Appearing almost simultaneously with the Su-27, in the 1980s, the MiG-29 first became one of the symbols of Soviet military power, and a little later - one of the main participants in the mass withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, Czechoslovakia and united Germany.
If during the creation of the MiG-21, and then the MiG-23, among the important priorities was maximum speed, then the design of a new generation of fighters, which began in the USSR as a response to the American F-15 and F-16 aircraft, followed a completely different scenario. The main goals for the designers were high maneuverability, much more advanced equipment and a weapon control system. As part of this program, the design bureau of P. O. Sukhoi created an aircraft later known as the Su-27, and their colleagues from the design bureau of A. I. Mikoyan created the future MiG-29.
ADDITION TO SU-27
It was assumed that the Sukhoi machine, due to its huge range and a large number of missiles, would become the basis of air defense aviation, and in the Air Force it would play the role of an escort fighter for Su-24 bombers, operating at a great distance from its airfields. However, the Air Force, to ensure air supremacy in the front line area, such an aircraft was redundant, and it was decided to supplement it with a smaller, lighter and cheaper machine, the development of which was entrusted to the MiG Design Bureau. The management of the creation of a new machine, designated "Project 9", was carried out by A. A. Chumachenko and R. A. Belyakov (general designer). Since 1982, M. R. Waldenberg has become the chief designer of the MiG-29.
For the new aircraft, an integral layout was chosen with developed influxes in the root of the wing, as on the Su-27. However, instead of the revolutionary EDSU used on the Su-27, which makes it possible to make the aircraft statically unstable and obtain a gain in mass and size of the rudders, the traditional control system remained, well-established on previous MiG models. The power plant was designed specifically for this aircraft in the design bureau of V. Ya. Klimov under the leadership of the chief designer S. P. Izotov. The new 2-circuit turbojet engine with an afterburner (TRDDF) RD-33 turned out to be lighter, more economical and significantly more powerful than its predecessors of the same class.
The first flight of the prototype "Project 9.12" took place on October 6, 1977 under the control of A. V. Fedotov. Testing and fine-tuning 14 pre-production machines took almost six years, and only in 1984 the aircraft began to enter service with the Soviet Air Force. The release of fighters was mastered at the MAPO them. Dementiev - a Moscow plant located on Khodynka, not far from the Design Bureau. However, in its original form, the fighter did not quite suit the customer - primarily because of the short flight range, which is why the first MiG-29s earned the sarcastic nickname "the fighter for gaining air supremacy over their airfield." In addition, in the process of mass production, some structural elements also changed and improved - the layout of the front landing gear, the replacement of some composite structural elements with metal ones, and the rejection of aerodynamic ridges under the tail section. An important direction in the development of the MiG-29 was equipping it with the Gardenia on-board electronic jamming system, which was only brought to working condition in the early 1980s. The placement of this equipment required a noticeable volume, and the only way out was the appearance of an overhead mainsail - a streamlined compartment behind the cockpit. The fuel system was reconfigured, and the capacity of the internal tanks was slightly increased. In addition, a ventral conformal PTB was developed for the MiG-29, and it became possible to hang two more PTBs under the wing.
All these measures significantly reduced the severity of the range problem - now, on long-haul flights with three PTBs, the aircraft could cover almost 3,000 km. Such aircraft received the name "Product 9.13" (although the designation MiG-29 remained unchanged); their release began in 1986, and this option became the most massive and formed the basis of front-line fighter aviation by the beginning of the 1990s. The MiG-29 was supposed to become a mass fighter of the USSR Air Force and allies in the ATS, which required mass training and retraining of pilots. In parallel with the improvement of the combat MiG-29, the Design Bureau created a 2-seat combat training modification of the MiG-29UB (“Product 9.51”). Deprived of the radar, the Spark had limited combat capabilities. The production of these machines was transferred to the aircraft plant in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod), which produced only MiGs for almost the entire post-war period.
MIG-29 - 4+ GENERATION MULTI-PURPOSE AIRCRAFT
The main weapon of the MiG-29 was air-to-air missiles, and the main purpose was to fight enemy aircraft.
Although the fighter could strike at ground targets, the range of weapons was extremely meager and included only conventional aerial bombs and unguided rockets - high-precision weapons remained inaccessible to the MiG-29. While the Air Force was armed with hundreds of excellent Su-17 and MiG-27 fighter-bombers, such specialization did not raise questions. However, in the early 1990s, a massive reduction in the composition of the Air Force ended with the complete elimination of this class of aircraft, and the solution of IBA tasks fell partly on Su-25 attack aircraft, and partly on front-line fighters.
NARROW SPECIALIZATION
From that moment on, the main direction of the development of the MiG-29 is attempts to give it multifunctionality - both by modernizing the issued aircraft that are in service, and by developing new modifications. The latter direction led to the emergence of such projects as the MiG-29SM, SMT and the MiG-29M / MiG-33 / MiG-35 families. As a result, the MiG-29 became a real multi-purpose aircraft, acquired an in-flight refueling system and its performance characteristics were noticeably improved.
Another separate area was the development of a ship modification of the MiG-29K, which was originally intended to equip Soviet aircraft carriers under construction.
Unlike the Su-27, soon after entering the Soviet Air Force, the MiG-29 began to be widely exported. The first deliveries abroad went to the Warsaw Pact countries (GDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria) and other allies of the USSR (India, Yugoslavia, Cuba, Iraq, Syria). In the course of cardinal military and political changes, aircraft often found themselves in the Air Force of military blocs, which until then considered the MiG-29 as a dangerous adversary. The machines supplied by the GDR have successfully served in the Luftwaffe side-by-side with Phantoms and Tornados for many years; over time, Polish, Bulgarian and Slovak vehicles ended up in NATO. At the same time, there was a sale of surpluses of the Soviet Air Force, inherited by several countries of the former USSR, and a few deliveries of new aircraft. Peru, Algeria, Iran, Hungary, Malaysia, Yemen joined the list of countries-owners.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF MIG-29 (9.13)
- Type: 2-engine front-line fighter
- Crew, people: 1
- Engines: 2 x Klimov R33 turbofan engine, thrust 50 kN without afterburner / 81.3 kN with afterburner each
- Dimensions, m:
- length: 17.32
- wingspan: 11.36
- height: 4.73 - Weight, kg:
- empty: 11 200
– normal: 15,300
- maximum: 18 480 - Specifications:
- maximum speed, km / h (at altitude) ceiling, km: 18
- flight range, km: 1500 (combat) / 2900 (ferry) - Armament: up to 6 short-range (R-60 and R-73) and medium-range (R-27) air-to-air missiles or other combat load weighing up to 2180 kg on 6 hardpoints under the wing, built-in 30-mm cannon GSH- 30-1 (150 rounds)
MiG-29(according to NATO codification: Fulcrum - fulcrum) - Soviet, now Russian multirole fighter, belonging to the 4th generation, was created at the MiG Design Bureau. He made his first flight on October 6, 1977. In 1971, the MiG Design Bureau was presented lung project fighter, which received the designation MiG-29D. The main task assigned to the new aircraft was to provide air defense strategically important objects, small territories, as well as groups of troops. In the same 1971, the MiG Design Bureau began the detailed development of a new fighter project.
When creating a new fighter, the designers had to face a number of difficulties, in particular, at that time there was a ban on access to world "know-how", which seriously limited the capabilities of the fighter's on-board electronics, and also led to an increase in total weight aircraft. At the same time, the controllability of the fighter was limited by the use of the capabilities of the classical mechanical control system.
Some of the limitations of the MiG-29, its creators were able to compensate for the very high aerodynamic characteristics and weapons. Thus, R-73 air-to-air guided missiles to this day have a number of unsurpassed specifications, in particular high maneuverability and high flight range.
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In addition, the MiG-29 fighter was equipped with the H-019 Topaz locator, which allowed the machine to detect air targets both in the air in free space and against the background of the ground. In addition, the fighter received K-36 ejection seats, which provided the pilot with the opportunity to leave the car at speeds from 75 to 1500 km / h (there are also known cases of rescuing pilots at high speeds that exceeded 2000 km / h). Flight tests of the machine, which took place on October 6, 1977, confirmed a very successful design. frontline fighter.
In the MiG-29, the designers managed to cut the "Gordian knot" very high demands to the performance characteristics of a fighter with limited economic and technological possibilities. It differs from foreign (even modern) analogues of the MiG-29 by its outstanding maneuverability in a unique range of altitudes and speeds, as well as efficient system weapons for participation in highly maneuverable air combat, ease of maintenance and power of the frame structure.
Fighter MiG-29
MiG-29 is one of the best fighters in its class. “The dream of any pilot” - this is exactly how the pilot of the German Luftwaffe spoke about this 4th generation fighter. In 1988, the GDR received 24 MiG-29 fighters from the USSR, which, after the reunification of Germany, remained in service with the 73 squadron. These aircraft underwent modernization and were withdrawn from service only in 2003-2004. At the same time, the cars were not decommissioned, they were transferred to Poland. Canadian pilot Bob Wade also spoke well of the fighter, with a total flight time of more than 6,500 hours. He became one of the first Western pilots who managed to pilot this aircraft.
After flying the MiG-29, the Canadian said: “ I am amazed at the handling and maneuverability of this fighter, especially its ability to change its attitude in flight. The MiG-29 is a fighter with amazing agility. I am not allowed to compare this car with any specific Western fighters, but I can say for sure that the characteristics of the Russian fighter in the air show up to the low speed section of the flight area are in no way inferior, and possibly even superior to that what can be done on western fighters».
The MiG-29 fighter was created as an aircraft to gain air superiority in a given combat area or on a small front. Its main task was the fight against enemy aircraft, air cover for rear facilities and troop concentrations, counteracting enemy air reconnaissance at any time of the day, even in difficult meteorological conditions. In addition to hitting enemy air targets at short and medium distances, including against the background of the ground, the aircraft could be used to strike land and sea targets, both mobile and stationary.
Front-line fighter MiG-29SMT.
According to the chief designer of the fighter, M.R. the time of the MiG-15 fighter after the MiG-9 aircraft, which was the first-born jet of the MiG Design Bureau.
It was one of the first MiG aircraft (along with the MiG-31 interceptor), which featured dual-circuit turbojet engines (instead of single-circuit ones, which were used on all previous aircraft of the company), as well as a radar capable of detecting targets against the background of the underlying surface. The front-line fighter MiG-29 became the first fundamentally new machine, which was created under the leadership of General Designer R.A. Belyakov (after the death in 1970 of one of the founders of the MiG Design Bureau - A.I. Mikoyan).
In many respects, the MiG-29 was superior to its foreign counterparts - the Mirage 2000, F-16, F / A-18 fighters. Excellent aerodynamics and high thrust-to-weight ratio gave the fighter good acceleration and rate of climb, small turning radii, high turn rates, and the ability to perform long maneuvers with high g-forces. The aircraft can effectively conduct fairly active maneuverable combat using all-aspect missiles, as well as an automatic cannon, and intercept reconnaissance and attack aircraft.
The MiG-29 light front-line fighter was equipped with 2 Tumansky turbojet engines, which used afterburning of fuel and developed a thrust of 8300 kgf on takeoff. The fighter engine was smokeless and had water injection during landing, like all other engines of this designer. A unique feature of the fighter was that it could take off with a full combat load on one engine, with the inclusion of the second engine already in the air. This mode made it possible to save precious time in the event of a take-off on combat alert.
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The large wings of the MiG-29 gave the aircraft a lot of advantages. They provided the fighter with high lifting force with a relatively small load on the wing. The result of this was its excellent maneuverability, and the turn speed of the fighter was simply impressive for specialists. The wing of the aircraft was equipped with effective flaps and semi-opening ailerons, as well as fully opening slats. The angle of attack of the MiG-29 was comparable to the angle of attack of the main carrier-based US fighter F / A-18 "Hornet".
The cockpit of the fighter was surprisingly spacious and covered with a large canopy on top, which provided the pilot with a greater view compared to Western fighters. The instrument panel of the fighter was almost identical to that of the Su-27 heavy fighter, which made it easier for the pilots to switch from one machine to another.
The fighter could carry a wide variety of weapons on its suspension. Not only air-to-air missiles, but also air-to-surface missiles, as well as various bomb weapons. The MiG-29 is a versatile aircraft that can both gain air superiority and deliver bombing strikes against ground targets.
Modern upgrade option - MiG-29M
In 2005, RAC "MiG" began mass production of multifunctional fighters of a new unified family, which belonged to the "4 ++" generation. All fighters of this family were unified in their design, on-board systems, power plant, electronic equipment, as well as the weapon system. The unified and modified family of fighters will be in demand on the arms market for quite a long time. This family included:
- front-line fighters MiG-29M (single) and MiG-29M2 (double);
- shipborne fighters MiG-29K (single) and MiG-29KUB (double);
- front-line fighters MiG-35 (single) and MiG-35D (double).
Front-line fighter MiG-29M with deflectable thrust vector.
The MiG-29M and MiG-29M2 fighters are multifunctional fighters of the 4++ generation with an increased combat load, increased flight range, as well as an expanded range of onboard weapons.
The main technological and technical innovations that were introduced on the MiG-29M / M2 fighters were:
– improved wing and fuselage;
- significantly reduced visibility in the radar range;
- a digital integrated electrical remote control system for a fighter with a quadruple redundancy;
- increased capacity of the fuel system and the presence of an aircraft refueling system in the air;
- increased combat load, placed on 9 points of the external suspension.
Currently, the power plant of the fighters includes the RD-33MK turbofan engine, which has increased thrust, and is also equipped with a new electronic control system with full responsibility (FADEC type) and a smokeless combustion chamber. Aircraft engines have a modular design and are characterized by increased resource and reliability. At the request of the customer, the aircraft can be equipped with modified RD-33MK engines equipped with an all-angle deflectable thrust vector (OVT). Such engines provide the aircraft with a decisive advantage in modern maneuverable air combat.
Radar "Zhuk-ME".
MiG-29M/M2 aircraft differ from their predecessors in increased reliability of components, systems and assemblies and improved operational characteristics. Compared to early series fighters, the cost of a flight hour on new aircraft is 2.5 times less.
The on-board radio-electronic equipment of the MiG-29M/M2 fighters is based on the principle of an open architecture based on the MIL-STD-1553B standard, which allows, if the customer wishes, to install new weapons and equipment of both Russian and foreign production on the fighter. A new multifunctional multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar "Zhuk-ME" was installed on the aircraft, which is manufactured by the Fazotron-NIIR Corporation.
The airborne radar is equipped with a slotted antenna array. Compared to radars of previous generations, Zhuk-ME has a doubled target detection range, a wide range of viewing angles in azimuth, lighter weight and higher reliability. Radar "Zhuk-ME" is able to provide simultaneous tracking of up to 10 air targets and simultaneous missile attack of 4 of them.
MiG-29M/M2 aircraft are equipped with a target designation system for passive homing heads of anti-radar missiles and a multi-channel optical radar station. It is possible to install containers with laser and infrared sighting equipment on the fighter to illuminate targets located on the ground. The fighter's weapons system includes guided air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, as well as unguided missiles, guided and conventional bombs, as well as a built-in 30-mm automatic cannon.
Flight performance of the MiG-29M:
Takeoff weight of the fighter - 17.500 kg
Max Speed:
- near the ground - 1500 km / h
- at high altitude - 2,400 km / h
The maximum number of M - 2.25
The practical ceiling of the fighter - 17500 m
Maximum overload - 9g
Ferry flight range:
- without PTB - 2000 km
- with 3 PTB - 3200 km
- with 3 PTBs and one in-flight refueling - 6000 km
Engine type: RD-33MK
Thrust on takeoff, kgf 2х9000
Armament:
Number of suspension points - 9
Guided air-to-air missiles:
- short range 8 x R-73E
- medium range 6 x RVV-AE
Guided air-to-surface missiles:
- general purpose 4 x X-29T (TE)
- anti-ship 4 x X-31A, X-35E
- anti-radar 4 x Kh-31P
Adjustable bombs 4 x KAB-500Kr
Built-in 30-mm automatic gun - GSh-301 (150 rounds).
Efim I. Gordon/ Moscow
Front-line fightersThe editors are grateful to A. V. Kotlobovsky, A. V. Matusevich, and A. P. Nikiforov for their assistance in preparing the article.
The plane, which will be discussed, remained in the shadow of the glory that fell to the lot of his older relative, the MiG-15. However, the hero of our story also belongs to the category of "cult" machines. Created exactly 50 years ago, it was built serially in three countries for more than 30 years, took part in almost two dozen wars and numerous armed incidents, and continues to be in service with the air forces of six states. In a word, this is the MiG-17.
The success of the MiG-15 allowed OKB-155 to receive a kind of carte blanche from the country's top leadership for further improvement of this machine. So, I. V. Stalin objected to the proposals of other fighter design bureaus for new types of aircraft each time: “We have a good MiG-15, and there is no point in creating new fighters in the near future, it is better to follow the path of MiG modernization ...”. Moving in this direction, the team of A. I. Mikoyan and M. I. Gurevich launched work on equipping the “fifteenth” with a new wing, which promised an improvement in performance characteristics, primarily an increase in speed. At that time, in the Soviet Union, several organizations were very active in studying the properties of a wing with a sweep angle of 45 ° along the 1/4 chord line.
Experimental SI aircraft - the first prototype of the MiG-17
SI test plane – the first MiG-17 prototype
It was tested in TsAGI wind tunnels and on flying models. A similar wing was equipped with an experienced fighter "176" of the Design Bureau of S. A. Lavochkin, on December 26, 1948, for the first time in the USSR, it was possible to achieve a speed corresponding to the number M = 1.02 (in flight with a decrease). Some material was obtained in the course of work on the experimental machines "5" designed by M. R. Bisnovat and the German captured Siebel 346.
The designers of OKB-155 had to tie the new wing to the power frames of the MiG-15 fuselage and at the same time maintain the alignment of the aircraft. As a result, the wing received a double sweep: from the onboard rib to about half-span - 45 °, and then - 42 ° (the sweep angles along the leading edge were respectively 49 ° and 45 ° 30 "). The wingtips were rounded in the hope of increasing the aerodynamic quality. On the upper surface of each console added one more crest to prevent flow overflow along the span.The relative thickness of the wing was reduced and improved its mating with the fuselage.
For revision, the MiG-15bis aircraft with the VK-1 engine was taken. No wonder the modernized machine, in addition to the proprietary SI cipher, was called the MiG-15bis 45 ° (or MiG-15bis "arrow 45"). The front part of the fuselage was left unchanged, the rear ____________________ was lengthened by 900 mm, brake flaps of an increased area (1.76 mg) were introduced, and the keel was also slightly increased. The horizontal plumage was remade with a sweep angle along the leading edge of 45° (for the MiG-15 - 40°). To increase directional stability, a ventral ridge was installed. Aileron hydraulic booster was introduced into the control system, which was installed behind the pilot's seat. Later, to reduce the effort on the handle, the shape of the toes of the elevators was changed to a semicircular instead of an elliptical one. The total internal fuel volume decreased to 1412 liters. The armament of the SI was similar to that of the MiG-15bis: one H-37 cannon and two HP-23s.
In July 1949, the assembly of the first copy of the SI was completed at plant No. 155, but its refinement continued for several more months, and the machine was transferred to the LII airfield in Zhukovsky for factory testing only at the end of the year. Hero of the Soviet Union I. T. Ivashchenko, who transferred to OKB-155 in 1945, was appointed test pilot. He received the title of Hero among the first four Soviet pilots awarded him for mastering jet technology. Ivashchenko actively participated in the work on fine-tuning the MiG-15 emergency escape system, so that the SI fell into the hands of an experienced pilot who was familiar with many of the surprises of the first jet machines.
The first flight of the experimental machine took place on January 14, 1950. Already at the beginning of factory tests, it was found that the maximum speed of the SI exceeds that of the MiG-15bis by about 40 km / h. The maximum lift-to-drag ratio decreased from 13.9 to 13.6, which led to a decrease in flight range with the same refueling as the MiG-15bis by 35 km. In the process of testing, a lot of work was done to fine-tune the machine, in particular, they improved its tightness, which gave a small additional increase in speed. On February 1, in the next flight, Ivashchenko at an altitude of 2200 m dispersed the plane to 1114 km / h. Soon, at an altitude of 10200 m, it was possible to obtain a maximum speed of 1077 km / h, which corresponded to the number M = 1.0. Other advantages of the modified fighter over the MiG-15bis in terms of the main performance characteristics were also revealed. But they did not have time to measure all the characteristics of the SI, including takeoff and landing. March 17 Ivashchenko went on another flight. Having gained 11,000 m, he completed the planned program and, having found nothing new in the behavior of the machine, descended to 5,000 m. Suddenly, the plane entered a steep dive. Despite all his experience, the pilot could not cope with the situation and did not even have time to transmit a word on the radio. SI crashed into the ground with great speed. The pilot was killed, and only small fragments remained of the car.
To understand the causes of what happened, it was necessary to continue flight experiments. Even before the death of I. T. Ivashchenko, A. I. Mikoyan invited a military test pilot G. A. Sedov, who had previously worked in the State Research Institute of the Air Force, to the Design Bureau. From March 1950, he began flying on an experimental SI-2, the construction of which was completed at the beginning of the year. In one of the flights, Sedov got into conditions close to those that led to the death of Ivashchenko. After exceeding the speed of 1000 km / h, the stabilizer flutter began, as a result of which the elevators were largely destroyed - about 40% of the area remained from them, the outer parts were torn off symmetrically on both sides. The pilot managed to bring the fighter into climb, reduce engine speed and reduce speed. Later, G. A. Sedov recalled: “I prepared for this regime in advance, since we knew that the destruction of the horizontal tail on the first experimental machine occurred at a speed of 1020-1044 km / h. The pilot's quick reaction has nothing to do with it. When all this happened, the plane was in a normal position and even began to turn up its nose a little. I tried the elevators - the car obeys. True, when landing, when the speed dropped, there was a danger that the area of the remaining rudders would not be enough, but everything worked out, and the experimental car was saved. In addition to flutter, during factory tests of the SI-2, Sedov discovered such a phenomenon as aileron reversal. In order to carry out the necessary modifications to the aircraft at the end of 1950, the tests had to be interrupted.
The following year, two more prototypes were manufactured at the Gorky aircraft plant No. 21, which were simultaneously the lead serial machines (factory code - “product 54”), on February 16, the assembly of the SI-02 aircraft (the second lead serial, serial number 54210002) was completed, and the construction of the fourth machine SI-01 (the first head serial, serial number 54210001) was completed only in May. In the spring of 1951, factory tests were continued on the SI-02 in Zhukovsky, during which 44 flights were completed. In April, the aircraft was transferred to the State Research Institute of the Air Force for State Tests (GI). The first stage ended on July 1, by that time the pilots of the institute L.M. Kuvshinov, Yu.A. Antipov, V.S. In the Act, based on the results of this stage of the CI, it was noted that, in general, the fighter complies with the requirements. Disadvantages were also found, in particular, the influence of the external tank on the nature of the flow around the PVD, which led to a distortion of the speed indicator readings.
The shortcomings noted were quickly eliminated, and already on July 10 the second stage of the GI began. The testers came to the conclusion that in terms of stability and controllability, the aircraft differed slightly from the MiG-15bis. However, horizontal maneuverability has deteriorated somewhat. The takeoff and landing characteristics also decreased, but this was not given much importance, since the fighter could be operated from the same airfields as the MiG-15. The second stage of State tests ended on August 8. In the final act, the commission wrote: “The modified MiG-15bis aircraft with a wing sweep of 45 ° and a new tail unit has advantages over the serial MiG-15.
1. Increased maximum speeds by 46-56 km/h.
2. Increased the number of M to 1.08 instead of 0.92.
3. Increased maneuverability at high altitude.
4. Decreased time to climb 10,000 m by 20-30 seconds.
Experienced aircraft SI-2
SI-2 test plane
Experienced aircraft SI-01
SI-01 test plane
Experienced aircraft SF
Experienced aircraft SF-3
SF-3 test plane
Experienced aircraft CP-2
СР-2 test plane
In flight - serial MiG-17
MiG-17 serial fighters in flights
MiG-17 involved in aerial refueling
This MiG-17 was used in aerial refueling program
The front-line fighter was recommended for production and for adoption. The aircraft received the designation MiG-17. Factory testing of the experimental SI-01 began on June 1 and ended on the 23rd of the same month. In August, Sedov tested this aircraft in a spin, and from September 11 to October 10, Kuvshinov performed similar flights at the Air Force Research Institute. As a result, it was concluded that "... performing a spin and recovering from it on the MiG-17 is safer and easier than on the MiG-15." The pilots noted that the aircraft could go into an inverted spin or an inverted spiral only with gross errors in piloting technique.
By order of the MAP No. 851 of September 1, 1951, it was ordered to begin production of the MiG-17 at five factories: in Kuibyshev, Tbilisi, Gorky, Novosibirsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur. During production, the design of the fighter was refined. So, the serial MiG-17s got the opportunity to carry two 50 or 100 kg bombs on the D4-50 locks instead of the PTB. The lamp-headlight was taken out of the air intake under the wing. The fuel system was improved by sealing the safety valves in the supercharging line of the outboard tanks. In 1952, OKB-155 carried out research to determine the optimal shape and area of brake flaps. Five versions of these devices were tested on two MiG-17s. As a result, shields with an area of 0.88 m2 received a satisfactory assessment and from September they began to be used on fighters under construction. From the end of 1953, they began to install ejection seats with a curtain, which made it possible to expand the permissible range of emergency escape speeds. The cover of the sliding part of the canopy was changed, which significantly improved the view of the rear hemisphere. Later, periscopes appeared on production aircraft. The composition of the equipment was expanded and updated, in particular, they began to use the ASP-ZN sight, added the Sirena-2 radar radiation warning system, originally called the “tail protection device”. The fighter received a modernized VK-1A, which had a much longer resource. Aircraft with this engine and minor changes in equipment were designated MiG-17A.
Amendments were also made to the instructions for combat use. MiG-17 began to be considered not only as a front-line fighter, but also as an escort fighter. In this capacity, he could cover:
To further improve the flight characteristics of the MiG-17, it was necessary to increase the thrust of the power plant. because of design features VK-1 to achieve this by upgrading the engine itself, it was no longer possible. Therefore, back in 1949, CIAM and OKB-155 began to investigate the possibility of increasing the thrust of the VK-1 by installing an afterburner. In OKB-155, under the leadership of A. I. Komissarov and G. E. Lozi-no-Lozinsky, the first Soviet afterburner with an adjustable nozzle was created. It consisted of a diffuser, the chamber itself and a two-position jet nozzle (when the engine was running in the "maximum" mode, the nozzle diameter was 540 mm, in the "afterburner" mode - 624 mm). Testing and fine-tuning of the chamber were carried out at TsIAM. Bench tests of an experimental engine, designated VK-1F, ended in the summer of 1951. On the ground, it developed a maximum thrust without afterburner of 2600 kgf, with afterburner - 3380 kgf, which exceeded the capabilities of the base VK-1A by about 25%.
The prototype aircraft, intended for testing a new power plant, received the designation SF. During its construction, the front part of the MiG-15bis fuselage (serial number 53210850) was used, and the tail part was made anew, with changes for the afterburner. In addition, the fuel system has been improved. The wing, chassis and some other units were taken from the SI-02 aircraft. September 20, 1951 the car was ready. Nine days later, in Kratovo, near Moscow, test pilot OKB A. N. Chernoburov for the first time lifted the Northern Fleet into the air. He also performed the main part of the factory tests. In addition, G. A. Sedov and K. K. Kokkinaki flew to the Northern Fleet. On November 1, this stage of testing was completed, and on January 31, 1952, the aircraft was transferred to the Civil Aviation Research Institute of the Air Force. There, on February 16, the GI began. Pilots of the institute A. G. Solodovnikov and L. M. Kuvshinov conducted them. Subsequently, the honored test pilot Solodovnikov noted: “The design of the afterburner turned out to be quite successful, and the use of afterburner in flight significantly expanded the flight characteristics of the aircraft. If, for example, in the maximum mode, the vertical speed was no more than 20 m / s, then in the afterburner it reached 45 m / s. The afterburner made it possible to raise the ceiling of the aircraft and significantly expand the possibilities of vertical maneuver in air combat.
The increase in the maximum speed of horizontal flight with the use of afterburner, unfortunately, turned out to be insignificant. It was not possible to fix it at all heights. The behavior of the aircraft with afterburner at the border of the transition from the subsonic flight zone to the supersonic one was unusual. At a given altitude at the "maximum" in a strictly horizontal flight, the aircraft accelerated to 1080-1100 km / h, and then the afterburner was turned on. After a second or two, the pilot felt a slight push, and a characteristic bubbling sound arose in the rear of the aircraft, indicating that the afterburner had worked. Another moment, and the pilot felt some kind of huge force begin to energetically push the plane forward. The pointer of the M number was approaching 0.98. There was very little left before reaching sound speed, but the plane suddenly spontaneously began to turn up its nose, trying to go into climb. Parrying this phenomenon, the pilot rejected the control stick from himself to the stop, but the car continued to go up. The stock of rudders was not enough to keep her in afterburner in level flight.
Experienced aircraft SP-2
SP-2 test plane
The recorder, registering the load on the controls, recorded pressing forces on the handle up to 90 kgf. Such behavior manifested itself at altitudes up to 7000 m. Further, the tendency of the aircraft to spontaneous climb decreased, and at altitudes above 10000 m it was no longer necessary to completely reject the elevator. The readings of the instruments at the same time were of a rather strange character. So, the arrow of the pointer of the number M approached the division of 0.98 and froze. Then, after two or three seconds, it suddenly jumped to a division of 1.05, and the instrument flight altitude increased by 250-300 m. At the same time, the variometer needle jumped sharply into climb, and then returned to its previous position. The plane at that time behaved quite calmly. As aerodynamicists explained to us, the abrupt change in instrument readings was due to the imperfection of the air pressure receiver, designed to operate in subsonic flight conditions. Only later did it become clear that PVD had nothing to do with it. This is a normal phenomenon during the passage of sound.
During deep dives, the number M according to the index could even be brought up to 1.25. At the same time, the aircraft began to spontaneously exit the dive, and by no means could it be possible to reach large values of the Mach number. When processing recorder tapes on the ground, it was found that when the aircraft descends with high vertical speeds, the instruments give overestimated readings. And, according to experts, the actual flight speed was still less than the speed of sound. Consequently, a car of such an aerodynamic layout will not be able to reach supersonic speed, no matter how powerful the engine is installed on it. The tests were coming to an end. It remains to perform flights to test the strength of the afterburner. To do this, it was necessary to disperse the aircraft in afterburner to the maximum possible speed, and then instantly switch the engine to the “idle gas” mode.
Aircraft in the air, speed 1150 km/h. The pilot sharply removed the engine control lever back to the stop. And suddenly, an unusually strong rattling sound was heard in the back of the plane, similar to the clang of a metal sheet being shaken. The temperature of the exhaust gases began to rise rapidly. Vigorously turning the car towards the airfield, the pilot gradually increased the speed. The arrow of the temperature gauge went beyond the permissible limits, the cabin smelled of burnt kerosene. The airfield is near, almost under the plane. Fearing a fire, the tester cut off the fuel supply to the engine. The fading whistle of the turbine was heard, and an unusual silence fell in the cockpit. A few dovorotov, specifying the calculation for landing. The landing gear was released, and a minute later the plane rolled along the concrete.
As it turned out, with a sharp throttling of the engine, the walls of the afterburner warped and bent inward, significantly reducing the cross section of the engine outlet channel. This prevented the normal release of gases, which caused an increase in temperature. Through the cracks formed in the seams of the afterburner, the gases leaving the engine leaked into the inner part of the fuselage, and from there they entered the cockpit along the pressurization line. After several modifications and strengthening of some units, the afterburner worked steadily and reliably.
MiG-17PF in factory tests
MiG-17PF is under development flight tests
Experienced aircraft SP-6
SP-6 test plane
Serial MiG-17PFU
MiG-17PFU serial fighter
Dashboard serial MiG-17F
MiG-17F serial fighter instrument panel
After the identified defects were eliminated, on September 18, 1952, the SF aircraft was transferred for control tests. However, in November, due to the involuntary inclusion of the afterburner during the ground race of the engine, damage to the rear fuselage occurred. Despite this circumstance and a number of other problems, the State Commission came to the conclusion that the aircraft must be put into service. At the end of 1952, the mass production of the fighter began, which received the designation MiG-17F. On production aircraft, occasionally, instead of standard 400-liter external tanks, PTBs with a capacity of 600 liters were used. Instead of tanks on the MiG-17F, two bombs with a caliber of up to 250 kg could be suspended.
Back in 1952, OKB-155 did a great job of improving the design of the MiG-17F. In particular, they increased the reliability of the afterburner drive by installing three control cylinders in parallel, which eliminated the possibility of taking off with an open nozzle. Modifications of serial machines were also carried out in combat units. So, in November 1953, a turbo-cooler with an automatic temperature controller was installed, which was intended to improve working conditions in the cockpit. At the beginning of 1953, the power supply system was finalized to ensure normal fuel supply to the engine in afterburner mode at negative g-forces. On the latest releases of the MiG-17F, ejection seats with curtains and BU-1M hydraulic boosters were installed, which were irreversibly included in the elevator and aileron control system. Serial MiG-17F, starting with No. 415351, were equipped with a radio rangefinder SRD-1.
A whole direction in the improvement of the MiG-17 is connected with the research at OKB-155 of individual units of the F-86 Saber fighter captured in Korea. So, on the serial MiG-17 with serial number 54210114 (the aircraft received the code SG-5), the ASP-4N Sneg optical sight was tested, displaying data against the background of the windshield (range and collimator grid), and the SRD-3 Grad radio range finder , which were copies of the American A-1C sight and the AN / APG-30 radio rangefinder. In June-August 1954, this aircraft with an improved ASP-5N optical sight passed state tests. The sight and radio range finder were recommended for production, but Grad was never mass-produced.
Attempts were made to modernize the weapons of the fighter. On the prototype SF-3 aircraft, instead of the H-37 and two HP-23s, two 30-mm HP-30 guns were installed. For this, a new carriage was designed, on which the left gun was pushed forward with the right one. This aircraft was equipped with a new canopy with improved contours, an ASP-5N-VZ sight and a Radal-M radio rangefinder. The car passed state tests, but was not recommended for mass production.
Interceptors
According to the decision of the government, OKB-155, modernizing the MiG-15bis under the wing with a sweep of 45 °, was simultaneously working in two directions: on a front-line fighter and an interceptor with a Korshun radar. This station, developed under the leadership of the chief designer A. V. Slepushkin, was a modification of the Thorium-A radar. Like its predecessor, the "Kite" could not automatically track the target and searched in the Cartesian coordinate system (x-y-z).
The new interceptor received the designation SP-2 in OKB-155. Its design was carried out in parallel with the SI, but construction began somewhat later. Compared with the front-line fighter, it had the following main differences: for the installation of the Korshun radar, the nose of the fuselage was changed, including a radio-transparent radar antenna radome placed above the air intake; due to the increase in electricity consumption, the GS-3000 generators were replaced with GSR-6000 and SGS-7.5/3; instead of three guns, two NR-23s were installed with 90 rounds of ammunition on the left and 120 rounds on the right; FKP was moved to the right side of the air intake shell; 600-liter PTBs could be installed on D4-50 locks. Factory tests of the SP-2 began in March 1951. They were conducted by Sedov, who had to test both a front-line fighter and an interceptor almost simultaneously. It should be noted that the radar was installed on the aircraft only at the end of October, after which several flights were performed to test the operation of its units. On November 11, factory tests were over, and the car was handed over to the Civil Aviation Research Institute of the Air Force. There, from November 28 to December 29, GIs were held, during which pilots of the Air Defense Institute and Aviation flew on SP-2: A. P. Suprun, Yu. A. Antipov, V. G. Ivanov, E. I. Dzyuba, E. A. Savitsky and R. N. Sereda.
In the State Testing Act, in particular, it was said:
"one. The flight characteristics of the SP-2 aircraft correspond to the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR ...
3. The possibilities of combat use are limited by the great complexity of the pilot of a single-seat aircraft tracking the indicator PC "Kite" (search, rendezvous and aiming). It is difficult for the pilot to accurately determine the range to the target aircraft. It is impossible to quickly reduce the speed when approaching due to the low efficiency of the air brakes. Finally, "Kite" has low reliability.
4. Taxiing and takeoff with two external tanks of 600 liters is very difficult, as the aircraft becomes very inert.”
The instrument panel of the prototype SG-5 aircraft and its nose
SG-5 test plane instrument panel and aircraft nose
SP-2 received a negative conclusion from the commission of the Civil Code of the Research Institute of the Air Force, in addition, the single-antenna station "Korshun" was not recommended by the military for mass production. As a result, work on the interceptor and radar was stopped. Later, the SP-2 was used as a flying laboratory. So, in 1952, an irreversible booster BU-1U was worked out on it.
On May 24, 1952, the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 2460-933ss was issued on the development of the MiG-17 interceptor with the RP-1 Izumrud radar. This station was created at NII-17 under the leadership of the chief designer V.V. Tikhomirov and in March 1952 successfully passed the GI on an experimental aircraft SP-5, created on the basis of the MiG-15bis. It provided automatic target tracking, interfaced with the ASP-ZNM optical sight and was recognized by the military as the most suitable for use on single-seat fighters. The station made it possible to detect air targets within ± 60 ° in azimuth and + 26 °, -16 ° vertically. The detection range of Il-28 and Tu-4 bombers was 5.6 km and 7.7 km during the day, and 8.4 km and 11 km, respectively, at night. When approaching the target at 2 km, the aiming antenna was automatically turned on, which made it possible to produce accurate aiming.
The interceptor, equipped with the Izumrud radar, received in OKB-155 the internal factory code "SP-7 product". The installation of a new radar and three NR-23 guns required the appropriate changes to be made to the design of the aircraft. So, two locator antennas were placed in the bow: one - under the fairing in the center of the air intake, the second - in its upper "lip". Compared to the serial MiG-17, the takeoff weight of the interceptor has increased by 225 kg. The construction of the experimental SP-7 was completed in mid-July 1952, and on August 8 Sedov took it into the air for the first time. Factory tests showed that the rate of climb, ceiling and maximum speed of the interceptor are lower than those of serial fighters, and the antennas installed in the nose of the aircraft worsened visibility. In May 1953, State tests were completed, following which it was concluded that the characteristics of the aircraft were acceptable for adoption. They decided to build the interceptor at factories in Gorky and Tbilisi. Soon he received the designation MiG-17P. The aircraft became the first light interceptor with radar in the USSR, put into service.
In January 1954, an experimental machine with a VK-1F engine was transferred to the GI, which received the code SP-7F. The tests ended in April with a positive assessment. In particular, it turned out that, compared with the MiG-17P, the maximum speed and rate of climb of the aircraft improved significantly, but due to the increased weight, the cruising speed and flight range decreased. The upgraded interceptor was put into mass production under the designation MiG-17PF. The Sirena-2 system and the NI-50B navigation indicator were placed on it. The armament consisted of one N-37D gun and two HP-23s, or three or two HP-23s. In the mid 50s. a small number of serial interceptors were equipped with the Horizon-1 radio command guidance system. Such aircraft received the designation MiG-17PFG.
In parallel with the development of an interceptor equipped with guns, work was carried out on an aircraft with a K-5 missile weapon system. Most of these works were carried out by the OKB-155 branch at the Gorky Plant No. 21, headed by the Deputy Chief Designer P. E. Syrov. On July 18, 1952, a work plan was approved by order of the MAP, according to which the branch was instructed to convert three MiG-17s into the SP-6 missile interceptor version with the Izumrud radar.
By the end of the summer, the creation of three SP-6s was completed in Gorky. Two more cars were produced by experimental plant No. 155 in Moscow. On all five interceptors, one HP-23 cannon was left on the starboard side. The leaders of the MAP, however, did not calculate the deadlines: the aircraft were prepared for testing, but there were no missiles for them. Only at the end of 1953 was OKB-2 organized, which was entrusted with the development of SD for the K-5 system. Its tests, carried out on the Yak-25M interceptor, were completed in 1955, after which the system was recommended for mass production under the designation S-1-U. At the same time, the rocket received the name RS-1-U (a missile of the first type, guided).
The RS-1-U was guided by a radio beam from the upgraded RP-1-U Izumrud station. Having captured the target for auto-tracking, the pilot combined its mark on the radar indicator with the central mark of the ASP-ZNM sight. After the launch, the rocket flew for one second in the mode of stabilization of the roll, heading and pitch angles, and then hit the radio beam. The rocket moved along the so-called equisignal line of the radio beam, upon deviation from which it automatically returned to its original course with the help of rudders. By the end of the powder engine, the flight speed of the RS-1-U was 800 m/s. The maximum launch range reached 3 km.
To repair and replace the engine, the tail section of all versions of the MiG-17 was undocked. The photo shows an aircraft with a VK-1F engine.
MiG-17 tail is disattached for power plant repair and engine change. Aircraft with BK-1Ф engine is pictured here
The delay in the creation of the weapons system, of course, led to a significant delay in the completion of the tests of the SP-6. When they were finally completed, the aircraft was recommended for adoption. Since 1956, factory No. 21 began to equip the already produced MiG-17PF with the S-1-U system. The new interceptors received the designation MiG-17PFU (SP-15 product) and did not have cannon armament. By that time, the S-1-U no longer met many of the requirements of the military, so the aircraft equipped with it did not become mass-produced, although they were operated for a long time in the USSR air defense aviation.
The armament of interceptors could be significantly improved by equipping them with missiles with thermal seekers. In accordance with the decision of the GKAT and the Air Force of January 21, 1963, OKB-155 converted one serial MiG-17PF for the installation of K-13R (R-ZR) missiles with an infrared guidance system. Tests of this aircraft were successfully completed in 1964. However, such missiles were not introduced on the MiG-17s in service in the Soviet Union, but some of the MiG-17Fs supplied for export were equipped with R-ZS missiles at the request of the customer.
RS-1-U missiles - MiG-17PFU weapons
PC-1-U missiles are MiG-17PFU air-to-air armament
All three guns of the MiG-17 were placed on the same carriage
All of thee MiG-17 cannons were placed on joint gun-carriage
Re-equipment of the MiG-17 into target aircraft in the workshop of the Lvov ArZ. A similar fate was shared by many "seventeenths", decommissioned
MiG-17 reequipment to pilotless target at the Lviv aircraft repair plant is pictured here. Plenty of MiG-17s share the same fate
front-line scout
On August 3, 1951, Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 2817-1338 was issued, which ordered OKB-155 to develop a front-line reconnaissance aircraft based on the MiG-17 with a swinging photo mount and a new, more powerful VK-5F engine. In the same document, the Design Bureau of V. Ya. Klimov was instructed to create this turbojet engine. The design of the reconnaissance aircraft, which received the SR-2 code in OKB-155, began in November 1951, and at the beginning of the next year, working drawings were already ready. The construction of the aircraft was completed in May.
To conduct planned shooting, the SR-2 was equipped with an AFA-BA-40R camera in a swinging photo setup. On the ground, it could be rearranged for perspective shooting. It was also envisaged to use the AFA-BA-21 s apparatus for planned photography from low altitudes. To prevent stones and dust from getting into the lens during taxiing, it was closed with special shutters that automatically opened when working in the air. Since it was assumed that the pilot would slander his observations on a tape recorder, the aircraft was equipped with a MAG-9 sound recording device. The armament of the SR-2 consisted of two NR-23 guns. There were other differences between the photo reconnaissance and the MiG-17F.
The first flight of the SR-2 took place in June 1952. A. N. Chernoburov piloted the car. From that moment, a rather long cycle of factory tests began, which ended in January 1954. State tests of the aircraft were carried out almost in parallel, which began in July 1952 and ended on August 10, 1954. They were carried out by military test pilots S. A. Mikoyan and P. N Belyasnik, in addition to which the photo reconnaissance aircraft flew around Yu. A. Antipov and L. M. Kuvshinov, V. G. Ivanov, A. G. Solodovnikov and N. I. Korovushkin. In the State Testing Act, it was noted that in terms of its flight characteristics, the SR-2 significantly exceeds (except for the range) serial and experimental aircraft of a similar purpose, the Il-28R, Yak-125 and MiG-15Rbis. Satisfied the military and the capabilities of the reconnaissance photographic equipment. But the review from the cockpit was considered insufficient. The specialists of the Air Force Research Institute did not support the use of a new engine on the aircraft, although it developed 470 kgf more thrust in the afterburner than the VK-1F, and had a tighter weight, dimensions and specific consumption fuel. It was written in the Act: “... Adoption of a modified MiG-17R with a VK-5F engine is impractical, since its performance characteristics practically do not differ from the performance characteristics of a MiG-17F with a VK-1F engine. It is advisable to recommend the MiG-17R with the VK-1F engine with the same photo setup. It was such an aircraft (SR-2s product) that was put into small-scale production and entered service with front-line aviation.
The M-17F target aircraft, created on the basis of the MiG-17F. In front of the keel - steering gear fairing. Under the fuselage is a block of radio control equipment. Under the wingtips - photo control devices
Pilotless target M-17 was created on the basis of MiG-17F
Work on equipping the MiG-17 with unguided rocket weapons
In the early 50s, aviation design bureaus began to pay considerable attention to arming aircraft with unguided rockets (rockets - in the then terminology) of medium and large calibers. As one of the options, the SI-5 fighter was proposed, converted from the serial MiG-17 by installing launchers for two NAR: TRS-190 caliber 190 mm or C-21 caliber 210 mm. Cannon armament was preserved. The aircraft was equipped with an ASP-5N optical sight and a radio rangefinder SRD-1M "Radal-M". S-21s were hung on PU-21 launchers, and TRS-190s were placed in the pipes of PU-0-46 launchers. In the mid 50s. S-21s were put into mass production. The weapon system received the designation AS-21, it was equipped with the MiG-17A and MiG-17F, which became known as the MiG-17AS. At the same time, the aircraft were equipped with PU-21, which, as a rule, were placed in the places where the PTB was attached. Beams with NAR could also be installed between the outboard tanks and the fuselage. In this version, before launch, it was necessary to drop the PTB.
In August 1952, two ORO-190 aircraft guns were installed on the serial MiG-17 to fire the TRS-190. The ORO-190 suspension was made either between the fuselage and the PTB, or instead of tanks on special pylons. The use of launchers with long and short barrels was envisaged. An AP-2R automatic sight was installed on the aircraft. The experimental aircraft under the designation SI-19 passed factory, then State tests, but was not transferred to mass production.
In 1953, the prototype SI-16 aircraft was tested, the additional armament of which consisted of two eight-shot ORO-57 blocks for 57-mm ARS-57 Starling rockets. The blocks were suspended on pylons between the chassis and the PTB. The aircraft was equipped with an AP-57 sight. Shooting could be carried out simultaneously from two blocks. The aircraft successfully passed state tests, and the NAR installation was recommended for production. In the same year, on the basis of the serial MiG-17, another experimental SI-21 aircraft was created, on which several variants of additional weapons were tested. In the first, two ARS-212 (SI-21) missiles were placed on special cantilever beams in the root parts of the wing. In the second, the same NARs were installed on beams at the PTB suspension points. In the third (the fighter received the SI-21M code) - instead of the PTB, APU-5 launchers were placed under the ARS-212M. In 1954, the serial MiG-17F was modified to test the ARS-70 Lastochka missiles. Two five-shot NAR blocks were suspended on special beams. In the summer of 1959, the Civil Aviation Research Institute of the Air Force carried out regular tests of the MiG-17F, modified for the use of NAR and distinguished by the installation of two special beams between the main landing gear and the PTB. This armament option made it possible to carry: two 212-mm S-1 (TRS-212) NARs and two 400-liter PTBs or two ORO-57 units and two of the same tanks, or two S-1 and two FAB-250 bombs.
Attempts were made to equip NAR and interceptors. For these purposes, in the second half of 1954, the serial MiG-17PF (No. 58210627) was converted into an experimental aircraft SP-9. At the same time, instead of guns on a special carriage, four ZP-6-Sh "Whirlwind" assault rifles were installed in pairs on the right and left. Each of them contained six NAR ARS-57 and allowed to fire individual missiles. In addition, instead of PTB, eight-charge units with the same NAR were hung on the plane. While maintaining the external tanks, it was possible to install two five-shot units with ARS-70 missiles under the wing. Such a weapon system was not transferred to mass production.
Experienced aircraft CH
The SN factory code was given to a prototype aircraft designed to continue the experimental work of OKB-155 with mobile gun mounts. This program at the design bureau was led by the leading engineer N. I. Volkov. It was assumed that such a weapon system would give advantages when firing at both ground and air targets. The gun mount SV-25-MiG-17 was decided to be placed in the forward part of the fuselage, which required a serious modification of the aircraft. The entire front part up to frame No. 13 was remade. The aircraft was equipped with side air intakes, a new cockpit canopy and new two-shoe wheels KT-23 of the main bearings, and other necessary design changes were made. The car was equipped with an automatic radar sight-direction finder "Aist", coupled with a radio rangefinder "Radal-M" and an ASP-4NM optical sight.
The gun mount included three 23-mm experimental guns TKB-495 (AM-23), which had a rate of fire of 1250 rounds per minute and were intended primarily for hitting ground targets. They could move electrically from 27°26" up to 9°28" down, and the position of the sight changed synchronously. The installation weighed 469 kg. In 1953, GK Mosolov conducted factory tests of the CH. On February 15, 1954, the GI of the SV-25-MiG-17 installation began. Test pilots of the Civil Aviation Research Institute of the Air Force Yu. A. Antipov, A. P. Molotkov, N. P. Zakharov, S. A. Mikoyan, V. N. Makhalin, A. S. Solodovnikov and V. G. Ivanov completed 130 flights . Of these, only three were carried out on an SN aircraft, and the rest on a specially equipped Il-28 flying laboratory. In 13 flights, fire was fired at ground targets, and in total, the testers fired 15,000 rounds. Later, A. G. Solodovnikov recalled: “In terms of its flight data, the SN was somewhat inferior to the MiG-17, and in terms of the possibilities of using weapons it had advantages: it could hit higher-flying targets and fire at ground targets in level flight from low altitudes (100-200 m and below, depending on the qualifications of the pilot). As a result of the tests, we recommended the production of a small series of CH aircraft, but the higher command did not approve our recommendation. The aircraft was not put into production."
This decision was entirely justified. In terms of flight characteristics, the SN was significantly inferior to the MiG-17. The maximum speed decreased by 60 km/h, the time to climb 1000 m increased by 1.5 minutes, the service ceiling decreased by about 500 m, the turn time at an altitude of 10,000 m increased by 15 s. In addition, the new air intakes worsened the operating conditions of the engine: thrust decreased, surge phenomena appeared, it began to start worse in flight. Significant shortcomings of the cannon installation were also revealed. So, firing bursts from all deflected barrels caused a change in the aircraft's flight path. Moreover, with the deviation of the guns by more than 10 ° upwards, it turned out to be impossible to conduct aimed fire. It was required to develop an automated weapon and aircraft control system, but they did not begin to deal with it, and all work on the topic filed in OKB-155 was curtailed.
Comet Simulator
To simulate in the air a cruise missile of the Kometa aviation strike complex and to test the onboard guidance equipment, the SDK-5 aircraft was created (the stand-in aircraft for the Kometa, sometimes its simplified designation is found in the documents - SDK). The MiG-17 was taken as the basis, from which the armament was removed, a targeting system was placed above the air intake under the fairing, and antennas were installed in the fairing above the keel to receive signals from the carrier aircraft that correct the flight path. The car was equipped with an autopilot and control and recording equipment (KZA).
Target aircraft M-17 (based on the MiG-17). Under the fuselage, behind the fairing - a device for ejection of IR traps and chaff
Pilotless target M-17 (on the basis of MiG-17)
Target aircraft M-17PF (based on the MiG-17PF). Tracers installed under the wingtips
Pilotless target M-17PF (on the basis of MiG-17PF)
Target aircraft M-17P (based on the MiG-17P). All targets of this family could be piloted by a pilot, for example, when flying from a factory to a training ground
Pilotless target M-17P (op the basis of MiG-17P)
Several copies of the Comet simulators were built, which were used as follows. The carrier aircraft with a suspended KFOR took off and followed to the target area. The carrier crew had to work with it, as with a real rocket, with the exception of starting the engine on a simulator, which was carried out by its pilot. The navigator-operator, having found the target, switched the equipment to auto-tracking mode and then gave the command to the KFOR pilot to start the engine. After that, the simulator was uncoupled and aimed at the target, and its pilot did not interfere in the control. If the car did not deviate from the desired trajectory, then 500-600 m before the target, the pilot turned off the autopilot and followed to the airfield. The results of the launch were analyzed according to the KZA data.
State tests of the complex took place from July 1952 to January 1953 and ended with the launch of the Comet into mass production and its adoption into service. However, after the end of the tests, the use of SDK-5 continued. The fact is that real missile launches ended in their destruction. This prompted the military to use simulators in the process of combat training, which made it possible to more effectively work on improving the complex and testing its use. According to the directive of the Main Staff of the Navy No. 53280 dated August 30, 1955, the formation of the 124th long-range heavy bomber aviation regiment began as part of the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, which included 12 Tu-4KS carriers and other aircraft, including two SDK-5. There was a similar unit in the Northern Fleet.
Experienced aircraft SI-21. Under the second aerodynamic ridge there is a container with a movie camera
SI-21 test plane. Camera pod is under the second flow correcting airfoil
Experimental aircraft I-340 (SM-1)
On April 20, 1951, the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 1282-648 was issued, instructing OKB-155 to build an I-340 aircraft with two AM-5 engines based on the MiG-17. This non-afterburning turbojet engine was created at the Design Bureau of A. A. Mikulin and was a smaller version of the AM-3, the most powerful Soviet jet engine at that time. The I-340 was supposed to develop a maximum speed of 1160 km / h at an altitude of 2000 m, and 1080 km / h at 10,000 m, climb 10,000 m in 2.9 minutes and have a practical ceiling of at least 16,500 m.
In OKB-155, the aircraft received the code SM-1. To reduce the time needed to create the machine, Mikoyan suggested using an experimental SI-02, which would be equipped with two AM-5s, placing them side by side in the rear fuselage. Design began in May 1951 and was completed in September. The use of a new power plant required a change in the shape of the rear fuselage and made it possible to increase the capacity of the fuel system. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the air intake channels has been increased. At the bottom of the tail section, a compartment for a brake parachute was equipped.
Experienced aircraft SI-16
SI-16 test plane
Serial MiG-17AS
Serial MiG-17AS
Due to a delay in the delivery of engines at the end of the year, the assembly of the SM-1 was suspended and ended in March 1952. Factory tests were carried out by pilots G. A. Sedov and K. K. Kokkinaki, who discovered a whole bunch of design flaws in the aircraft and engine. Sedov recalled: “The SM-1, which received the nickname “Lyuska” in everyday life, ... was distinguished by an insufficiently sealed cabin, which made it possible to maintain constant pressure only when the engines were running. In case of their refusal, it was necessary to urgently decrease. The slightest delay, and the pilot began to bleed, and such failures were not uncommon. In flight, stops or engine surges were often observed during a sharp supply of gas sectors.
During the tests, the AM-5, which developed thrust up to 2000 kgf at the "maximum", was replaced by a more advanced AM-5A with thrust up to 2150 kgf. The total power of the two engines was higher than that of one VK-1F afterburner. This favorably affected the flight characteristics of the SM-1, for example, its maximum speed at an altitude of 5000 m increased to 1193 km / h, slightly exceeding the speed of sound. In addition, the new turbojet engines were more economical than the VK-1F, which, together with the increased fuel reserve, led to a significant increase in the range of the machine. However, in general, the characteristics were considered insufficient for a supersonic fighter, and in order to improve them, Mikulin decided to equip the AM-5A with an afterburner. Such an engine received the designation AM-5F, but was never prepared for installation on an aircraft. Based on it, a more powerful RD-9 was created, which was used on the MiG-19. The prototype SM-1 was later used to study the effect of cannon firing on engine operation.
Other experimental aircraft and flying laboratories based on the MiG-17
In 1952, a BU-1A booster installed in the elevator control channel was tested on a serial MiG-17. The booster was located in the keel. In the same year, another production aircraft, to improve the characteristics of longitudinal stability and controllability, was equipped with horizontal tail with a sweep of 55 ° (instead of 45 °) along the 1/4 chord line and an area increased to 3.47 mg (instead of 3.10 m2). Tests have shown that the longitudinal controllability when flying at high Mach numbers has improved. At the end of 1954, a laboratory aircraft was built on the basis of the serial MiG-17, which received the factory code SI-10. According to the recommendations of TsAGI, it was equipped with a new wing, which was supposed to provide improved maneuverability, stability at critical angles of attack, takeoff and landing. The wing was developed in OKB-155. It did not have a kink along the leading edge and aerodynamic ridges, but was equipped with automatic slats and retractable flaps of a new design. The slat deflected 12° and the flap deflected 16° during takeoff and 25° during landing. For the first time on a jet MiG, interceptors kinematically connected to the ailerons were used. They were located below the wing in front of the flaps and were released when the ailerons deflected more than 6 °. The SI-10 was equipped with a controllable stabilizer with deflection angles from -5° to +3°, which was moved by one BU-14 booster, while retaining the elevators. All these improvements led to an increase in the mass of the aircraft by 232 kg. Factory tests were carried out at the beginning of 1955 by G. K. Mosolov, G. A. Sedov and A. N. Chernoburov. State tests, including special studies on spins, took place in June-July 1955. Pilots of the Civil Aviation Research Institute of the Air Force S. A. Mikoyan, V. N. Makhalin, A. P. Molotkov and N. A. Korovin performed 47 flights with total chant 32 hours 10 minutes. Tests showed that the controlled stabilizer and interceptors significantly improved the aircraft's handling characteristics, especially at high altitudes and speeds. On the other hand, automatic slats, which significantly increased the mass of the machine, did not give great advantages in maneuverability.
The serial MiG-17P, which received the SP-11 code in OKB-155, was modified for the installation of an interception direction finder - an experimental Vstrecha-1 radar, coupled with a Grad radio range finder and an ASP-4NM optical sight. The aircraft was also equipped with an infrared sight SIV-52, intended for combat use at night. It was located in the cockpit above the dashboard and could move along a special rail. In an emergency, the SIV-52 was retracted by a special air cylinder that was activated during ejection. The finalization of the machine was completed on December 5, 1954, and after a control flight, it was handed over to the Air Force. In 1956, on the serial MiG-17PF, another heat direction finder was tested, which had the designation "Jupiter".
In order to test a new radar station ShM-60 pilot plant No. 155, together with KB-1 MOP, converted two MiG-17PF aircraft, which received the code SP-16. Factory flight tests of the ShM-60 station ended in October 1957 with a positive result, but it was not introduced into mass production. On one of the serial MiG-17PF, the Globus-2 equipment was tested. At the same time, the keel was modified for the installation of the DDV-1 antenna and the nose cone for the installation of two of the same antennas.
Aviation gun ORO-190 for firing missiles TRS-190
Rocket gun ORO-190 for shooting with aimed missile TPC-190
The MiG-17 was also used in the works of L II. At least two machines were involved in research on vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. One MiG-17 was installed vertically in order to study the effect of a jet stream on the ground and concrete pavements. The other was converted into a flying laboratory LL-MiG-17 and in 1956-1959. was involved in experiments on the topic "Turbolet" - test pilots Ya. I. Vernikov and S. N. Anokhin investigated the effectiveness of jet ailerons in the air.
Polish variants
In 1955, the Soviet Union handed over to Poland the documentation for the licensed production of the MiG-17F and VK-1F engines. The aircraft was put into production at the WSK-PZL-Mielec plant in Mielec and received the designation Lim-5 (factory code - "1C"). At the same time, production of the VK-1F, which received the designation Lis-5, began in Rzeszow. The first serial fighter (serial number 1С 00-01) left the assembly shop on November 28, 1956. After completion of the tests, it became the personal aircraft of the commander of the Polish Air Force, General J. Frey-Bieletsky. Until the end of the year, three more cars were produced (No. 1C 01-02, 1C 02-01 and 1C 02-02). From February 8 to April 19, 1957, the 1C 02-01 machine passed the control tests, which were carried out by pilots 3. Strek, 3. Korab, M. Skovronsky and lead engineer T. Kuts. The performance characteristics of the fighter slightly differed from those of the serial MiG-17F. The test report stated that "... the aircraft has satisfactory flight and operational characteristics." At the same time, although the SRD-1M radio range finder has not yet been installed on the car, it turned out to be 130 kg heavier than the Soviet one.
Experimental aircraft SP-10, on which in the summer of 1955 a new double-barreled rapid-fire gun was tested
SP-10 test plane for new high firing-rate twin barrel cannon testing. Summer 1955
The problem with weight culture at the plant in Mielec also affected all serial Lim-5s, which had a slightly larger take-off weight than the MiG-17F, although their fuel supply was reduced. But, surprisingly, according to the test report, the maximum speed of the aircraft at an altitude of 3000 m increased to 1154 km / h. This can be explained either best quality external surface (which is unlikely), or an error in the report. During the production process, the aircraft were refined. So, on the 1C 07-07 machine, a new afterburner switching device was used, starting with the 1C 16-13 fighter, the SRO-1 transponder was replaced by the SRO-2. The last 477th Lim-5 was officially delivered in June 1960. Aircraft of this type formed the basis of the fighter aviation of the Polish Air Force until the MiG-21 was put into operation.
The direct development of the Lim-5 was the Lim-5R photo reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with AFA-39 in a special compartment under the central part of the fuselage. The aircraft 1C 02-01 was used as a prototype.
At the end of the 50s. The Soviet Union delivered a number of MiG-17PF interceptors to Poland. On January 18, 1959, the plant in Mielec produced the first licensed Lim-5P (factory code "1D"), which was an exact copy of the late series MiG-17PF with the RP-5 Izumrud-2 radar. The armament of the aircraft consisted of three NR-23 cannons with up to 100 rounds of ammunition each. A total of 129 Lim-5Ps were produced by 29 December 1960.
Experienced aircraft CH
The SDK-5 aircraft is a simulator of the Kometa cruise missile
SDK-5 plane was "Kometa" cruise missile flying test stand
Experienced aircraft CM-1
SM-1 test plane
Wing of experimental aircraft SI-10
SI-10 test plane wing
MiG-17 - aerodynamic flying laboratory LII
MiG-17 flying testbed
Despite being put into service, the Polish Air Force was not completely satisfied with the performance of the Lim-5. Both the military and the designers believed that it was necessary to use more efficient wing mechanization and an all-moving stabilizer, improve aerodynamics, increase engine thrust, equip the aircraft with a second pair of external tanks and unguided rockets. To improve visibility, the cockpit should have been moved forward and side air intakes should have been used. However, the design team, which at first consisted of only four people, had to deal with this. It is clear that there were problems with the implementation of ideas. And so two young engineers went to Moscow to OKB-155, where they talked about their attempts to develop an all-moving GO for the Lim-5. They were asked: “How many people do you have on this issue?” "Fourty!" - without blinking, the Poles were cunning, otherwise they simply would not have been listened to. But even this was not enough for Mikoyan's specialists, and the Polish initiative did not receive support in Moscow.
Nevertheless, the enthusiasm of the engineers from Mielz did not disappear, and they began to improve the Lim-5. So, in 1958, under the leadership of F. Borodzik, the project of the CM-I aircraft was developed, which differed from the serial fighter by the possibility of installing two launch boosters SR with a thrust of 1000 kgf each, and the presence of a ventral-flag crest of a container for a braking parachute SH- 19. Almost simultaneously with the CM-I aircraft, its variant SM-P was developed, which was intended primarily for direct support of ground forces. To expand the possibilities of basing on unpaved airfields, it was decided to equip the main landing gear of this machine with twin wheels. In addition, metal fuel tanks were placed outside the wing root, which were also fairings for the twin wheels in the retracted position. This made it possible to increase the operational capacity of the fuel system by 513 liters. Subsequently, pilots nicknamed these fairing tanks "scarves" or "collars".
SM-I was obtained by reworking Lim-5 No. 1C 10-30. In addition to the above changes, some others were made to the car. In particular, the RV-2 radio altimeter antennas were moved from the wing to the lower surface of the fuselage and covered with fairings. On July 2, 1959, the car entered the tests, which were carried out in the Pomeranian military district. The report on their results noted that “... the landing gear has passed the test and can be allowed for operation, ... the use of twin wheels allows you to completely abandon the operation of aircraft of this type on concrete and asphalt airfields.
According to the results of flight tests, the design of the SM-P was finalized, and since 1960 it was introduced into mass production, where it received the designation Lim-5M (factory code "1F"), on November 30, the first serial modernized fighter (serial number 1F) left the stocks in Mieltz 01-01). All Lim-5Ms were equipped with thick-walled plastic-lined fairing tanks, which had a total capacity of 475 liters. Under the wing it was possible to hang two 8-, 15- or 24-charging C-5 type NAR units. According to the operating instructions, the takeoff run with afterburner was 710-770 m (depending on the runway coverage), and when the launch boosters were turned on, it was reduced to 350-370 m. The run was 1140 m, and when using a brake parachute - no more than 670 m.
Lim-5M began to arrive in the Air Force and Aviation of the Polish Navy, where they met with a very cool attitude. The performance characteristics of the aircraft deteriorated significantly due to the increased flight weight and additional aerodynamic drag of the fairing tanks. The main thing is that fuel consumption has increased, which is why the radius of the aircraft has not increased. In addition, the production of fuel from additional tanks affected the alignment of the machine. Therefore, on May 10, 1961, after the release of the 60th copy, the production of Lim-5M was curtailed.
Based on the Lim-5M, several modifications were developed, but they remained only on paper. So, in June 1960, the Lim-5MR photo reconnaissance project was prepared, which had three options for target equipment. It was supposed to install containers for AFA-39 or AFA-BA-40R, or AFA-BAF-21S and AFPN-21 cameras at the wingtips, while the wingspan increased to 10.58 m.
During the serial production of Lim-5M, solutions for improving the aircraft were worked out at the SM 16-01 flying laboratory. To improve braking efficiency, a system was installed at the base of the keel with two containers of brake parachutes placed side by side, which were released simultaneously, the right one on a long halyard, the left one on a short one. The aircraft test program in this configuration was carried out in 1960. In October, a single-dome braking system, installed in a similar way, was tested on the first Lim-5M prototype. Subsequently, just such a solution was implemented on the next modification of the machine.
In order to increase the efficiency of wing mechanization, in 1960 the designers designed slotted flaps equipped with a boundary layer blowing system (SPS). The air taken from the engine compressor was released through the slots on the upper surface of the flaps, which ensured their continuous flow around them at significantly large deflection angles and, as a result, increased lift. In January 1961, the system was tested on the SM 16-01 aircraft. In the documents, this option was designated as Lim-5M-ll. The Lis-5 engine, modified for the ATP system, received the designation Lis-5M.
In May 1961, an initial batch of 40 Lim-5M-ll fighter-bombers was built, which received the official designation Lim-6 (factory code "1J", factory numbers 1J 04-01 - 1J 04-40). The engine also received a new designation - Lis-b. In addition to those mentioned above, these aircraft also had a number of minor improvements. The shape of the aerodynamic ridges on the wing was changed, the air intake was lengthened, which gave an increase in speed at low altitudes. For additional cooling of the engine, flaps were installed on the two upper rear fuselage hatches that open when it is running. However, in this form, Lim-b did not hit the unit. Unexpectedly faced with the problem of unstable engine operation. Many versions have been put forward about the reasons for his surging. They also sinned on an elongated air intake, and on the irrational design of hatches with dampers, which were first replaced with hatches with air intakes, and then the hatch covers were removed altogether. All this did not give the desired result. Further tests showed that the cause of the surge was the air intake manifolds of the SPS system, or rather, the holes in them that supplied air to the flaps. Only after the production of special check valves for these collectors at the plant in Rzeszow, the Lis-b surge problem was solved. From July 6 to July 8, 1961, five test flights were performed on the SM 16-01 aircraft under different conditions, but surge did not occur in any of them. But this was not the only problem - the temperature of the gases behind the turbine was too high.
Under the wing of this Lim-5 50-kg bombs are suspended
50 kg bombs are hung under the wing of this Lim-5
Braking parachute container under the fin is a feature of Lim-6
By January 18, 1962, the SM 16-01 was finalized, and from that date factory tests began on it under the Lim-6 program. The serial Lim-6 with serial number 1J 04-04 was also involved in these flights. Until March 29, the testers received enough material for them to form a very critical opinion about the aircraft. In their report, the pilots J. Menet and 3. Slonovsky noted that "... the lack of a stability margin and the insufficient efficiency of the horizontal tail are a great danger in operation, especially when the rear alignment of the aircraft." It also turned out that the SPS system slightly reduces the length of the run. As a result, Lim-6 received a verdict: "... in its present form, the aircraft cannot be allowed to operate."
The tests were interrupted. It was clear that neither the fairing tanks nor the ATP system lived up to expectations. It seemed that of all the Polish innovations, it was advisable to keep the container with a drag parachute, launch boosters and twin wheels, for which, however, it was still necessary to choose the optimal fairings. To this end, on April 6, tests began on an experimental aircraft obtained by reworking the serial Lim-5R with serial number 1C 19-04. Two days later, SM 16-01 with dismantled tanks-fairings was also connected to the work. The main part of the flight program was carried out by Slonovsky. A total of 50 flights took place, in which 12 types of fairings were tested. The results were depressing: the newly-appeared growths on the lower surface of the wing caused vibrations and oscillations of the aircraft. The disappointment of the testers was reflected in their conclusion, which, in particular, said: "... the opinion that existed so far about the suitability of dual wheels is erroneous."
On an experimental Polish aircraft No. 1C 19-04, various options for dual wheel fairings were worked out
Different versions of dual wheels fairing was tested on #1C19-04 test plane
Prototype Lim-5M (CM-II - on trial)
Lim-5m (CM-II) test prototype is under development flight tests
Lim-6 prototype
Lim-6bis were equipped with NAR Mars-2 units
Lim-6bis carrying launchers of Mars-2 aimed missiles
Scout Lim-6R
Lim-6R reconnaissance plane
Nevertheless, after the completion of the tests, it was decided: when resuming mass production of the Lim-6, the tanks-fairings and flaps with the ATP system should be abandoned, and the dual wheels, drag parachute and launch boosters should be retained. In order for the aircraft to truly become a fighter-bomber, it was proposed to equip it with NAR units located on underwing pylons. To clarify the effect of various options for suspension weapon systems on the aerodynamics of the aircraft, from June 19 to August 6, 1962, the once again modified machine No. 1C 19-04 was tested. They were led by engineer T. Shteptchik, and Slonovsky piloted the aircraft, which performed 63 flights on it. Six main options for strike weapons and reconnaissance photocontainers were investigated. The equipping of the aircraft with two NAR Mars-2 units (Polish analogue of the Soviet UB-16-57u) on pylons located near the fuselage was recognized as satisfactory. With regard to reconnaissance containers, no final conclusions were made. After the completion of these tests, the commission once again drew attention to the fact that "... the use of twin landing gear wheels on an aircraft significantly disrupts its aerodynamics, which is manifested by vibrations and shaking at high speeds."
Nevertheless, in the project of the Lim-6bis fighter-bomber, which appeared in the second half of 1962, such wheels were laid. However, this time they did not hurry with the construction of mass-produced machines, but conducted special tests on the newly modified aircraft No. 1C 10-30. The flight program began on 5 December. In the course of its implementation, variants with both twin and single wheels were tested, as well as with several new combinations of outboard weapons. The flights ended on April 16, 1963. Their result was the final determination of the appearance of Lim-6bis: they decided to equip the aircraft with single wheels, two Mars-2 blocks and two 400-liter PTBs. Other weapon options included 250 kg and 100 kg bombs. Soon, serial production of these machines began at the plant in Mielz. Moreover, at first, the Lim-6 of the fourth series was appropriately converted, in addition, the Lim-5M was also converted into “encores”. The last Lim-6bis with serial number 1J 06-40 left the assembly shop on February 25, 1964. By that time, 70 machines of this type had been built and received by conversion from earlier versions.
From April 15 to June 24, 1964, Lim-6bis underwent state tests, in which serial copy No. 1J 05-04 was involved. The aircraft had a normal flight weight of 5550 kg, maximum - 6500 kg. Equipped with external suspension, it showed a maximum speed of 1019 km / h at an altitude of 3000 m and was able to climb 10,000 m in 8.3 minutes. In general, Lim-6bis was considered a fairly successful machine and for a number of years remained the main fighter-bomber in Poland. A number of these aircraft were delivered to the GDR, Egypt and Indonesia.
In 1971, according to the model of Lim-6bis, the re-equipment of Lim-5P interceptors, outdated by that time, began. At the same time, the radar was dismantled, and to maintain alignment, the battery was transferred to the forward fuselage. Pylons were installed on the wing for the suspension of weapons. A partial replacement of equipment was also carried out, in particular, instead of the RV-2 radio altimeter, a more modern RV-UM was installed. The braking parachute was not used on these aircraft. The machines received a new designation - Lim-6M.
In the process of working on Lim-6bis, searches were made for the most good option photo reconnaissance at its base. So, in the summer of 1964, a CMR aircraft was tested, equipped with an AFA-39 on a movable platform in the lower part of the fuselage and two more side cameras. However, the Lim-6R was adopted with one AFA-39 in the fuselage compartment. According to the type of this aircraft, several Lim-5Rs were also converted and received the designation Lim-6MR.
Chinese variants
According to some reports, by the mid-1950s, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force was already armed with the MiG-17 / 17F, which were supplied by the Soviet Union and received the local designation J-4. In 1955, the documentation for the licensed production of the MiG-17F was transferred to the Shenyang plant, and in July of the following year, flight tests of the Chinese version of the fighter, designated J-5, began. In terms of its performance characteristics, it almost did not differ from the Soviet prototype. At the same time, the plant in Harbin launched the production of the VK-1F engine, which was assigned the Xian WP-5 index. The Chinese stopped production of the J-5 in 1959, having manufactured 767 fighters. Part of these aircraft under the designation F-5 was exported.
In 1961, the creation of the first Chinese all-weather interceptor J-5A, which was an analogue of the MiG-17PF, began. The aircraft was equipped with the Izumrud radar and armed with three NR-23 cannons. In July 1964, the assembly of the prototype was completed, and in November it made its first flight. The following year, the interceptor was launched into mass production. Its export version was designated F-5A.
On the basis of the J-5, in 1965, specialists from the plant in Chengdu began to create a two-seat training aircraft JJ-5, designed to replace the UTI-MiG-15. The new Spark was equipped with a radar and a Xian (XAE) WP-5D (licensed copy of the VK-1A) engine without afterburner. The aircraft had an intercom SPU-2P, the armament consisted of one cannon of the "23-1" type (similar to HP-23), installed to the right of the nose landing gear. The first flight of the experimental JJ-5 took place on May 8, 1966. After testing was completed at the Chengdu plant, mass production began, which continued until the end of 1986. In total, according to Jane's Aircraft Upgrades, 1061 copies of the JJ-5 were built.
According to Chinese experts, the JJ-5 training aircraft is superior to the UTI-MiG-15. Chinese Air Force Demonstration Team aerobatics and still performs on these machines. "Sparks" were exported under the designation FT-5 and were very popular in a number of countries. So, according to the same directory, Albania received 35 cars, Pakistan - 20, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe - two each.
Above the open spaces 1/6 of the land *
In the Soviet Union, MiG-17s were operated by the Air Force, Air Defense Aviation and Navy, as well as by DOSAAF. No matter how big the magazine article is, however, in it, unfortunately, it is impossible to describe in detail the ups and downs of the long-term service of this aircraft, so we will dwell only on the main points.
As of January 1, 1955, Soviet front-line aviation had 2,150 MiG-17s of various modifications. The retraining of pilots who had previously mastered the MiG-15 on them went without problems. Like its predecessor, the car was easy to pilot and accessible to pilots of average skill. The aircraft had good maneuverability, for example, the MiG-17 performed a combat turn at an altitude of 5400 m in 45 seconds, and the MiG-17F, turning on the afterburner, in 38. All MiG-17 variants were designed for a maximum operational overload of 8 without external hangers and for 4.5 with filled PTB. "Seventeenth" were distinguished by unpretentiousness in maintenance, and the reliability of their engines has become simply legendary. large birds and tops of trees, but, as a rule, VK-1 endured such abuse.
During the operation of the MiG-17 in the troops, there was a maximum speed limit of 1114 km / h, which was associated with the occurrence of aileron reversal. In addition, at medium altitudes, approximately at the same speed, the control of the aircraft in the longitudinal channel became significantly more difficult. In level flight, it was not difficult to comply with the restriction, but in a dive, the fighter accelerated very briskly, and pilots, especially young ones, happened to make mistakes. To get out of the dive, the pilot began to pull the “heavy” handle with all his might towards himself and in this state could involuntarily create a slight roll, after which the plane entered a steep spiral, from which it was very difficult to get it out. There are several similar cases with tragic consequences. For example, in 1972, under similar circumstances, a cadet of the Armavir VVAUL PVO died. The installation of an elevator booster on the late MiG-17F series made it possible to largely solve this problem.
The first copy of the J-5 Chinese licensed version of the MiG-17F
J-5 first prototype is MiG-17F which built in China under the license
The JJ-5 training aircraft developed in China was supplied to Pakistan (pictured) and other countries
The JJ-5 trainer created in China was delivered to Pakistan (see picture) and other countries
In the 50s. MiG-17s were used for their intended purpose, at that time forming the basis of the fighter aviation of the USSR. These planes regularly appeared on air parades, filmmakers liked to shoot them. Not without the participation of the MiG-17 during the Hungarian and Czechoslovak events. And, of course, the “seventeenths” were involved in almost all exercises in which aviation was used. One of them was maneuvers with the use of tactical nuclear weapons at the Totsk training ground, which were led by the Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. To participate in them, the 119th IAD, which included the 86th Guards, 157th and 947th Fighter Aviation Regiments, was relocated from Tiraspol to the exercise area. On September 14, 1954, three Il-28 regiments of the 140th bomber division headed for the target, each squadron was covered by MiG-17 units from the flanks. Special goggles protected the pilots from the flash. Seeing the mushroom of an atomic explosion, the armada of aircraft began to go around it. However, not all pilots managed to avoid the huge cloud of contaminated dust blown by the wind. It turned out to be almost impossible to maneuver in tight formation, and many pilots of the "seventeenth" had to fly through a radioactive cloud. This case was not the only one of its kind in the Soviet Armed Forces. On Novaya Zemlya there was a special air unit, armed, including the MiG-17, whose pilots regularly visited the nuclear genie.
Front-line fighters in limited numbers also entered the air defense aviation, where they also gained a good reputation, but before the appearance of aircraft with the VK-1F, they clearly fell short in terms of high-altitude characteristics. However, interceptors were primarily intended for air defense, and here problems arose during the development of the MiG-17P s combat units. It turned out that the methodology for training pilots and the guidance system did not correspond to the increased capabilities of the machine. On this occasion, the honored test pilot Hero of the Soviet Union Yu. A. Antipov recalled: “In the mid-50s, the air defense of the Baku District began to be often disturbed by scouts flying from Iran. It would seem that it’s easier - point the MiG-17P interceptors at them and the matter is over. But all attempts were in vain. The intelligence officer knew that the entire zone of the Caspian Sea was divided in half between the air defense of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, and he skillfully used this. Maneuvering from west to east, he only irritated the air defense of both regions and, having completed his task, went home. As soon as the scout came into the field of view of the Baku air defense, the interceptors immediately rose and aimed at the target, but the MiG-17P pilots did not see it. They began to sin on the guidance and aiming equipment. To provide assistance, G. T. Beregov and I urgently flew to Baku. Having quickly figured out what was going on and having performed a series of demonstrative intercepts of Il-28 manned targets, they diagnosed it as too inert guidance service. While information about the intruder reached the pilot from the ordinary radar operator, the target managed to go a considerable distance, and even perform a maneuver. As a result, the pilot was looking for his opponent in a completely different place.
* This and the following sections have been supplemented by the editors with materials by A. V. Kotlobovsky
In DOSAAF, MiG-17s were used to maintain the skills of piloting fighters among civilian pilots who were in the Air Force reserve. The photo shows the aircraft of the Kaluga Aviation Training Center, 1968.
MiG-17 ofDOSAAF were used for AFReserve civil pilots training. Seen here the aircraft of Kaluga training aviation centre, 1968
After the end of the flight shift, the MiG-17 are towed to the parking
MiG-17 is under the towing after flying day finish
As has been noted more than once in AiV publications, automatic drifting balloons delivered a lot of trouble to the Soviet air defense system. The pilots of the "seventeenth" could not stay away from the fight against them. So, in the summer of 1954, the commander of a separate squadron of the MiG-17P k-nuL. I. Savichev managed to destroy the ADA near Chernivtsi, which was flying at an altitude of 10,000 m, and spent only nine shells for this. A few days later, Savichev again flew to intercept the balloon, but this balloon was at a higher altitude, and although the pilot used up all the ammunition, he could not shoot it down.
Remained in the biography of the MiG-17 and meetings with the high-altitude American reconnaissance aircraft U-2. In 1956, one of the pilots of the Moscow Air Defense District, flying in the capital, saw high above him aircraft of an unfamiliar design, which slowly sailed at an echelon of about 20 km. Getting it was not possible. The pilot reported this to his superiors, but they did not believe him - information about the new intelligence officer had not yet been received by the Soviet air defense system. Ground-based radar operators also failed to confirm the flight of the American aircraft. Somewhat later, they managed to detect a high-altitude target for a short time, but there was no stable tracking. In 1957, over Primorye, two MiG-17Ps from the 17th IAP unsuccessfully tried to get a U-2. In the same year, the pilot of the 9th GIAP near the border with Uzbekistan again tried to intercept the U-2, and was able to reach the ceiling of his "seventeenth". However, the American calmly proceeded further at an altitude of more than 20 km.
On April 9, 1960, F. Power set off from the air base in Peshawar (Pakistan) for another reconnaissance raid on a U-2. He crossed the Soviet border in the region of Turkmenistan, at an altitude of 20-21 km made several calls over the range of the Air Defense Forces in the area of Lake Balkhash, then turned around, flew around the Baikonur range and, after spending 6 hours 48 minutes over the territory of the USSR, went abroad. The U-2 remained beyond the reach of either the interceptors of the Air Defense Corps or the fighters of the 73rd Air Army. In the hope that the American reconnaissance aircraft might descend on the way back, two MiG-17s from the 156th IAP, based at the Mary-2 airfield, flew up to intercept it, and the pilots received command permission to cross the Iranian border. Pursuing Powers, the MiGs went deep into the territory of the neighboring country up to 300 km, but this time fortune did not help the Soviet fighters. The fuel quickly melted, and they were forced to return to their airfield. Interestingly, the Iranian government did not even make statements about the violation of the border by Soviet aircraft.
Several more episodes in the biography of the MiG-17 are associated with this country. In the summer of 1963, a twin-engine piston aircraft Aircom-mander-560 violated the airspace of the USSR from Iran. To intercept it, the commander of the 17th IAD PVO, colonel A.D. Kotov, raised two MiG-17Ps from the 156th IAP. The interceptors were piloted by the flight commander Mr. Stepanov and Art. l-t Sudarikov. The pilots made an attempt to land the intruder, but he, turning around, stubbornly broke through to the border. Stepanov had to open fire. The plane caught fire and crashed a kilometer from the border on Iranian territory. As it was established later, an Iranian intelligence officer and a colonel in the American army were killed. Interestingly, it was at this time that a USSR delegation headed by L. I. Brezhnev was in Iran on a friendly visit. A year later, another Iranian Aircommander-560 crossed the Soviet border in the Serehs area. To intercept him, the link of Mr. Pechenkin from the same regiment was raised. The fighters forced the intruder to land on one of the alternate airfields in the area of the city of Mary. The crew of the aircraft was subsequently handed over to the Iranian side.
MiG-17F after a forced landing on the territory of Germany in 1966. The cause of the incident was a mistake by a Soviet pilot
MiG-17F after emergency landing in the FRG territory on 1966. The reason was Soviet pilot navigation mistake
Not only air defense pilots, but also the Air Force and Navy aviation took part in countering the intruder aircraft. It is the naval pilots who own the first air victory won on the MiG-17. On July 29, 1953, at 6:56 a.m., a pair of the 88th GIAP of the Air Force of the Pacific Fleet was raised from the Nikolaevka airfield, consisting of the leader officer A. Rybakov and the follower officer Yu. Yablonsky. At 7:06 a.m., they received instructions to intercept an unknown aircraft that was in the airspace of the USSR over the Ussuri Bay and was moving at an altitude of 10,000 m in the direction of about. Askold. At 07:11, the Pacific Oceans caught up with the American RB-50 strategic reconnaissance aircraft and approached it. At the same time, from the defensive fire of the Boeing, Rybakov's car received holes in the bow and left wing plane. In response, a pair of MiG-17s opened fire, and at 7.16 it was all over: the RB-50, falling apart, crashed into the water 15 km south of Askold. Of the 17 crew members on board, only the second survived. pilot l-t D. Rogue, who, after a fairly long swim, was picked up by American rescuers.
However, meetings with the Yankees did not always end so triumphantly. On May 6, 1954, two B-47s violated the USSR air border over the Kola Peninsula. A pair of MiG-17s from the 1619th IAP of the Northern Fleet Aviation was raised to intercept. The fire was fired from a long distance and was ineffectual. A repeated attack by another MiG-17 from the 614th IAP also did not bring success. Three days later, the best sniper of the aviation of the Northern fleet k-n M. Kitaichik tried to intercept the RB-47 in the Arkhangelsk region on the still completely new MiG-17PF. The planes exchanged shots, but the American managed to get away. The commander of the aviation of the Northern Fleet, Lieutenant General of Aviation I. I. Borzov, who was removed from his post, was responsible for these failures.
In the same year, the combat debut of the MiG-17 took place outside the USSR. In the summer, an unsolicited B-26 began to appear regularly over Bulgaria, which, in all likelihood, carried out reconnaissance missions in the interests of the CIA. There were no more Soviet troops in the country, and the Bulgarians had nothing to oppose to this visitor at that time, and they turned to Moscow for help. There, the decision was made quickly and a MiG-17PF unit from the 3rd GIAP, led by a participant in the war in Korea, Mr. A. A. Zhdanovich, was sent on a business trip. The group flew to one of the airfields near Bucharest, since there were still Soviet units in Romania, and from the end of July began to carry out patrol flights in the Bulgarian sky. The pilots went on missions one by one, and it fell to the commander himself to meet with the American. On one of the August nights, he discovered the intruder, chased him for a long time and shot him down at the very border. In the same month, the Zhdanovich four returned to the Union.
MiG-17PF from the 146th GIAP. Vasilkov, late 50s
Mnr-17pf of the 146th GIAP. Vasilkov airfield, late 50s
MiG-17 VVSTOF. Nikolaevka, first half of the 50s
MiG-17 of Pacific Navy AF. Nikolaevka airfield, first half 50s
Troubleshooting the Emerald radar
"Izumrud" radar repairing
Left brake flap MiG-17
MiG-17 left airbrake
Right brake shield MiG-17F
MiG-17F right airbrake
MiG-17PF received NATO code Fresco-D
MiG-17PF received Fresco-D code in NATO
Pre-flight maintenance of the MiG-17 of the 676th IAP. Azerbaijan, Ajinabul airfield, 1957
MiG-17 "s maintenance before flight by 676th IAP. Azerbaijan, Ajinabul airfield, 1957
Troubleshooting the H-37 gun
Elimination of H-37 gun's defects
MiG-17 - a visual aid of the Kharkov Institute of Pilots, summer 1999
MiG-17 is the visual aid of Kharkov pilots institute, summer 1999
In the mid 50s. changes took place in the structure of the Soviet Air Force: attack aviation was disbanded, and in May 1957, the formation of a new type of aviation began - fighter-bomber (IBA). By this time, all modifications of the MiG-17 began to rapidly become obsolete. Therefore, in 1960, a number of regiments armed with MiG-17s were transferred to the IBA divisions. At the same time, the armament of the aircraft was strengthened: NAR or bombs with a caliber of up to 250 kg were added to the three guns. When operating on ground targets, bombing from level flight, diving and pitching, firing from cannons and NARs after performing a combat turn, half-loop, Nesterov's loop were widely used. The tactics of attacking ground targets were basically the same as those adopted for attack aircraft based on the MiG-15bis. Only the speed of the fighter input into the maneuver has changed: it has increased from 800 to 870 km/h.
In the Soviet Union, the "seventeenth" were operated for almost 30 years. In some schools, for example, in the Armavir VVAUL PVO, these aircraft continued to produce pilots until at least 1977. longer. It is worth noting that in many aviation universities, both military and civilian, the "seventeenth" are still used, however, as visual aids.
Soldier of four continents
The MiG-17 and its modifications, including Polish and Chinese production, were in service in all Warsaw Pact countries, as well as in Albania, Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Zambia, Cambodia, China, Congo, Cuba, Egypt , Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iraq, Malagasy Republic, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, North Korea, North and South Yemen, Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda and Yugoslavia .
The first foreign pilots to test the MiG-17 in real air combat were the Chinese. On a July night in 1956, ground-based radar operators discovered an unknown aircraft and soon aimed a fighter piloted by the Hero of the People's Republic of China, Lu Ming, at it. The enemy, which turned out to be a Taiwanese B-17, was destroyed very quickly. Two months later, pilot Zhang Wenyi shot down another Kuomintang aircraft at night in bad weather. "Mao's Falcons", piloting the MiG-17 and J-5, and in the future had to engage in battle with Taiwanese aircraft more than once. For example, on August 14, 1958, PLA fighters entered the battle over about. Pingtan with 12 Taiwanese Sabers. Pilot Zhou Chun-fu shot down two F-86Fs, but he himself died. On September 24, an event occurred that went down in the history of air warfare - for the first time in combat, air-to-air guided missile weapons were used. Approximately 30 Chinese J-5s and fourteen Taiwanese F-86Fs met in the air that day, six of which fired AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles. According to the Kuomintang communiqué, as a result of this attack, four PLA Air Force fighters were shot down, and another six were destroyed by artillery fire. "Greater" China admitted that Taiwanese fighters destroyed one J-5 with missiles. Another plane was hit by the Sidewinder, but it did not explode, and the pilot brought a kind of souvenir to his airfield.
In the fall of 1956, the "seventeenth" entered the battle in another hot spot on the globe. On October 29, the second Arab-Israeli war began in the Middle East, which broke out between Egypt and Israel, soon supported by England and France (for more details, see AiV, Nos. 3,4 "98). Shortly before the start of hostilities, Egypt received from the USSR the first twelve MiG-17Fs, which were concentrated at the Kabrit air base. The Israelis also had a novelty - the French Mystere IVA. The Soviet and French fighters were very similar aircraft both in design and performance characteristics. With a normal takeoff weight, the MiG-17F and Mister IVA "had specific wing loads, respectively, 236.9 and 234 kg / m2, when the engines were running at the" maximum "their thrust-to-weight ratio near the ground was 0.486 and 0.6. Therefore, the French fighter had a higher vertical speed near the ground, but at altitudes more than 3000 m this advantage was lost. The same applied to the flight speed. Near the ground in the afterburner, the Mister flew faster than the MiG by 60 km / h, at medium altitudes the capabilities of the aircraft were almost equal, and n and at 1,2000 m, the “seventeenth” already surpassed the opponent in speed by 70 km / h. It should be noted that the Arabs did not have time to properly master the "seventeenth" before the start of the conflict, they used them very carefully and did not win victories. In general, only a few battles were noted with the participation of these fighters, in one of which the Israeli pilot Y. Nevo chalked up the MiG-17. However, the Egyptians did not recognize this loss.
The "Seventeenth" remained constant participants in the subsequent Arab-Israeli conflicts. Their meetings with various enemy fighters were held with varying degrees of success. So, on February 14, 1959, in one of the border incidents, a pair of the latest Super-Mysteres invaded Egyptian airspace over the Gaza Strip and attacked two patrolling MiG-17Fs, damaging one of them. In turn, during the "six-day" war of 1967, the Egyptians shot down the "Super-Mister" on June 6, and on June 9, the Syrian pilots destroyed the "Mister" in an air battle over the Golan Heights. The pilots of the "seventeenth" had to deal with much more advanced "Mirages". Most of these fights ended in favor of the Israelis. For example, the Mirages shot down at least three Egyptian MiG-17Fs in the same “six-day” war and three more Syrian ones in the October 1973 war. But in the last conflict, the Syrian “seventeenths” shot down two such fighters.
Often in the Soviet air defense regiments, the MiG-17 was operated in conjunction with the MiG-19PM (pictured), Yak-25 and Yak-28P
MiG-17 were often operated joint with MiG-19PM (see photo), Yak-25 and Yak-28P by Soviet air regiments
However, starting from the 60s, the main task of the Arab air units armed with the MiG-17 was not at all the fight against an air enemy, but actions against ground targets. So, on the eve of the "Six-Day" War, the Syrians brought all their MiG-17Fs into three assault squadrons, and the Egyptians allocated five squadrons of MiG-15bis / 17F fighter-bombers from the Air Force and reassigned them directly to the command of the ground forces. And although in the first hours of the war, Israeli aircraft staged a real pogrom on Arab airfields, the remaining "seventeenth" attacked the columns of the advancing Jewish troops with a determination that even the enemy recognized. The ageless MiG-17s also fought very effectively in October 1973, and due to their relatively small size and high maneuverability, they turned out to be more difficult targets for Israeli air defense than the Su-7BMK. The successful use of the MiG-17F in this conflict allowed them to remain in service for about 10 more years.
Interestingly, in May 1976, the English magazine Air International raised the question of the advisability of creating specialized attack aircraft, while the outdated MiG-17F could attack ground targets without significant losses. However, already in those years, its capabilities as a strike aircraft could hardly be considered sufficient for a European theater of operations. For combat operations in Asia and Africa, the MiG-17 was much better suited, but even there time inexorably took its toll. This is clearly seen in the example of the war in Afghanistan. After the April Revolution of 1978, the DRA inherited 86 MiG-17/17F from the former regime. In the first years of the conflict, these aircraft proved themselves so well that even the question of additional deliveries from the USSR was raised, but by that time the necessary number of them was no longer found in the Union. With the growth of hostilities, enthusiasm for the MiG-17 disappeared. It could deliver only 500 kg of bombs to the target, which corresponded to the capabilities of the Il-2, but unlike this “flying tank”, it was almost not protected from fire from the ground. But the air defense of the Mujahideen increased every year and became especially dangerous with the advent of MANPADS, which made it necessary to equip aircraft and helicopters with various means of active and passive protection. For the MiG-17, this path turned out to be impossible, since the improvements would have eaten almost all of its payload, which is not at all high in conditions of heat and high mountains. The airborne artillery that remained in the arsenal of the aircraft became almost useless, because in the mid-80s. aviation in Afghanistan switched to operations from high altitudes. Thus, the capabilities of the MiG-17, even for counter-guerrilla warfare, were exhausted.
MiG-17 received NATO code Fresco-A
MiG-17 received Fresco-A code in NATO
In flight - MiG-17 Armavir VVAUL air defense
MiG-17 of Armavir high training pilot school during flight
MiG-17PF VVS GDR
MiG-17 of Germany Democratic Republic AF
The pair of JJ-5 belonged "August 1" Aerobatic Flying Demonstration Team
Chinese J-5As on combat duty
Chinese J-5A during fighting-duty
Vietnam became the largest battlefield for the "seventeenth" fighter. Before the start of the war, the Air Force of the Vietnam People's Army (VNA) had only 40-60 obsolete combat aircraft, including 25 J-5 fighters. Therefore, the Americans, starting on February 7, 1965, the air operation Flaming Dart ("Flaming Spear") against the DRV, believed that the enemy would not be able to offer serious resistance to them.
At the first stage of hostilities, US aircraft delivered massive bombing strikes from altitudes of the order of 2500-4000 m, using the simplest methods of bombing and launching missiles. The Vietnamese, in order to achieve victories over the enemy, who had complete air superiority, relied on surprise. They began to operate from ambushes, for which, on the near approaches to protected objects, they patrolled at low altitudes, camouflaging themselves against the background of the earth. When the Americans approached, MiGs, using their advantage in maneuverability and speed at 200-300 km / h, attacked inert attack aircraft with a full combat load on an external sling and shot them at close range. That is how, on April 4, 1965, Mr. Tran Hanh and his wingman shot down two F-105Ds. Subsequently, Major Han said in an interview with a correspondent for the Pravda newspaper: “They still did not ... believe that someone would dare to approach them in the air. Naturally, it was necessary to use it ... I opened fire from an average distance. I saw how the fire trails pierced the left wing of one F-105. But that wasn't enough. So I increased my speed and approached him so close that I could clearly see the head in the white helmet. The American pilot, apparently, did not understand at all what happened to his plane. He turned his head from left to right, examined the fenders, leaned toward the dashboard. I pulled the trigger again and fired a long burst. I see the entire frame of the aircraft. F-105 falls to the ground like a stone." It was the first American aircraft destroyed in the air by the North Vietnamese Air Force.
On April 9, US pilots scored their first victory in Vietnamese skies. There are two versions of this dogfight, which began at 8:40 a.m. In the US, eight F-4B Phantoms from the 96th Fighter Squadron (VF-96) from the Ranger aircraft carrier met four Vietnamese MiG-17Fs during air patrols. The situation developed in such a way that only the crew consisting of Lieutenant T. Murphy and flag officer R. Fagan entered the battle. After they managed to shoot down one enemy fighter with an AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range missile, another managed to take an advantageous position and open aimed fire from all guns. As a result, the Phantom caught fire and fell into the sea. The crew died. This episode is described differently in the Chinese press. Eight F-4B fighters of the US Navy invaded the airspace over the territorial waters of China in the area of about. Hainan, lying in the Gulf of Tonkin opposite the Vietnamese coast. A fight ensued between them and the Chinese J-5s. The Americans fired missiles, from which the MiGs managed to escape, but one of them was shot down by the Phantom. Cannon fire damaged one Chinese fighter.
3 May l-t Phom Ngoc Zan on the "seventeenth" destroyed the A-4 Skyhawk. On June 17, over the city of Ninh Binh, four MiG-17Fs crept up behind a group of Phantoms and shot two of them point-blank. The Americans failed to shoot down any of the attackers, but in the heat of battle, the MiGs burned all the fuel, and two pilots had to eject; another fighter did not reach the base and made an emergency landing. On June 20, during a battle between two MiG-17Fs and four A-1H Skyraider carrier-based piston attack aircraft from the Midway aircraft carrier, one of the Vietnamese pilots made a mistake, came under heavy fire from eight 20-mm cannons of two A-1Hs and was shot down. On July 10, a combat account was opened in Vietnam and the US Air Force. Two F-4Cs from the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron (pilots Mr. K. Holkom and Mr. T. Roberts, weapons operators, respectively, Mr. A. Clarke and Mr. R. An-terson) shot down one MiG-17F.
In 1966, when the Vietnamese Air Force already had the supersonic MiG-19 and MiG-21PF-V, they continued to use the MiG-17F, for which a special tactic was developed for their interaction with the "twenty-first", which flexibly responds to changes in the construction of battle formations American aircraft. Since 1966, the use of the J-5A by the Vietnamese with the Emerald radar and three HP-23 guns has become noticeable. However, they are not widely used. From about 1968, the MiG-17F was also used in Vietnam with standard cannon armament and two R-ZS missiles.
The advantage of the F-4 over the MiG-17F was primarily that the American fighter had missile armament. The Phantoms were successful when using hit-and-go tactics, but when it came to maneuvering combat with the Seventeenth, they had a hard time. The American pilots did not hide the difficulties that the MiG-17F brought them. Below are the memoirs of the commander of the 8th tactical fighter wing of the US Air Force, Col. R. Olds, who shot down 24 aircraft in World War II and 4 more in Vietnam. The 8th Wing, which was called "Wolfpack" (wolf pack), fought under his command so successfully that it became the Air Force champion in downed Vietnamese aircraft.
“... The MiG-17 could set the heat, take my word for it! ... Of course, you can argue as much as you like that the F-4 could reach a speed of more than two Mach. But when the plane is loaded to the eyeballs with bombs, fuel tanks and much more - after all, we flew to work on ground targets - you are unlikely to squeeze these two-odd Machs out of it! ... You are flying at a speed at which the MiG- 17 fights best, even though he is old. And if he caught up with you - beware! It is a light and surprisingly nimble aircraft; The F-4 just can't keep up with it on turns. As good as the F-4 is in aerial combat, it is no match for the MiG-17 if you fight the way MiGs fight - and this is maneuverable dogfight in the style of the second world war.
... The fact that we had a numerical advantage, which is often referred to, does not mean anything yet. Let's say you are flying in a group of 36 or 48 aircraft to bomb a ground target. Your task is to get to the target, you have everything scheduled literally in seconds and there is no time to get involved in a battle with fighters ... The enemy has complete freedom of action - to attack or not to attack, attack on the move or use a deceptive maneuver. He may only have a dozen planes in the air against your 48, but he can attack one or two flights, and then he will have a numerical advantage on his side! A classic example is the battle of May 20, 1967. We covered a group of F-105s on eight Phantoms that were going to bomb the Vietnamese airfield near Kep, and 16 MiGs attacked us. Here's your advantage in numbers!
MiG-17F Air Force of North Vietnam
MiG-17F of North Vietnam AF
MiG-17PF Egyptian Air Force carried on underwing launchers 76-mm NAR
MiG-17PF of Egypt AF
MiG-17PF from the 335th SAP of the DRA Air Force. Kandahar, summer 1979
MiG-17PF of Afghanistsn 335th Reginent. Aircraft "s coloration perfomed in "AiV", No. 3 "96
MiG-17F Nigerian Air Force
MiG-170 of Nigeria AF
On May 10, 1972, an F-4J from the 96th squadron of the 9th carrier-based fighter wing (aircraft carrier Constellation) shot down three MiG-17Fs in one battle. Its pilot, Lt. R. Cunningham and operator Jr. Lt W. Driscoll became the first aces of the Vietnam War. Here is how Cunningham recalled one of the episodes of that battle: “When I bombed and left the target, two MiG-17s slipped past Brian’s plane (led by Cunningham. - Auth.) Some 150 m. I was 300 meters ahead Brian, when he transmitted: "Jack (Cunningham's call sign. - Auth.), A pair of MiG-17s at the 7 o'clock position!" I leveled the plane, looked around and managed to notice how the "seventeenth" went into my tail and began to shoot tracers. I instinctively maneuvered towards him to get out of the way of the fire, but immediately thought: “Two days ago I did the same thing, and he went straight for me!” Then I saw that the MiG was approaching me very quickly. At high speed, the MiG-17's control stick becomes very tight; his pilot pulled the handle with all his might to turn on me, but he did not have enough strength, and he slipped through. But his follower, who was 200 meters behind, made a barrel with a slide and tried to get me from below. My wingman yelled, "Jack, I'll deal with the one you have behind you!" I attached myself to the one that slipped past me, fired a Sidewinder at him, and the MiG exploded in the air. By that time, he was 700 meters ahead, that's how he accelerated!
Unfortunately, data on the number of air victories of the Vietnamese MiG-17s has not yet been published. Only American information about the losses of these fighters appeared in the press, according to which in 1967 the aviation of the DRV lost 53 "seventeenths", total losses by the beginning of the 70s. amounted to 98 cars, and 1972-1973. at least 15 more such aircraft were destroyed.
In addition to these conflicts, MiG-17s were used in combat situations by most of the countries that operated them. The "seventeenth" states of the Warsaw Pact, Cuba and the DPRK had a chance to work hard during the years of the "cold" war, protecting air borders from various violators. China used its J-5 / 5A to suppress the uprising in Tibet in 1958, in numerous incidents on the Soviet border, during the capture of the Paresel Islands in 1974, in the war with Vietnam in 1979. Indonesian, Lan-Kyan, Sudanese MiGs participated in the suppression of anti-government uprisings and in the fight against guerrillas. Algeria deployed its "seventeenth" in 1975 during the fighting in Western Sahara, Iraq - in 1980-88. in the war with Iran, Mali - in 1986 in the conflict with Burkina Faso, and during the Ugandan-Tanzanian (1971) and Ethiopian-Somali (1977-78) wars, they were used by both sides. Not without the MiG-17 and in several civil wars, for example, in South Yemen, Angola, Nigeria, Mozambique. And this is not a complete list of conflicts in which the "seventeenth" fought. It can rightfully be considered the most fought jet aircraft in the world. Today, various versions of the MiG-17 remain in service with Albania, Angola, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, China, North Korea, Cuba, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Syria, Sudan, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. They are used mainly as training machines, as well as to combat light-engine intruder aircraft, and there is every reason to believe that the combat biography legendary aircraft won't last another year.
Brief technical description of the MiG-17 fighter
The MiG-17 is an all-metal, single-engine, single-seat medium wing with a swept wing and plumage.
The fuselage had a semi-monocoque design and was divided into front and rear parts along sp. No. 13/14. At the top of the front part between sp. No. 1 and No. 4 housed the S-13 photo machine gun, a battery, an oxygen cylinder, as well as elements of electronic equipment. Below was the compartment of the front landing gear. Between sp. No. 4 and No. 9, the cockpit was located - sealed, ventilated type, partially armored from below. The lantern consisted of a fixed front part and a movable one that could be moved back. Front bulletproof glass 64 mm thick. Under the cockpit was a compartment with electronic equipment and a carriage with artillery weapons. On the MiG-17P and other interceptors, the front part of the fuselage up to sp. No. 9 was redone in connection with the installation of the radar. It became longer, a radio-transparent radar antenna radome was installed above the air intake, and the FKP was moved to the starboard side. The skin of the front part of the fuselage had a thickness of 1.2 mm, the air channels - 0.8 mm, the rear of the fuselage - 1-1.5 mm. On both sides of the rear there were aerodynamic brake flaps with an area of 0.64 mg for the MiG-17 and 0.97 m2 for the MiG-17F / PF, etc. The deflection angle of the flaps was 55 °.
The wing had a leading edge sweep of 49° before breaking and then 45°30". - +1 ° Wing consoles were attached to sp. No. 9, No. 11 and No. 13. The structural power scheme of the console included a spar, transverse and auxiliary beams, a rear wall, skin, stringers and 25 ribs. loads weighing 5.1 kg.Flaps-flaps with a total area of 2.86 m2 were located between ribs No. 1 and No. 18. They moved back and deviated by 20 ° during takeoff and 60 ° during landing. Each aileron with a span of 1.512 m and an area 0.80 m2 had aerodynamic compensation and deviated by ± 18 °.There was a trimmer on the right aileron.
Launcher PU-21 for NAR S-21
Starting device PU-21 for S-21 aimed missile
Nose landing gear and gun NR-23 (above), H-37
Nose landing gear and cannons: top - HP-23, bottom - H-37
The vertical tail had a symmetrical profile and a sweep along the leading edge of 55 ° 41 ". Area - 4.26 m2, including the rudder - 0.947 m2. kg, lower - 5.38 kg) and deviated by ± 25 °.On the upper part of the vertical tail was the antenna of the Sirena-2 radiation warning station.
The horizontal tail was attached to the keel, had a sweep angle of 45 °, span - 3.18 m, area - 3.10 m2, including the elevator - 0.884 m2. The angle of installation of the horizontal tail - adjustable. The elevator deflected up by 32 °, down - by 16 °, a trimmer was placed on its left console.
Chassis - tricycle. The front strut was attached to sp. No. 4 and retracted forward. It was equipped with a 480x200 mm wheel and was equipped with a shimmy damper. The main supports were retracted to the fuselage in the wing compartments. Each of them was equipped with a 660x160 mm brake wheel. Landing gear retraction and release - hydraulic (in an emergency release - pneumatic). Depreciation - oil-pneumatic. Chassis track - 3.849 m, base - 3.368 m.
The power plant of the MiG-17/17P included the VK-1 turbojet engine, and the MiG-17F/PF/PFU included the VK-1F engine. The turbojet engine was attached with the help of a motor mount to sp. No. 13. The engine had a two-stage centrifugal compressor, 9 combustion chambers, a single-stage turbine. VK-1F was equipped with an afterburner with an adjustable nozzle. Maximum thrust was achieved at 11560 turbine revolutions per minute and full afterburner (the specific fuel consumption in this case was 0.18-0.2 kg / N-hour, and without afterburner - 0.115 kg / N-hour). Fuel (kerosene T-1 or TS-^ was placed in two fuselage tanks with a total capacity of 1400-1415 liters. The front rubber tank for 1250 liters was located between sp. No. 9 and No. 13, the rear metal tank was located between sp. No. 21 and No. 25. Two PTBs with a capacity of 400 L each could be suspended under the wing.The order of fuel production did not change the alignment of the aircraft.
Equipment. Early MiG-17 radio equipment included: VHF radio station RSIU-ZM "Klen", identification system SRO-1 "Bariy-M", blind landing system OSP-48 (radio altimeter RV-2, automatic radio compass ARK-5, marker receiver MRP-48P). The flight and navigation equipment included: speed indicator RUS-1200, variometer, compass and other devices. Until 1954, the AGK-476 attitude indicator was used on aircraft, then - AGI-1. The electrical equipment included a GSR-3000 generator and a 12CAM-25 battery. The MiG-17F and its modifications were distinguished by the installation of the RSIU-4M VHF radio station (RSIU-4V, and in some series - R-800), the SRD-1 radio range finder (starting with aircraft No. 415351), coupled with the ASP-4NM optical sight, and as well as the Sirena-2 radiation warning system. On the MiG-17F of later releases, they began to install the radio range finder SRD-1 M "Radal-M". Practically on all modifications of the MiG-17, the FKP-2 photo-machine gun, the EKSR-46 signaling device and the RD-2ZhM pressure regulator were used. The MiG-17P / PF interceptors were distinguished by the installation of the RP-1 Izumrud-1 radar station. On the MiG-17PF, starting from the 25th aircraft of the 6th series, they began to install a more advanced RP-5 Izumrud-2 station. On the MiG-17PFU interceptors, the RP-1-U radar was used.
The armament of the MiG-17, MiG-17F and modifications based on them consisted of one N-37 or N-37D 37 mm cannon with 40 rounds of ammunition and two NR-23 23 mm cannons with 80 rounds of ammunition. Aiming on the MiG-17 was carried out by an automatic optical-gyroscopic sight ASP-ZNM, and on the MiG-17F - ASP-4NM. The aircraft could carry two bombs of 50, 100 or 250 kg caliber, suspended under the wing consoles on universal locks D4-50 instead of PTB. On some MiG-17F series, special beams were installed for hanging two 212-mm S-21 NARs on PU-21 launchers. The armament of the MiG-17P and MiG-17PF changed during the production process. It consisted of either one N-37D gun and two HP-23 guns, or three/two HP-23 guns with 100 rounds each. On the serial MiG-17PFU artillery armament was missing. Under each console, the aircraft carried two RS-1-U guided missiles, which were suspended on beams with APU-4 launchers and D-3-40 locks.
Main landing gear
Main landing gear
The development of the MiG-23 followed the path of improving the design of the airframe and electronics, improving production technology. The next step in the evolution of the machine was MiG-23M("23-11M"), which turned out to be the most massive fighter from the "twenty-third" family. The aircraft had a wing with a "fang" and a fourth fuselage fuel tank, however, the consoles were equipped with a deflectable toe, actuated synchronously with the flap, which significantly increased the wing's load-bearing properties during takeoff and landing modes. The aircraft was equipped with an R-29-300 engine (thrust 8300/11500 kgf). The Sapphire-23D radar was included in the avionics, finally brought to the stage of mass production.
For the first time, domestic serial fighters received a radar capable of working on enemy aircraft against the background of the earth. The detection range of a typical target was 55 km, the capture range was 35 km, the processing of radar information before displaying it on the sight was carried out by an AVM-23 analog computer. To provide the station with more "comfortable" working conditions, the shape of the radio-transparent fairing was changed, which became from conical to ogive. Under the fuselage of the MiG-23M, behind the wedge-shaped glazing, a heat direction finder TP-23 was placed. The aircraft was equipped with an improved automated system SAU-23A control, as well as the Polet-1I-23 navigation system.
Composition of weapons MiG-23M was significantly expanded and included: built-in cannon GSh-23L, two medium-range missiles R-23R (radar semi-active guidance system) or R-23T (IR homing), two to four short-range missiles R-3S, R-3R or K- 13M, or UR melee R-60. For the suspension of the latter, APU-60 / 2, designed for two SDs, could be used, which made it possible to bring their total number on board the aircraft to six. "Sixty" was created under the leadership of M.R. Bisnovat and became the first rocket of this class in the world, capable of launching when the carrier was overloaded up to 7 units, that is, practically at the limit of the aircraft's maneuverability. To destroy ground targets, the fighter was equipped with guided missiles X-66 and X-23R, NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24, as well as free-fall bombs, single bomb clusters and napalm tanks weighing up to 500 kg.
The MiG-23M made its first flight in June 1972 under the control of Fedotov. The new aircraft, like the MiG-23S, did not find much love among military pilots, although many of the shortcomings of the first production version of the "twenty-third" were eliminated in its design. The undeveloped technology for manufacturing wing consoles still imposed serious restrictions on overload. The pilots and technicians of the Civil Aviation Research Institute of the Air Force, having suffered with the MiG-23M, joked bitterly: "If only they were removed from service and converted into flying targets, then we will win back on them!". However, the production of the MiG-23M was constantly gaining momentum, reaching eight aircraft per month by 1976.
Perfection MiG-23M continued. Its design was gradually improved, and the afterburner thrust of the engine was increased to 12300-12500 kgf. The main probable opponents of the MiG-23M in the 1970s were considered the American F-4E Phantom II fighter (McDonnell produced 1127 of them) and the French Mirage F-1. In single combat with these formidable opponents, the MiG-23M pilot, depending on the conditions of air combat, could fully use the positive qualities of an aircraft with variable wing geometry, which gave him the maximum possible superiority in maneuverability for each flight speed. So, when catching up with the enemy, as well as separating from him, the MiG-23M pilot could shift the wing to maximum sweep and switch to supersonic mode, in which the MiG-23M had a shorter acceleration time. The minimum sweep could be used in combat at flight speeds of less than 700-800 km / h, especially in vertical maneuvers. In almost the entire range of altitudes at speeds of 700-1100 km / h, the MiG-23M surpassed the Mirage F-1 in terms of maneuverability and rate of climb. At speeds of more than 1100 km/h at medium and high altitudes, it was unprofitable for the MiG-23M pilot to fight the Mirage in steady turns. It was advisable to use the MiG's superiority in rate of climb to transfer the battle to ascending vertical maneuvers with low Gs, which would lead to a decrease in speed and transfer the battle to conditions where the MiG-23 was superior to the Mirage F-1.
When conducting air combat with the F-4E at speeds of 800-1100 km / h at low and medium altitudes with overloads close to the limiting thrust, the MiG-23M outperformed the enemy in horizontal maneuver, yielding to him in vertical maneuver. The superiority of the MiG-23M over the F-4E (the most massive aircraft of the Israeli Air Force) indirectly confirms the fact that from the second half of the 1970s, from the moment the MiG-23 appeared in the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force stopped using Phantoms to conduct air battles. Comparing the capabilities of combat aircraft, it is very important to evaluate their aiming systems and weapons. Without exaggeration, it can be noted that the sighting system of the MiG-23M fighter was not inferior to the sighting systems of the F-4E fighters (AN / APQ-120 radar, AN / ASG-26 optical sight) and Mirage F-1 (Cyrano IV, optical sight CSF-196), and in some respects significantly surpassed them. (The capabilities of the Sapphire-23D-III, AN / APQ-120 and Cyrano IV radars are illustrated in diagram 2.) The AN / APQ-120 radar, compared to the French and Soviet radars, did not have a target detection mode against the ground, and was also less noise-immune. The presence of a heat direction finder on the MiG-23M significantly expanded its combat capabilities and made it possible to successfully carry out combat missions even in conditions of powerful electronic countermeasures. The detection range of the TP-23 F-4 fighter from the rear hemisphere in simple weather conditions was about 20 km. The R-23R missiles were superior in their capabilities to the AIM-7B Sparrow and Matra R.530 missiles with a radar seeker, but were somewhat inferior to the F-4Es that entered service in the second half of the 1970s, the AIM-7F Sparrow missiles, which, however, was compensated by the more powerful aiming system of the MiG-23M.
Considering close combat missiles with a thermal seeker, it can be noted that the AIM-9A "Sidewinder" and P-3C missiles were similar, as well as the AIM-9C, "Matra" R.550 and R-13M. Advantage MiG-23M consisted in equipping it with the R-60 close maneuverable air combat missile. There were no similar missiles in service with potential opponents in 1975. The situation changed only later, with the adoption by the United States of the AIM-9L UR with a more sensitive thermal seeker than the P-60. Assessing the cannon armament, it can be noted that, compared with the American Vulkan MG1 cannon, the Soviet GSh-23L had better ballistic characteristics, a larger caliber and a larger projectile weight. The second volley of both guns was approximately the same. However, the F-4E had a firing time of 6-7 s, the MiG-23M - 4 s, and the Mirage F-1 - more than 10 s, although the two French DEFA cannons were somewhat inferior to the GSh-23L in a second salvo. A comparison of the aiming and armament systems of the three vehicles shows that the capabilities of radar sights for detecting air targets, as well as for solving aiming problems, are almost the same, with slight advantage at the Soviet radar.
"Sapphire-23D-III" had a higher noise immunity and an advantage over the AN / APQ-120 radar in terms of the range of mutual detection of MiG-23M and F-4E aircraft at low, extremely low and medium altitudes. The use of a heat direction finder on the MiG-23M made it possible to carry out covert attacks in the rear hemisphere. In close combat, the MiG-23M had superiority over the F-4E and Mirage F.1 due to the possibility of using R-60 melee missiles, which compensated for the shortcomings of the MiG-23M cannon armament. From the foregoing, we can conclude that the MiG-23M was superior to contemporary Western fighters in terms of combat capabilities. However, these aircraft did not have a chance to meet directly in battle. And the MiG-23M had to fight in 1982 with Israeli F-15s and F-16s over Lebanon. Some unscrupulous analysts, purely mechanically comparing the Soviet fighter with the F-15 and F-16, make the incorrect conclusion that the MiG-23M was a bad fighter and did not meet the requirements of the time.
It must be remembered that during the years of mass production MiG-23M(1974-1976) neither the F-15, nor even the F-16, were in service yet. The first F-15A appeared in the US Air Force only at the end of 1976 (in the US Air Force in Europe - in the spring of 1977), and the F-16 - only at the end of 1978. Of course, in terms of their flight characteristics and combat capabilities, the new American fighters surpassed the MiG-23M, but they were already aircraft of a different generation. Moreover, the first serial F-16s, produced over several years, did not have medium-range missiles in their weapons and could only successfully fight the MiG-23M in close combat, which was confirmed in 1982 during the fighting over Lebanon . In 1982, Syrian pilots on the MiG-23MF (export version of the MiG-23M), not even trained in close maneuvering combat (it began to be mastered in the USSR only in 1980, after the restrictions on overloads on the MiG-23 were lifted), successfully resisted Israeli F-15 and F-16. By the beginning of hostilities, in 1982, there were 21 MiG-23MF aircraft in the fighter squadron of the 17th air brigade of the Syrian Air Force (Sigal airbase). The combat load of most of the squadron's fighters included two R-23R missiles, two R-60 missiles, and 200 shells for the GSh-23A cannon.
During the six days of the Lebanese war, the pilots of the squadron made 52 sorties on the MiG-23MF, destroying 6 Israeli aircraft according to some sources, 9 according to others (six F-16s, two F-15s, one unmanned reconnaissance aircraft). All Israeli planes were shot down from the first attack by R-23R missiles, which confirmed the high capabilities of the Sapphire-23D-III radar and Soviet missiles. The losses of the Syrians amounted to six MiG-23MF (two pilots died, four ejected safely). It should be noted that the removal of Syrian ground radar posts from the theater of operations excluded the detection of low-flying Israeli fighters. At the same time, Israeli ground-based radars installed on the Golan Heights and reinforced with Hawkeye AWACS aircraft completely controlled the airspace over the entire altitude range, ensuring effective guidance of their fighters. Given this, as well as the use of exclusively the latest F-15 and F-16 fighters in air battles, the use of the MiG-23MF in 1982 over Lebanon can be considered successful.
Already at the start of operation MiG-23M in combat units, a significant superiority of its combat capabilities was confirmed in comparison with the main fighter of the Soviet Air Force - the MiG-21. Thus, the use of RSBN-6S greatly facilitated navigation, and the presence of a powerful radar in combination with a heat direction finder and new missiles increased the effectiveness of intercepting air targets. However, the sharp complication of equipment, compared with the MiG-21, at the same time presented increased requirements for the training of pilots. Insufficient level of knowledge often led to non-fulfilment learning objectives, incomplete use of the capabilities of navigation and sighting systems. For example, practical launches of the R-13M UR from the ventral hardpoints required clear and competent actions from the pilot due to the threat of engine surge. For this reason, there have been cases of unintentional engine failure.
The flight of a fighter is not monotonous, but energetic maneuvers in areas without radio correction, say, at low altitude, led to a rapid accumulation of coordinate errors, which often confused the pilots. At the initial stage of the development of the MiG-23 in combat units, there were destructions of the wing turning mechanisms. As a result, flight training on the MiG-23 was for a long time limited to en-route flights and long-range missile battles. After strengthening the wing turning mechanism, a temporary restriction on permissible overloads was again introduced in 1977, and flight training was supplemented with close air combat. Practically when flying during the day in simple weather conditions, all training intercepts ended in close air battles in pairs or units.
As noted above, the hasty adoption MiG-23 into service did not allow to fully explore its combat capabilities. Therefore, during the fighting in 1982, in Lebanon, these studies under the leadership of Air Marshal A. Efimov continued in an emergency order on the basis of a fighter regiment based in the village of Vaziani (ZakVO) and armed with MiG-23ML fighters. Pilots from the Lipetsk Air Force Combat Operations Center and developers of the Sapfir-23 radar were also involved in this work. The main purpose of the research was a thorough study of the capabilities of the radar during interceptions in the mountains. In the course of the work, the flights moved to the Nasosny airfield, where, for several flight days, the possibility of aiming MiG-23 fighters at targets on commands from the MiG-31, which was used as an AWACS aircraft, was studied. For this purpose, four MiG-31s, which were undergoing military tests at that time, were relocated to Nasosny. The results of the interaction of both fighters were clearly unsatisfactory.
It should be noted that the MiG-23M was minimally adapted to work on ground targets. Bombing on it was carried out "by eye" and was never accurate. Even the most trained pilots, as a rule, made misses of 300-500 m or more. Firing from the GSh-23 cannon and launching the NAR C-5 were carried out more or less accurately, although only 2 to 6 shells were loaded in the UB-16 during firing practice. The introduction of new and not always proven technical solutions on the MiG-23M had a negative impact on the reliability of systems and assemblies. The MiG-23 suffered from frequent nicks in the engine blades (sometimes up to 10 aircraft were idle in the regiments along the nicks of the engines). This circumstance made increased demands on the cleanliness of taxiways and runways. With the replacement of the engine associated with the undocking of the fuselage, only in exceptionally favorable cases, they coped within one day. Usually, in the presence of a mass of current affairs, this operation, together with the control gas supply, was delayed for 3-5 days.
The adjustment and adjustment of the SAU-23 was very laborious. The importance of these works was determined by the introduction in 1978 of the mandatory development of automatic landing. Failures of the Sapphire-23D-III radar were a constant headache for specialists. The replacement of radar transmitters, associated with the removal of the nose fairing and the roll-out of the nose monoblock, turned out to be very laborious. The transmitters themselves (a pulse weighing 140 kg and a continuous illumination channel transmitter for missiles weighing 110 kg) had to be replaced using a special crane. Even for experienced specialists, this operation took at least 2 hours. The introduction of a radar cooling system with antifreeze (on the MiG-21 with RP-22 this system was alcohol) also created problems. During operation, clots appeared in the antifreeze, clogging the filter. This led to an emergency shutdown of the station, sometimes even in flight. The design flaws of the radar should also include the unsatisfactory software for calculating the maximum launch ranges for the R-60 missiles by AVM-23 - they were clearly overestimated (this drawback was eliminated later on the MiG-23ML). However, in fairness, it should be noted that radar failures were quite rare when the fighter was operating in areas with low humidity and small daily temperature fluctuations. However, the reliability of the Sapphire-23D-III radar at that time was quite comparable to the reliability of similar foreign radars. The ARK-15 radio compass worked very unstable.
The biggest problem was poor sealing. MiG-23ML, especially the cabin compartment. Moisture (condensate) often got into the control connectors, which caused the equipment power supply circuits to fail (usually this ended in blown fuses). Repair of the MiG-23M equipment was hampered by its complex location on a special whatnot, in the cabin compartment. To access the blocks, the whatnot had to be lifted using a special aircraft hydraulic system, driven by a hand pump mounted on the towing carrier and connected to the aircraft with a hose. When the aircraft hydraulic lift broke down, which, however, happened extremely rarely, the whatnot had to be removed from the cockpit compartment by a crane or manually. When firing from the GSh-23L cannon at the AFS "Pion", the covers of the safety nests spontaneously opened, breaking the power circuits and disabling the radio correction channel of the navigation system. Serious problems arose during the suspension and change of ammunition. Although there were special lift trucks, almost all weapons, with the exception of large-caliber bombs, were suspended and removed manually. The replacement of the R-23R UR with the R-23T in the ammunition load and vice versa was associated with the corresponding replacement of the corresponding radar unit. Replacing one R-23R missile in the ammunition load with another required additional adjustment on the ground of the new missile's radar seeker to the frequency of the Sapphire-23D-III radar's target illumination channel transmitter.
To perform pre-flight and preliminary preparations on all aircraft systems, as well as for some repair work based on the GAZ-66 car for MiG-23M there was a convenient mobile integrated control system KSK-23. To carry out the repair of the Sapphire-23D-III radar and carry out repair work on it, there were special vehicles that were distinguished by their large dimensions. For the flight crew, the KTS-6 simulator was created. All these shortcomings, of course, should not be considered obvious flaws in the designers - it is more fair to attribute them to "growth problems". The maintainability of the MiG-23 was not lower than that of the MiG-21, while the level of equipment was an order of magnitude higher. Most of the shortcomings inherent in the MiG-23M were eliminated in subsequent modifications. The MiG-23, of course, has become a noticeable phenomenon, marking with its appearance an important step in the development of domestic front-line fighters. He did not participate much in hostilities, but if he did fight, then with decent efficiency. Many of the technical solutions, especially in the field of sighting and navigation systems, tested on the MiG-23, were a good basis for creating fourth-generation machines - the MiG-29 and Su-27.
The performance characteristics of the MiG-23M
Wingspan, m
minimum 7.78
maximum 13.97
Length, m 16.71
Height, m 4.82
Wing area, m2
maximum 37.27
minimum 34.16
Weight, kg
empty 10890
normal takeoff 15700
maximum takeoff 18400
fuel 4090
Engine type 1 turbofan R-29-300
Thrust, kgf
afterburner 1 x 12500
maximum 1 x 8300
Maximum speed, km/h:
near the ground 1350
at high altitude 2500
Ferry range, km 2380
Practical range, km 1450
Rate of climb, m/min 11700
Practical ceiling, m 17500
Max. operating overload 8.0
Crew, people 1
Armament: 23 mm gun GSh-23L (200 rounds of ammunition),
Combat load - 2000 kg on hardpoints:
two medium-range missiles R-23R or R-23T, two to four short-range missiles R-3S, R-3R or K-13M, or short-range missiles R-60.
guided missiles X-66 and X-23R, NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24, free-fall bombs, disposable bomb clusters and napalm tanks weighing up to 500 kg.
The main fighter of the Soviet Air Force of the 70-80s. The work on its creation was preceded by a large amount of research, in which GS.Byushgens, G.V.Aleksandrov, S.M.Belotserkovsky, GY.Zagainov and other leading aerodynamic scientists of TsAGI took part. ensured the creation of a multi-mode combat aircraft capable of solving the tasks of a front-line fighter, fighter-interceptor and low-altitude fighter-bomber.
Work on the design of the MiG-23 aircraft began in 1964, and the first prototype aircraft, "23-11 / 1", piloted by test pilot A.V. Fedotov, 020 aircraft flew for the first time),
Currently, the MiG-23 fighters of the latest modifications of the Russian Air Force have been put into reserve and are at storage bases. In addition to the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the USSR, MiG-23 aircraft of various modifications were supplied to the Air Force of Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Egypt, Libya, Hungary, Iraq, India, North Korea, Ethiopia, South Yemen, Wormwood, Syria, Vietnam.
COMBAT APPLICATION. During the fighting in Lebanon in the summer of 1982, MiG-23MF fighters of the Syrian Air Force carried out 52 sorties from June 6 to N June and conducted seven air battles, shooting down eight Israeli manned aircraft (including five Lockheed F-16A fighters) and one BGShA BQM- 34, losing six vehicles. MiG-23MS fighters destroyed two McDonnell-Douglas F-4E aircraft (Syrian losses amounted to four aircraft of this type).
During the next aggravation of the situation in Lebanon, in the winter of 1982-1983. Syrian MiG-23 ML. shot down three Israeli F-15A fighters and one F-4E without suffering any casualties.
Another theater of operations in which the MiG-23s were widely used was Angola, where in 1985 50 Cuban-piloted MnG-23MF and MiG-23BN aircraft were sent. In 1987, over the northern regions of Namibia, MiG-23 aircraft shot down one Dassault Mirage F.1 Z2 fighter. In the second half of 1987, another Mirage F.1 CZ aircraft in an air battle with a MiG-23MF was hit by a R-60 missile (however, it managed to return to base). In addition, in Angola, MiG-23 aircraft destroyed a South African Air Force fighter Dassault Mirage III and an Impala attack aircraft.
MiG-23 aircraft of various modifications were widely used by Iraq in the war with Iran in 3980-1988. On May 17, 1987, an aircraft of this type, armed with two air-to-surface guided missiles, attacked and badly damaged the American frigate Stark.
In Afghanistan, the MiG-23 MLD fighters of the Soviet Air Force were used to strike at ground targets, and also covered the actions of strike aircraft in the areas bordering Iran and Pakistan. Soviet fighter MnG-23MLD shot down an F-J6A aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force, which violated the air border of Afghanistan.
During the Gulf War in the winter of 1991, US F-15C fighters shot down six MiG-23s attempting to fly to Iran, according to Western sources. In turn, the Iraqi MiG-23 fighters shot down at least one enemy aircraft - the Tornado fighter-bomber of the Italian Air Force, destroyed over Baghdad on February 18, 199! g, a pair of MiG-23MF.
DESIGN FEATURES MnG-23 is one of the first production aircraft with variable wing geometry. The glider is made of steel and aluminum alloys with extensive use of welding.
The wing consoles are trapezoidal in plan and can be set at a sweep angle of 16°, 45° and 72° along the leading edge. Each console has slats, four-section flaps and two-section spoilers.
On the MiG-23MLD, the “combat” sweep angle has been reduced from 45° to 33°. When a certain angle of attack was reached in the range of sweep angles of 16 * -33 °, the wing toe began to deviate automatically (at speeds up to 900 km / h (M<0.9) and an angle of attack of more than 10 °, the toe deviated by 20 "),
Under the fuselage crest of the MiG-23, it is made to be deflected; when the landing gear is extended, its lower part is set to a horizontal position.
Brake parachute with an area of 21 m 2 is located at the base of the keel.
POWER POINT. The aircraft is equipped with one R-27F2M-300 turbofan (1 x 10.000 kgf^MiG-23S, MiG-23uB), R-29-300 (1 x 12.500 kgf - MpG-23M, MiG-23MS, MiG-23MF), R -3 5-300 or R-35F-300 (1 x 13.000 kgf-MiG23 ML, MiG 23 ML A, MiG-23 II and MiG-23 MLD).
WEAPONS. There is a gun GSh-23L (23 mm, 200 rounds), medium-range missiles R-23R and R-24R (MiG-23MLA and MiG-23MLD) with a semi-active radar guidance system, R-23T and R-24T (MiG-23MLA and MiG-23MLD) with TGS; two to four short-range missiles RNZM, R-ZR or R-ZS with a radar field with an active guidance system or TGS; four to six R-60 and R-60M melee missiles. In the course of modernization, it is possible to install R-73 missiles with target designation from a helmet-mounted sight.
To destroy ground targets, the aircraft can be equipped with two Kh-66 or Kh-23 missiles, NAR of various types, free-falling bombs with a caliber of up to 500 kg with a total weight of up to 2000 kg.
DIMENSIONS (MiG-23 ML). Wingspan 7.8 / 14.0 m; aircraft length 16.70 m; height 5.77 m; wing area: 37.35-34.16m2; sweep angle range 16°-72°.
WEIGHTS, kg (MiG-23ML): maximum takeoff 17.800; normal takeoff 14,700; fuel in internal tanks 3700 (MiG-23M); empty 10.845 (MiG-23MF),
FLIGHT PERFORMANCE. The maximum speed near the ground is 1350 km / h, the maximum speed at high altitude is 2445 km / h; landing speed 240 km/h; service ceiling 18,000 m (MiG-23S), 15,800 (MiG-23UB), 17,500 m (MiG-23M), 18,500 m (MpG-23ML), 19,000 m (MIG-23MLL); rate of climb near the ground 240 m/s (MiG-23ML), 230 m/s (MiG-23MLD); practical range without PTB 1800 km (MiG-23S), 1950 km (MiG-23ML); ferry range with PTB 2820 km (MnG23ML); takeoff run 500 m; run length 750 m; maximum operational overload 5.0 g (MiG-23S), 7.0 g (MiG-23UB), 8.0 g (MiG-23M), 8.5 g (MiG-23ML).
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