Developing and mass-producing a warplane is a particularly complex and winding endeavor in itself, but during the Cold War, politics, bureaucracy, and budgetary restraints further muddled the process. Still, with aircraft design, the potential for failure lurks behind every corner.

While Russia is known for its powerful fighter jets such as the Su-35 and Su-57, the old Soviet Union had top-tier fighters that were tarnished with a questionable reputation decades ago.

The MiG-23 was the Soviet response to American and European third-generation fighters, replacing the aging MiG-21.

However, with a poor safety record, a mixed combat history, and an unfortunately flying reputation, many people, especially from the Western world, consider the MiG-23 as the Russian Air Force’s worst fighter in history.

Still, the nation stands by its Mach-2 capable aircraft with a groundbreaking design, long range, and nuclear-weapon capability, giving it a side role that might have improved its performance…

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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.