WSK-Mielec Lim-6/Lim-6bis/Lim-6M

Continuing from the previous post, about the Lim-5, the Lim-5M was regarded as an interim solution only, and work on a more advanced plane continued testing many different ideas.
In 1961, forty Lim-6 were built with some new features like new blown flaps, but tests showed problems with the modified Lis-6 engine and, therefore the aircraft were not given to the Polish Air Force. Because of that, it was decided to redesign the thick wing sections with fuel tanks, blown flaps, double wheels, RATO system (Rocket Assisted Take Off) and return to the only slightly modified Lim-5 construction, with increased weapon-carrying capability instead.
In 1963 WSK-Mielec started production of the final variant of the attack plane, this time called Lim-6bis. It had standard wings and single wings, like the Lim-5. One important feature was the addition of two underwing weapon pylons close to the fuselage and the fitment of a braking parachute container below the rudder. The Lim-6bis were delivered to the Polish Air Force in 1963 but it wasn't until 14th September 1964 when they were officially adopted.
By 1964 seventy Lim-6bis were built and a number of Lim-5M and Lim-6 were upgraded to Lim-6bis standards, approximately eighty of them. Some few of them were also converted into the Lim-6R reconnaissance variant with an AFA-39 camera under the fuselage.
By 1971, as the Lim-5P fighters were becoming obsolete, they were also rebuilt into Lim-6bis standards, under the designation of Lim-6M. They had their radars removed, however the radar covers in the central air intake remained. They were fitted with additional underwing pylons but not a braking parachute and some of them were also converted into reconnaissance machines with the designation of Lim-6MR.
The Lim-6bis was armed with two NR-23 23 mm cannons and one N-37D 37 mm cannon, just like the MiG-17F, while the Lim-6M was armed with three NR-23 cannons, like the MiG-17PF. It had four underwing pylons and typically, it was armed with two Polish-made Mars-2 launchers for 16 unguided 57 mm S-5 rockets each, or 100 kg bombs. It could also carry 250 kg bombs or launchers on standard outer underwings pods, but usually they were used for 400 L fuel tanks. They were powered by the Lis-5 engine which yielded a thrust power of 5732 lb.
Lim-6bis, Lim-6R, Lim-6M and Lim-6MR were used by the Polish Air Force as their most numerous attack aircraft until the 1980s with the last one being retired in 1992.
They were exported to Algeria, Angola and Bulgaria.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL-Mielec_Lim-6
2. https://www.valka.cz/WSK-Mielec-Lim-6bis-t80685
3. https://www.valka.cz/WSK-Mielec-Lim-6M-t80672
4. https://www.valka.cz/WSK-Mielec-Lim-6-t80683
5. https://www.valka.cz/WSK-Mielec-Lim-6MR-t80674
6. https://www.valka.cz/WSK-Mielec-Lim-6R-t80686
7. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action  125 - MiG-17 Fresco in Action

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, part three, African users, part one

The MiG-17F served with many African nations. Among them the following ones:

• Algeria: Immediately after the independence in 1962, the Algerian Air Force acquired some MiG-17Fs from the USSR, with some of them (most probably the regular older variant) being donated from Egypt. They took part in the border clashes with Morocco in 1963 with the MiG-17F performing the light bomber role. Later, during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Algerian MiG-17Fs took part in the conflict under Egyptian command performing strafing and light bombing missions. Many of them were shot down in October 1973 by Israel. Some years later, in 1976, they returned to Algeria. It wasn't until the decade of the 1980s when they were retired and replaced by either the MiG-23 or the MiG-25.
• Angola: When the Angolan Civil War broke out, the Cubans agreed to send a squadron 9 MiG-17F which became de facto in the first Angolan combat aircraft founding the Angolan Air Force which was called "Força Aérea Popular de Angola" (Angola People's Air Force) in December 1975. They were composed entirely by Cubans and was formally constituted in a ceremony by the Angolan President Agostinho Neto on 21st January 1976. On the ceremony the MiG-17s paraded together with the MiG-21s. The commander of the MiG-17Fs squadron was Maj. José A. Montes. The MiG-17Fs act based on Cabinda attacking ground targets controlled by the separatist group FLEC (Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda), specially in the Northern regions. In April 1976 FLEC was practically defeated so they were switched against UNITA targets in mainland Angola. Shortly later some more MiG-21s arrived to replace the MiG-17Fs and, therefore, they were handed over to the Angolans. 
• Burkina Faso: Apparently a single MiG-17F was operated by the Air Force of Burkina Faso and even saw action in the Agacher Strip War in 1985-1986 between Mali and Burkina Faso. Apparently, it survived the war as in the 1990s it was still in active (in the reserve though) with the Air Force of Burkina Faso. 
• Ethiopia: During the Ogaden War, in 1977, the Cuban Air Force supported the revolutionary Ethiopian Government, so, in December 1977 the Cuban MiG-17Fs arrived. Among them there were a squadron of MiG-17Fs piloted and manned entirely by Cuban pilots. They took part on the counter-offensive that started on 22nd January 1978 that eventually ended with the Somalian defeat and the total conquest of Ogaden on 13th March. The Cuban pilots performed 1.013 combat missions, half of them being ground support ones, during the course of which many enemy tanks, cannons and other targets are destroyed. One MiG-17F piloted by Lt. Eladio Campos was shot down by Somalian anti-air fire killing the pilot. Curiously, in this conflict, CUban MiG-17s and MiG-21s served together with Ethiopian Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighters against another country armed only with MiG-17 and MiG-21 (and mainly with Pakistani pilots). However, there weren't aerial fights between MiGs as the Ethiopians had already achieved aerial superiority when the Cubans arrived. Cuban manned MiGs remained in Ethiopia for some more time but didn't see any more action in spite of the Ethiopian Border Clashes with Eritrea during the 1980s, regardless of some founded rumours. In September 1989, attending to the new international situation, last Cuban pilots abandon Ethiopia taking all the material with them.  

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-17

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

3. http://www.urrib2000.narod.ru/EqMiG17.html (translated)

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso_Armed_Forces#Air_Force

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part four, African users

The MiG-15UTI served also in many African countries. Those are:

• Angola: When the Angolan Air Force was established in 1975 it was equipped with Soviet equipment and trained by Cuban pilots. Among the material supplied by the Soviet bloc there was a batch of MiG-15UTI trainers that were used both for training pilots and recon missions against South African and UNITA forces in the context of the Angolan Civil War. The UTIs continue to serve nowadays, together with other trainers, with the Angolan 9th Training Squadron which is part of the 24th Training Regiment, based at Menongue Air Base.
• Congo-Brazzaville: After achieving independence in the 1960s, and undergoing a revolution, in the 1970s the Congo-Brazzaville Air Force decided to switch to Soviet equipment. Among that new supplied aircrafts there were a number of MiG-15UTIs that served in the FAC (Force Aérienne Congolaise) and, during the late 1990s it's known that many of them, due to the Congolese Civil War, were in derelict condition.
• Guinea-Bissau: After achieving independence, the air force was equipped (as initially they just had three North-American T-6Gs) with limited Soviet material, among them, two MiG-15UTIs. They served until 1991 when they were put in storage condition at the hangars of the Osvaldo Vieira International Airport due to the lack of funds.
• Guinea-Conakry: After achieving independence, the air force was established with Soviet assistance in 1961. Just like Bissau, they got two MiG-15UTIs together with other Soviet aircrafts. They were most probably retired from service and/or scrapped in the 1980s when their air force underwent a small modernization process.
• Madagascar: The Madagascar Air Force received a small number of UTIs when their air force was founded. Not much is known about their usage, but most probably they haven't been used a lot. As the information about these UTIs is rather scarce, the drawing should be taken as speculative.
• Mali: During the mid 1960s the Soviets supplied a single MiG-15UTI to the newly founded Mali Air Force. It was used to train pilots in the usage of the MiG-17F which just had 5 of them. They served well until the 1990s when the air force was somewhat modernized.
• Mozambique: Apparently, the Mozambican Air Force got some ex East-German UTIs shortly after their independence. They were used during the Mozambican Civil War during the 1980s and most of them were probably destroyed. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-15

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolan_People%27s_Air_Force_And_Air_Defence_Force

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

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People’s_Republic_of_Congo_Air_Force

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_of_the_Republic_of_Congo

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau_Air_Force

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_Air_Force

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malagasy_Air_Force

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Mali_Air_Force

10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozambique_Air_Force