Mig-29 or Fulcrum

The project to create a light front-line fighter of a new generation in the USSR was launched in the late 1960s. A similar project was implemented in the US Air Force ("F-X program"), which resulted in the creation of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. Created a new American fighter significantly surpassed any of the Soviet fighters that were in service at that time.

In 1969, a competition was announced for the development of a promising aircraft, which received the designation PFI (a promising front-line fighter). The tactical and technical requirements for such an aircraft were ambitious: a large radius of action, the possibility of using short runways (including the use of poorly prepared ones), excellent maneuverability, a maximum speed of more than 2M and heavy weapons. The aerodynamic design of the new aircraft was carried out by TsAGI in collaboration with the Sukhoi design bureau. Design bureaus of Sukhoi Design Bureau, Yakovlev Design Bureau, Mikoyan and Gurevich took part in the competition. The competition was won by the bureau of Mikoyan and Gurevich. In 1971, due to the high cost of the implementation of the PFI project, it was divided into TFI (heavy promising front-line fighter) and LPFI (light promising front-line fighter). The Sukhoi Design Bureau was engaged in the development and creation of the TFI, and the LPPI took over the Mikoyan Design Bureau and Gurevich.

Work on the APPI began in 1974, the result of which was Product 9, designated MiG-29A. The first flight of the prototype was performed on October 6, 1977. The pre-production aircraft was first spotted by US intelligence satellites in November 1977 and received the designation Ram-L (meaning the city of Ramenskoye - the place over which the aircraft was first noticed).

Specifications

Crew: 1 or 2 people
Length: 17.32 m
Wing Span: 11.36 m
Height: 4.73 m
Wing area: 38.06 m²
Wing sweep angle: 42 °
Weight:
empty: 10900 kg
normal take-off weight: 15180 kg
maximum take-off weight: 18480 kg

Engine

Engine type: Turbojet dual-circuit with afterburner (as well as thrust vectoring controlled by MiG-29M / OWT)
Model: RD-33
Traction:
maximum: 2 × 5040 kgf
afterburner: 2 × 8300 kgf
Engine weight: 1055 kg
The rejected vector thrust: for the MiG-29M / OVT with engines RD-33K
Angles of deflection vector: ± 15 ° in any direction
Thrust vector speed: 60 ° / s
The ability to start the engine in flight
Engine dismantling time by 5 mechanics - 1 hour

Radar station

Accompanying 10 air targets and bombardment of the most dangerous
The minimum difference between the speeds of the fighter and the target is 150 km / h
Attacking target speed 230–2500 km / h
The height of the attacked target 30-23000 m
Target detection range with ESR 3 m² in PPP at an altitude of more than 3000 m - 50–70 km
The detection range of the helicopter (speed of more than 180 km / h) in the ZPS 23 km, PPS - 17 km
according to 2012 - radar N01 "Beetle" of different versions. 10–20 targets simultaneously at a distance of up to 80 kilometers, shelling 1–2.
Flight performance
Maximum speed:
at the ground: 1500 km / h (M = 1.26)
At the height of 2450 km / h (M = 2.3)
Cruising speed: 850 km / h (M = 0.8)
Practical range:
with 100% fuel: 1,430 km
from 2 PTB: 2100 km
Flight duration: up to 2.5 hours
Practical ceiling: 18000 m
Thrust:
with normal take-off weight: 1.09 kgf / kg
with a maximum take-off weight: 0.92 kgf / kg
Wing load:
with normal take-off weight: 399 kg / m²
with a maximum take-off weight: 476 kg / m²
Maximum operating overload: +9 G


Armament

Cannon: 30 mm aircraft gun GSH-30-1, 150 shells
Combat load: 2180 kg
Knots suspension weapons: 7
Outboard equipment:
R-60M
Р-27Р1
R-73
Р-77
BKO "Talisman"
B-8M1
C-24B
FAB-500M62
OFAB-250-270
KMGU-2
ZB-5000