When the Soviets revealed the MiG-25 to the world, it was a huge deal. The 1967 October Revolution airshow was a highly-publicized event with the aforementioned craft front-and-center. Three of them were even shown on a broadcast flying high over the heads of attendees, showing off the MiG-25's flight capabilities, wingspan, and overall size. This gave United States military personnel cause for concern, especially as further information about the craft was limited. However, in hindsight, it's almost funny to think that this was the aircraft that spurred the creation of the F-15.

There's no denying that the MiG-25 is a fast plane, as it remains one of the fastest aircraft to ever get off the ground almost 60 years after its unveiling. In truth, though, its impressive speed is just about all it really had going for it. For instance, it was predominantly made of stainless steel because aluminum was in short supply at the time. Tht means each plane weighed a whopping 64,000 pounds. To lift such a mammoth jet off the ground, MiG-25s required two Tumansky R-15B-300s engines. Though they were large, they were rather unreliable in practice. Its radar was also lacking for the era, and its weaponry left much to be desired.

It may endure as one of the most iconic fighter jets ever built, but the MiG-25 had some serious shortcomings. At least it paved the way for the F-15 to hit the runway.