Why did most Soviet-era fighter jets have the engine air intake in the nose?

Question

The majority of Soviet fighter jets, from the MiG-9 on, had the jet engine air intake positioned in the nose of the aircraft. Almost no fighter jets developed in other countries had this. Why the difference?

In: 6

Answer 1

Design philosophy. The saying goes that American equipment is for soldiers, and Soviet equipment is for revolutionaries. American weapons are meant to be as effective as possible, cost be damned. Soviet weapons are meant to be easy to maintain and use, so that any revolutionary off the street can be passable with a bit of training.

Nose intakes are easier to build and maintain.