MiG News

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Ozzy Blizzard

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Feanor said:
It's the MRCA that we have to wait for. If India decides to go for the MiG-35 and opts for Zhuk-AE then I guess it will be in production. Until then there are no customers for it.
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As it stands now i think they they are only just starting flight testing, and without a firm order Phazotron is likely to go back to Passive Array development. At this stage in the Russians' AESA's development curve, PESA provides a greater return on on very limited capital. If the MRCA comp hadn't required one i don't think we would have seen ZHUK-AE at the time we did. When the MiG-35 prototype flew to Aero India in 07 ZHUK-AE was probably no more than a bunch of LRIP T/R modules lashed together and whacked on the front of a Fulcrum, a long way away from an operational radar.

ROCK45 said:
I understand the difference between the K version and other Fulcrums. I thought since MIG is trying push the Mig-35 that they might produce a navalized one that's all. Imagine me thinking MIG might even promote a product and ordered it for themselves.
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But that's the point, the MiG 29K is the navalized version of the MiG-29M2, which when upgraded with ZHUK-AE, OLS and a couple of other avionics goodies is the MiG-35. The MiG-35 is not a wholly new fighter, just another step in the evolution of the Fulcrum family, and is no more dramatic than the step from MiG-29A to MiG-29M/SMT. Therefore the MiG-35 is just a name, and it would be a waste of time and money building a navalized MiG-35, when if you upgraded the MiG-29K with the same avionics upgrades you would have a navalized MiG-35. It would however still be called a MiG-29K, maybe just K2 instead.
 
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ROCK45

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  • #103
Mig-35

Thanks Ozzy Blizzard
I thought the Mig-35 was going to have a completely new built frame slightly longer? Much like the F/A-18 E/F is a slightly longer then the C/D and besides other things carries a little extra fuel. Maybe that's too much of a redesign for the Fulcrum but I thought the nose was going to be extended a little?

Do you think the Indian K models are built from gutted out ex-Iraqi frames from that canceled order years ago?
 
Feanor

Feanor

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The MiG-35 supposedly has some minor airframe differences. However I don't see why the K models wouldn't also have those improvements.
 
Haavarla

Haavarla

Active Member
Feanor said:
The MiG-35 supposedly has some minor airframe differences. However I don't see why the K models wouldn't also have those improvements.
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Mig-29: L= 17.37m (older versions)

Mig-35: L= 19m

Mig-35 is lighter with more thrust and more fuel, the fuselage is bigger in every way vs Mig-29.
Mig-35 is also rated medium class Fighter now, cause more payload weight.

This implicate that the fuselage is not the same as the older version Mig-29.

But i'm, still not confident with all the designations on the Mig-29 family..
I think they changed the airframe several times over the years.
Mig-29M was made lighter than it's preedecerors and so on..

Regarding Mig-29K, i'm not sure what's changed from the older Mig-29's
 
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Ozzy Blizzard

New Member
ROCK45 said:
Thanks Ozzy Blizzard
I thought the Mig-35 was going to have a completely new built frame slightly longer? Much like the F/A-18 E/F is a slightly longer then the C/D and besides other things carries a little extra fuel. Maybe that's too much of a redesign for the Fulcrum but I thought the nose was going to be extended a little?
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AFAIK the MiG 35 that flew to Aero India win 07 is the 4th MiG-29M/M2 prototype, modified with an "operational" 2 person cockpit (i.e. with a radar fitted). The others were the MiG-29K prototype, MiG-29OVT and I'm pretty sure the last stayed in the conventional MiG-29M/M2 configuration. Therefore in addition to being a slightly different airframe to MiG-29A/SMT (more internal fuel, no back intakes, moved ejection port ect), the cockpit/nose is different to the other M's.

F/A-18E/F is just barley related to the original hornet, really it deserves a new name/number. Its a whole lot different than F-16E/F and F-15E are from the original Viper/Eagles. MiG-35 is really an upgraded MiG-29, not a new platform. Redesigning the Fulcrum in the same manner as the Rhino would have cost RAC a huge amount of money (which they don't have) and would have been much riskier than the path they took. Without firm orders there was little benefit to justify the huge extra cost & risk. Really there's not much wrong with the MiG-29 airframe. It has good energy/maneuver characteristics and handles extremely well AFAIK.It just needs the hard point constraints seen to & some more legs, both of which have been addressed in the M2 anyhoo.

MiG made the prudent choice IMHO.
 
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nevidimka

New Member
The Mig 35 that is flying now is just the prototype. The final production version if it has customers will look abit more different. It will have a different Vertical tail and have a tail sting. I posted this b4, I'll post it again. See the model pic as envision below:
 
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ROCK45

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  • #108
Bulgarian might repair its Mig-29

Just found this little article not much info but might be another small contract for MIG (16) aircraft. Repairs could mean many different things but if this and the Peruvian contracts really go through it might help secure a little more future for MIG.

Article link
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n152434
 
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ROCK45

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Former Algerian

Good news for some Russian Fulcrum regiment/squadron who takes on these SMT models with slightly improved radar, engines, and cockpit. I assume better then most basic Russian equipped Fulcrums. I wonder if these Fulcrums were holding up India's Fulcrums?



Algeria’s MiGs to Land in Russia
The RF Finance Ministry finally sanctioned yesterday the money appropriation for the buyback of 34 MiG-29 SMT fighter jets from Algeria. Russia’s RSK MiG Aircraft Corporation is willing to ink in October the contract worth roughly 23 billion ruble and receive the first payment under it (no more than 3 billion ruble) this year. The money is critical for the corporation. Its losses will double this year, the debt is big and the bonds mature.
The purchase of 34 MiG-28 SMT fighters has been added to the government’s program for state armaments for 2009 and 2010, said Sergei Mamaev, deputy general director at RSK MiG. Initially, the jets had been ordered by Algeria.

According to Mamaev, the Defense Ministry will have 33 jets in 2009 and one jet will reach it in 2010. “But RSK MiG intends to seal the contract with Defense Ministry in October, to supply the first consignment of up to 15 jets before the end of this year,” the official specified.


RSK MiG was to supply 34 MiG-29SMTs to Algeria under the contract of 2006; the contract budget amounted to $1.286 billion. But having received the first 15 jets in May of past year, Algeria halted the acceptance, claiming the jets had parts of poor quality or used parts. Algeria’s Air Force and Rosoboronexport agreed on return of 15 MiGs in February. After it, RSK MiG set to the active negotiations for supplying all 34 fighters to Russia's military.

The cancellation of Algeria’s contract generated a new debt for RSK MiG. Its size stands at $320 million, while the overall indebtedness of the corporation amounted to 43 billion ruble (around $1.8 billion) as of August 1. RSK MiG is the absolute money-loser; its loss equaled 800 million ruble past year and is estimated to step up to 1.6 billion ruble this year.

Link
http://www.kommersant.com/p1034355/MiG-29_Algeria_Defense_Ministry/
 
Feanor

Feanor

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So our MoD is buying them afterall. Good to see it happen. Now we can re-arm at least one regiment with the SMT variant.
 
S

Salty Dog

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Verified Defense Pro
Feanor said:
So our MoD is buying them afterall. Good to see it happen. Now we can re-arm at least one regiment with the SMT variant.
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This may be a good thing for RAC Mig, but what about the RuAF? How are they taking this? Sometimes militaries are forced to accept equipment from the central government. I may be wrong, but I was under the impression RuAF plans to rearm with the latest Sukhoi Su-27 variant.
 
Feanor

Feanor

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Yes and no. The key word is plans. The Su-35BM is scheduled for first deliveries in 2011. And I doubt it will replace the Fulcrums. More likely just the older Flankers. Flankers are also currently being upgraded to the SM standard. Two regiments should be completed by now. However to my knowledge there was never any program to modernize or replace the Fulcrums, aside from the PAK-FA which will eventually replace both. So the new SMT's would be a very nice addition.
 
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ROCK45

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Spring 2009

Wells it news but not really good they were suppose to be delivered in June 2008. The order was place in 2004 not sure which month so for 20 aircraft or so, five years isn't impressive.

It does make one think about Algeria returning their SMT models and why India would want them for the MRCA. I root for the Fulcrum because I like the aircraft itself but sadly the aircraft maker is lost and has little or no direction.
 
Feanor

Feanor

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This may be the delivery of the additional MiG-29 jets that India has recently agreed on.
 
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