 100 F-6C and FT-6 in two air brigades, No.241 based at Bilbeis-East Air Base and No.242 based at Beni Suef Air Base, in early 1987. Some other sources claim that Egypt sold some F-6Cs to Iraq which were employed in the Iraq-Iran War.
  Flight International reported that by 1991 the Egyptian Air Force had 72 F-6C and six FT-6s in service. Those surviving F-6C and FT-6s were assigned mainly to the Nos.20 and 21 Squadrons both of which were part of the No.211 Fighter Ground Attack Brigade, based at Gianaclis Air Base, with a reduced number serving as an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) with the Air Force's Academy at Bilbeis Air Base. 
  The F-6C were fitted with pylons for two 100 kg (220 lb) or 250 kg (551 lb) bombs for runaway cratering, ORO-57 FFAR pods or 212 mm (8.34 in) rockets. Some aircraft were even fitted with non-standard trapezoidal blast panels and a number were also upgraded with the Matra R.550 Magic IR-homing air-to-air missile. 
  They served until the mid-1990s when they were progressively replaced by the General-Dynamics F-16.
• Somalia: As the USSR supported Ethiopia at the border conflict with Somalia in 1977-1978, Somalia promptly terminated its friendship treaty with the USSR in November 1977. Therefore, Soviet military aid to Somalia was cut off and, after the Ogaden War, Somalia looked up to China to replace their MiG-17 and Shenyang F-5 that were lost in combat. Hence, from 1980 onwards, the Somali Air Force was supplied with 50 Shenyang F-6C fighters and FT-6 trainers. 
  When Somalian dictator Siad Barre fled the country in 1991, the country fell into chaos causing the Somalian Air Force to cease its existence and leaving most of its aircraft to rot at the different airfields around the country. Nowadays the remaining number of F-6Cs are listed as "in storage" but they are most likely, derelict.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 - The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Air_Force

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Air_Force

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Albanian and American Users

The Shenyang J-6/F-6 is the Chinese-built version of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The denomination of 'J-6' is used for those machines built and serving in China, while the denomination of 'F-6' is used for the exported machines. It has been exported to various countries, among them, the following ones:

• Albania: When Albania broke diplomatic relations with the USSR in 1962, the country went into a self-imposed political isolation with China being their only ally. Therefore, in 1965, after just six years of operations, the MiG-19PMs that operated with the 7594th Fighter Regiment were shipped to China (as China wanted to know about Soviet radar technology which they couldn't acquire firsthand) and were traded back for 12 new but radarless and cannon-armed Shenyang F-6 fighters.
  Eventually, 17 F-6s were delivered some of them being, according to some sources, the Shenyang F-6C version which has a braking parachute at the base of the rudder and the JJ-6/FT-6 version which is the two-seater trainer variant.
  Albania's relationship with China also deteriorated in 1978 and, hence, spares supplies were cut off. Facing the serious problem of a total unserviceability the Albanian Air Force had to start manufacturing vital airframe components and engine parts at the Aviation Maintenance Unit in Kucovë Air Base at Berat.
  According to Euromil, the Albanian Air Force had 24 Shenyang F-6 in service in as late as 1995. However, by early 2000s they were all written off except for the FT-6 trainers.
• United States of America: There is no evidence of any Shenyang F-6 flying with the United States Air Force. However, the US Aviation Museum had an unarmed F-6A (Shenyang's equivalent to the MiG-19P) with fake markings reminiscent of the People's Liberation Army Air Force at Chino, California.
  This aircraft was later repainted mimicking the Egyptian camouflage pattern and was given Egyptian markings and codes too. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. https://www.valka.cz/Sen-jang-J-6-kod-NATO-Farmer-t42341

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-12

The Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-12 was the internal denomination that Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB (Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau) gave to a series of four new prototypes for a new fighter that would replace the MiG-19. All of them were built at the Moscow's Aircraft Factory No.155. 

This new fighter design was an evolution of the basic MiG-19 which evolved, by a process of incremental modification as a point-defence interceptor with a mixed-power plant.

When the MiG-19 entered officially service with the VVS (Soviet Air Force), Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB kept on refining their SM-1 (I-340) design which dated back to 1951. The SM-12 was initially an exercise in drag reduction by using new air intake configurations. The first three prototypes (SM-12/1 to SM-12/3) were basically MiG-19S with an extended and straight-tapered nose with a sharp-lipped orifice and a pointed, two-position shock cone in the intake splitter. 

The third prototype differed from the rest in having a different engine. The previous two ones were powered by a pair of Tumansky RD-9B with 2.600 kg (5.732 lb) of thrust power. The third was, however, powered by a Sorokin R3-26 which offered the same amount of theoretical thrust power, but had more afterburning power. Thanks to this extra power, the SM-12/3 could achieve speeds of 1.430 km/h (888,56 mph - mach 1,16) at sea level and 1.930 km/h (1.199 mph - mach 1,56) at 12.000 m (39.370 ft) high. In some tests it even achieved a mach of 1.8 (2.222 km/h - 1381 mph) at an altitude between 17.500 m (57.415 ft) and 18.000 m (59.055 ft) high. Those impressive numbers prompted for the creation of a new point defence interceptor and was even tested with armament.

In a similar way, powered by the R3-26 engine, embodying a nose redesign with a larger orifice which allowed for the installation of a TsD-30 radar in a two-position conical centrebody, another prototype was produced under the name of SM-12PM. This one, unlike its predecessors, discarded the NR-30 cannons at the wing roots and was armed with two beam-riding K-5M air-to-air missile. It entered flight testing in 1957 and, in the end of 1958 it was joined by another prototype, this time called SM-12PMU. This PMU had its R3M-26 engines uprated to 3.800 kg (8.377 lbs) of thrust power with afterburning and augmented by a U-19D accelerator which, just like in the case of the of the MiG-19PU, took the form of a permanent ventral pack containing an RU-013 rocket motor with its propeller tanks. It was developed by D.D. Sevruk and the RU-013 could develop an additional thrust power of 3000 kg (6.614 lbs) of thrust power. With the aid of this ventral pack the SM-12PMU achieved an altitude of 24.000 m (78.740 ft) and a speed of mach 1,69 (2.086 km/h - 1296 mph). However, by the time this test was performed, the decision of manufacturing the Ye-7 (the prototype of the MiG-21) was already taken and the SM-12 was therefore, discontinued.

Anyway, many aspects of the SM-12 were carried over to the MiG-21 and its many variants.

Sources:

1. http://www.aviastar.org/air/russia/mig_sm-12.php

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19

3. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-SM-12-t826

4. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. Soviet experiments and prototypes

During its career with the VVS (Soviet Air Force), the MiG-19 was used as a testbed for various projects and prototypes. Some of them ended up being mass-produced, while others didn't go beyond the prototype stage.

The ones we're dealing with on this post are the following:

• Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-9/2: This, together with the SM-9/1, was the initial prototype for the MiG-19 (sans suffixe) and MiG-19S series. A single prototype was produced by Moscow's Aircraft Factory No.155. Work on it started in 1953 but it wasn't finished until 5th February 1954 when it flew for the first time. 
  It was powered by two Tumansky RD-9B which offered 5.732 lb of thrust power.Although initially unarmed, later it was armed with a single 23 mm NR-23 cannon in the nose plus another two NR-23 cannons placed in the wing roots. It also had hardpoints for two ORO-57K rockets, two bombs or additional fuel tanks.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-9/3: This aircraft was the prototype for the MiG-19S version. It flew for the first time on 27th November 1955 though its production was started one year earlier. It was powered by the same engine as the SM-9/2 but it was armed with more powerful 30 mm NR-30 cannons. One in the nose and two in the wing roots. It also was equipped with a Svod long-range navigation receiver and served as the basis for the MiG-19S which was produced from 1956 onwards with some additional improvements. It could carry the same payload as the SM-9/2.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-7: This designation was used for the three prototypes of the MiG-19P all-weather interceptor. They were produced concurrently with the SM-9 in 1954 andthe first machine, SM-7/1, flew for the first time on 28th August 1954. It was powered by the same engine as the SM-9 machines and was armed with the same NR-23 cannons placed also in the nose and the wing roots with hardpoints adapted for the same payloads. It was equipped with an RP-1 Izumrud radar in the nose which gave its characteristic 'flat' looking nose.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19SU: AKA Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-50/SM-51. This was a high-altitude interceptor intended to reach the American Lockheed U-2 recon plane. It was equipped with a self-contained liquid booster rocket pack. A total of six machines were converted from MiG-19S fighters in late 1956 (the first prototype took off to the skies on 30th November 1956) and it was armed with just two NR-30 placed at the wing roots. 
  It seems that the project was abandoned due to the inability to control the aircraft at very high altitudes and its tendency to enter supersonic spins.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19PU: AKA Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-52. These were a small series of three MiG-19P fitted with a Sevrook re-usable rocket booster pack in the same fashion as the MiG-19SU. It was also intended to be a high-altitude interceptor and the first prototype took off for the first time on June 1958. It was armed with the same weaponry as the MiG-19SU and, considering it was a converted MiG-19P, it was also equipped with an RP-1 Izumrud radar.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19

2. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-SM-9-t824

3. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-SM-7-t823

4. https://www.armedconflicts.com/Mikoyan-Gurevich-MiG-19SU-t828

5. https://www.armedconflicts.com/Mikoyan-Gurevich-MiG-19PU-t829

6. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

7. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19P & PM, Soviet users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19P was a version equipped with an RP-1 Izumrud radar placed inside a radome in the nose. It's armed with two 23 mm NR-23, late variants being armed with a 30 mm NR-30 cannons placed at the root of the wings. 

The wings were equipped with hardpoints that could carry unguided rockets, one under each wing. It also had an elongated tailfin fillet, all-moving tailplane and a third airbrake added behind the central fin. 

It was produced from 1956 until 1958, though some sources claim its production started one year earlier, in 1955. 

The prototype, the Mikoyan-Gurevich SM7/1, flew for the first time on 28th August 1954 and a total of 433 machines were manufactured at Gorky's Aircraft Factory No.21 with many of them being exported to various Warsaw Pact countries and allies. 

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19PM was another variant of the "P" with its cannons completely removed and armed only with four Kaliningrad K-5M beam-riding air-to-air missiles. A total of 369 machines were manufactured at Gorky's Aircraft Factory between 1956 and 1960.

The type entered service with the VVS (Soviet Air Force) and remained in active service together with the older MiG-17 as it never fully replaced it given to its low reliability. They were involved in many interceptions over East Germany and Warsaw Pact airspace. In fact, the first documented encounter with a Lockheed U-2 took place in autumn 1957. The MiG-19P pilot, reported seeing the aircraft but couldn't make up the 3.000 m (9.800 ft) difference in altitude. Later, when Francis Gary Powers' U-2 was shot down in 1960 one pursuing MiG-19P was also hit by a salvo of S-75 Dvina ground-to-air missiles, killing the pilot, Sergei Safronov in a friendly fire incident. 

They served as the vanguard of the VVS's fighter force from the mid 1950s until early 1960s when they were progressively replaced by the much better MiG-21. Many of them were still active in 1968 when they took part in Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19#Variants

2. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-MiG-19P-kod-NATO-Farmer-B-t12471

3. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-MiG-19PM-kod-NATO-Farmer-D-t766

4. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, Bulgarian users

The MiG-19 was the first Soviet supersonic fighter and it was exported to many foreign countries.
The first country it was exported to was Bulgaria. During late 1957 and early 1958 the Bulgarian People's Army Air Force (BPAAF) received 24 MiG-19S fighters, with the first 12 of them being assigned to the 19.IAP (Fighter Regiment) based at Graf Ignatiev Air Base, close to the city of Plovdiv.
A total of 59 MiG-19S and MiG-19P served with the BPAAF on four squadrons. The 11.IAP based at Gabrovnitsa Air Base, the 19. IAP, and the 10. IAD/21. IAP based at Uzundzhovo Air Base between 1959 and 1970. In some sources the retirement date of the last MiG-19 is set in 1978 as some MiG-19S were reconverted to the ground attack role by replacing their drop tanks with two FAB-250 bombs.
When the 11. IAP was disbanded in 1960 its MiG-19S and MiG-19Ps were transferred to the 18. IAP/ 1. IAE (fighter flight) based at Dobrostlavtsi Air Base, near the capital, Sofia. Additional second hand MiG-19Ps were acquired from Poland in 1966.
Some reports claim that there were also 12 MiG-19PM serving with the BPAAF, which were also acquired from Poland. That would make Bulgaria the first Warsaw Pact country to use the MiG-19 but also the last one to use the missile-equipped MiG-19PM.
In 1969 the MiG-19Ps that were still in service with the 18.IAP/1.IAE were upgraded with two APU-13 launch rails for K-13A missiles, making them the most heavily armed aircraft of the BPAAF with two NR-30, two ORO-57K FFAR pods and two K-13A air-to-air missiles. Those aircraft, known in some sources as MiG-19PT, served until 1975 and were sold, dismantled, to China.
Bulgarian People's Army Air Force's elite unit, 1.IAE of the 19.IAP often made practice interceptions against Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 and Tupolev Tu-16 bombers flying in high altitude training missions.
Given the complexity of the conversion training and maintenance difficulty of the MiG-19, some units retained their MiG-17F, which had still in the 1960s a good reputation of being a fast and agile dogfighter. The MiG-17F was used mostly for low-level combat and battlefield air defence, while the MiG-19s were tasked with all-weather interception of high-flying targets, namely, NATO nuclear bombers which would have to traverse both Bulgarian and Romanian airspace on their way to targets in the USSR.
The MiG-19 wasn't very liked in the BPAAF as it suffered from poor engine reliability. In fact, of the 58 total aircraft supplied, 28 were lost in crashes, killing 15 pilots, making an attrition rate of 48.2%, similar to the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter one, or, in another words, one accident per 1.000 flight hours. In fact, low serviceability and high attrition rate forced the 21.IAP to replace their MiG-19 with the MiG-17F/PF.
Some other sources claim, however, that only one pilot belonging to the 18.IAP/1.IAE was killed when he flew his aircraft into the ground due to de-orientation in clouds and that most non-fatal accidents with the MiG-19 were caused by poor maintenance.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19#Variants

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, various Soviet experimental variants

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 was the first Soviet (and world's) supersonic fighter. As expected, many experimental versions were created, among them the following ones:

• Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-6: Two MiG-19S (according to some other sources they were initially MiG-19Ps, however in the blueprints we consulted, it was clearly a regular one, sans suffixe) converted into testbeds for the Grushin K-6 air-to-air missile which was originally intended for the Sukhoi T-3 interceptor which never went beyond the prototype stage. 
• Izdeliye SM-21: In 1956 the SM-2/V prototype was converted for the third time and was successfully tested with the APU-5 launch rails moved outboard to the drop tank hardpoints. Given that the various configurations of the SM-2 were given in Cyrillic alphabetical order, this version should've been called "SM-2/G", but in fact, the aircraft was known by the name given by MiG, Izdeliye SM-21 as a reference to the rockets it carried, the S-21. A funny possible explanation could be that the suffix letter G could be interpreted as "Gavno" (Russian word for "shit").
• Refuelling probe testbed: During the late 1950s various MiG-19s were fitted with aerial refuelling probes. Tests were carried out from Myasischev M-4, Ilyushin Il-28 and Tupolev Tu-16 bombers. At least 10 flights were made with various successful and unsuccessful attempts with one of them ending in an accident. They all were discarded as, by late 1956 it was clear that aerial refuelling was more important for long-range bombers than for fighters. Furthermore, Mikoyan-Gurevich was already working on a new generation of fighters that would outperform the MiG-19 by far, so the idea of aerial refuelling was abandoned.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-20 & SM-20P: In order to verify Raduga Kh-20 missile's guidance system, two early MiG-19 were converted into avionics testbeds and designated Izdeliye SM-20. As those missiles were to be launched from a Tupolev Tu-95 bomber, those fighters were more like missile simulators than real aircraft. The first one was manned, hence the SM-20P designation (the letter "P" in this case stands for Russian "Peeloteerooyemyy" - flown by a pilot) while the second one was remotely controlled. By late 1957 both aircraft had made 27 test flights and the results were optimal so it was decided to remove the guidance system from the prototypes and attach them to the real Kh-20 missiles.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich SM-30: This version was a special Zero-length launch system equipped with PRD-22R short-duration burn booster rocket. It was intended to be able to take off from a tractor vehicle. However, as the system required an airfield for the fighter to land, and G forces were too strong, among other reasons,  the system was abandoned. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19#Variants

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, Czechoslovak users

The Czechoslovak Air Force's combat potential was strongly boosted by the addition of the MiG-19P, MiG-19PM and the MiG-19S which were shown to their top commanders at Kubinka Air Base, in the USSR during late 1956. A deal was signed a year later thanks to which the type was supplied and licensed produced within Czechoslovak borders.
On 11th July 1957 the first group of Czechoslovak pilots and technicians went to the PVO's (Soviet Air Force) main conversion training centre at the time, located at Savasleyka Air Base, in the USSR, close to the city of Gorky (nowadays Nizhny Novgorod) where a manufacturing plant for the MiG-19 was.
In this initial group was Valstimil David, who was Aero's main test pilot, which received the license to locally produce the MiG-19S. Another component of the Czechoslovak group was Maj. Július Zvara who was appointed "customer's inspector" on the Gorky's Aircraft Factory delivery line and test flew every aircraft destined for Czechoslovakia. On 30th August 1957 Maj. Zvara reached the speed of Mach 1.4 (1.728,72 km/h - 1.074,18 mph) while flying a MiG-19P, becoming this way the first Czechoslovak pilot to break the sound barrier.
Later that same year, the first batch of 12 MiG-19S was delivered to Prague Kbely Air Base in crates. After being reassembled and test flown at the Kbely overhaul plant, all of them were delivered to the Czechoslovak Air Force between the 3rd and the 27th January 1958, with a single aircraft more which was delivered later and served as the pattern for the Aero S-105.
At the same time, 26 additional MiG-19Ps arrived at Prague Kbely and entered service between 27th January and 1st April 1958. All aircraft from those two shipments were assigned to the 1. stihaci letecký pluk (SLP - Fighter Aircraft Regiment) 'Zvolenský" which was based at Ceské Budejovice and the 11. SLP based at Zatec Air Base, both regiments being part of the 3. stihaci letecka divizie (SLD - 3rd Fighter Aircraft Division).
The licensed-built Aero S-105 was manufactured at Stredoceske strojírny, in Odolena Voda, from early 1958 (though some sources claim it was during late 1957 - something which we think it's not possible) until November 1961 and, with 104 exemplars manufactured, it equipped the whole 1. SLD which comprised the 4. SLP, based at Pardubice Air Base and began MiG-19 operations on 22nd March 1958, the 5. SLP based at Plzen-Line Air Base and the 9. SLP at Bechyne Air Base. It's thought that some few S-105s were exported to Egypt, albeit it's not confirmed.
The 40 MiG-19PMs ordered by the Czechoslovak Air Force started to arrive in late 1959. They were assembled and flown again between 17th November 1959 and 24th February 1961. These aircraft were also the longest serving MiG-19s with the Czechoslovak Air Force as they were retired on 2nd June 1972. Initially, the MiG-19PMs and their missiles, the RS-2-US air-to-air missiles were so secret and carefully guarded that even regimental commissioned officers could barely gain access to the hangars where missiles were stored.
Every MiG-19PM was assigned to the 5. SLP which became the last operator for the MiG-19 of every type in the Czechoslovak Air Force, collecting MiG-19s of all variants from other units as they were replaced by newer types. The last surviving MiG-19PMs not scrapped on site, were transferred to the Czechoslovak Air Force's reserve and moved to other bases.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19#Variants

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

4. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-MiG-19S-kod-NATO-Farmer-C-t12470

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, Polish users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 was the first supersonic fighter in the world capable of achieving supersonic speeds in level flights. It was employed by many users of the Warsaw Pact and other non-aligned countries.
One of those Warsaw Pact users was the Polish Air Force, which operated three different versions of the MiG-19, the S, P and PM.
It was the first fighter capable of truly supersonic performance throughout the altitude envelope. It was the aircraft that Porucznik (Lieutenant) Roman Operacz was piloting when he broke the sound barrier on 22nd July 1959, becoming that way the first Polish pilot to achieve it.
The first MiG-19P entered service with the 28. Pulk Lotnictwa Mysliwskiego (PLM - 28th Fighter Regiment) 'Koszalin' at Redzikowo Air Base, close to Slupsk, in the Gdansk Voivodeship, during summer 1958. Later the type also equipped the 39. PLM at Mierzecice, in Katowice Voivodeship.
The numbers aren't clear as some reports say that it was 12 or 13 MiG-19 which were delivered, while others claim it were twice as many, 24.
The type was shown to the public on 22nd July 1959 when a MiG-19 piloted by Lt. Roman Operacz took part in the great military parade held in Warsaw due to the 15th anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland. The aircraft pulled into an spectacular climb in front of the spectators' tribunes making to an altitude of several milles. Exactly one year later, Polish Air Forces' MiG-19s took also part in another parade commemorating the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald.
Despite the record breaking, the MiG-19's career in Poland was rather brief as it was considered an interim type until more capable and modern fighters (IE, the MiG-21) became available. Therefore most aircraft were sold to Bulgaria in 1966-1967.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19#Variants

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters