MiG-29K modifications
- MiG-29K (9-31)- carrier-based fighter (1988)
- MiG-29KU (9-62)- draft educational version.
- MiG-29KUB- combat training version.
Description
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The MiG-29 fighters in service with the Indian Air Force are called Baaz (Eagle) in this country. The program to strengthen the Indian Navy provides for the construction of a light aircraft carrier with a displacement of 20,000-24,000 tons. In addition to the creation of a new ship, negotiations have been underway for several years on the purchase in Russia of the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, on which the Yak-38 VTOL aircraft, removed in 1992, were based in the past. weapons. The modernized Admiral Gorshkov should be equipped with a continuous flight deck and a springboard in the bow for aircraft take-off. It is planned to use fighters with horizontal take-off from a springboard and aero-finishing landing as weapons for the updated ship. Taking into account the small size of the Admiral Gorshkov and the capacity of its below-deck hangar, the Russian side offered India a deck version of the MiG-29K.
The decision to develop it was made back in 1981, when accelerated testing of the MiG-29 front-line fighter was underway. On August 21, 1982, the MiG-29 took off for the first time from a ground jump at the Nitka training complex in Crimea. In 1983, almost simultaneously with the laying of the TAKR Project 1143.5 (later Admiral of the Fleet Kuznetsov), work began on the creation of a ship version of the MiG-29.
The terms of reference provided for the creation of a full-fledged multi-role fighter capable of performing a wide range of combat missions.
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Work on the creation of the MiG-29K (factory index "9-31") was carried out under the leadership of General Designer R.A. Belyakov and Chief Designer M.R. Waldenberg. The deck version of the MiG-29 was created in parallel with the development of the MiG-29M, a multi-role Air Force fighter, which ensured the implementation of a number of unified technical solutions in their design. In the airframes of both aircraft, the use of composite materials (CM) was significantly expanded, additional fuel was placed in place of the upper air intake, and special grilles were installed in the air intake channels to protect the engines.
At the same time, the deck version had differences from its land counterpart. The wing had a folding unit in the middle of its span, the central tank and the power compartment of the fuselage were significantly strengthened, to which the brake hook and main landing gear were attached.
Taking into account the high vertical landing speeds on an aircraft carrier, the landing gear elements were modified and strengthened. To improve takeoff and landing characteristics, the wing area increased from 38 to 42 square meters. m, the wing mechanization was also improved, the area of the slats, double-slotted flaps and ailerons was increased. The area of the vertical and horizontal tail surfaces was increased.
When developing the deck-based vehicle, much attention was paid to corrosion protection; marine requirements for materials, coatings, and fuselage sealing were also taken into account.
The controlled nose landing gear, in addition to being strengthened, began to rotate 90° to increase the maneuverability of the aircraft when taxiing on a deck of limited dimensions. A special three-color indicator was installed on it, the lights of which informed the landing director about the position of the aircraft on the descent glide path.
The fuel capacity was 5670 liters, the MiG-29K was equipped with an in-flight refueling system.
The aircraft was equipped with improved RD-33K engines with afterburner thrust up to 8800 kg; for take-off from a ship, an emergency mode (ER) was provided, in which the thrust briefly increased to 9400 kg.
The new aircraft's weapons control system, which included the Zhuk radar, ensured the use of not only air-to-air missiles, but also air-to-surface guided weapons. It automatically detected and tracked up to ten targets and ensured the launch of guided missiles against four targets.
The MiG-29K's armament included eight variants of missile weapons for air combat and 25 variants of weapons for operations against ground and surface targets. The maximum weight of the combat load was 4500 kg.
On April 19, 1988, the first aircraft to receive tail number 311 (i.e. aircraft 9-31/1) was delivered to the airfield and on June 23, 1988, test pilot T. Aubakirov took it into the air. After 33 test flights, the MiG-29K was transported to Crimea, where during training on the Nitka, the fighter’s suitability for flights from a ship was confirmed.
November 1, 1989 is a historic day in the history of the Russian fleet and aviation, a MiG-29K, piloted by T. Aubakirov, landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier after the Su-27K, and on the same day he lifted his MiG from the ship’s springboard.
In September 1990, the second prototype aircraft, No. 312, entered testing. The last flights of the experimental MiG-29K took place in 1992. And although a conclusion was received from the Russian Ministry of Defense recommending it for mass production, this did not happen. In 1992, a decision was made to stop purchasing the MiG-29 for the Russian Air Force, which also affected the fate of the MiG-29K.
However, this aircraft may be in demand right now. The versatility of the MiG-29K, a successful test cycle, provides a good chance for the revival of this program, taking into account the need of the Indian Navy for an aircraft of this class.
During tests on the Admiral Kuznetsov, the fighter took off from a ski-jump at distances of 195 and 95 m. The accuracy of landing on the aerofinisher cables turned out to be extremely high, which has now made it possible to switch to a system of three cables on the modernized Admiral Gorshkov.
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The updated MiG-29K will have more advanced avionics, which were tested on the MiG-29SMT and received high praise from both Russian and Indian pilots.
The intelligence of on-board equipment computing systems and weapons control systems will increase. Both the Russian and Indian sides agreed that all systems, including weapons, should be Russian. Based on the experience of cooperation in modernizing the MiG-21 into the 21-93 model, it is also planned to introduce Indian-made avionics. The experience of such assistance will have a positive impact on the time frame for upgrading the MiG-29K. This will be facilitated by exactly the same cooperation between Russian enterprises as in the MiG-21-93 program.
By reducing the weight and volume of the equipment, the internal fuel supply will be increased compared to the MiG-29K of the 1991 model. As a result, when operating from an aircraft carrier, the aircraft will have a range of 850 km for air combat and 1,150 km for strike operations (without refueling). The aircraft's armament will include RVV-AE (R-77) air-to-air missiles, various versions of the R-27, R-73 missiles, as well as anti-ship Kh-31A and Kh-35, television- and laser-guided weapons.
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The introduction of automatic engine thrust will improve the accuracy of landing on an aircraft carrier. Take-off characteristics allow approximately 90% of flights in tropical conditions when the aircraft carrier moves at 10 knots.
The RD-33 Series III engine is a record holder for service life and reliability among Russian engines; it will have a high-thrust take-off mode and additional anti-corrosion protection.
To reduce the overall characteristics when based on a ship, the wing folding unit was moved closer to the center section, by 1 m on each wing, as a result, the folded wing span from 7.8 m on the MiG-29K will be 5.8 m on the modernized aircraft. The horizontal tail will also fold.
A two-seat combat training version of the MiG-29K is also being developed, which is called the MiG-29KUB. It is developed taking into account technical unification, the same dimensions, weight characteristics, the same equipment. Unlike the previously existing MiG-29KU project, where the pilots were located in separate cockpits, like on the MiG-25PU, and there was no radar, the MiG-29KUB will have a standard radar, and the pilots will be placed in the cockpit under a single canopy - one after another . As a result, the gargrot behind the cabin will become higher, which will accommodate a sufficient amount of fuel.
On the basis of the MiG-29KUB, variants for reconnaissance and target designation, jamming, and a tanker may be created in the future.
See also
- MiG-29K
- Naval aviation
It all started in 1984, when at the MMZ. A.I. Mikoyan, under the leadership of General Designer R.A. Belyakov, began the design of the MiG-29K (ed. 9-31). For four years, intense work went on to design a new aircraft. The construction of two prototypes was carried out jointly by the experimental production of the Design Bureau and the serial plant “Znamya Truda” (MAPO named after P.V. Dementyev). On April 19, 1988, the first aircraft to receive the airborne “311” (i.e., the “9-31/1” aircraft) was transferred to the airfield, and after a ground check of all systems and equipment, on June 23, 1988, test pilot MMZ them. A.I. Mikoyan T.O. Aubakirov lifted her into the air.
Test flights of the MiG-29K at Nitka in September-October 1989 confirmed the compliance of the takeoff, landing and flight characteristics of the machine with the calculated ones and made it possible to begin studying the suitability of the MiG-29K for deployment on board the TAVKR. On November 1, 1989, first V.G. Pugachev on the Su-27K (T10K-2), the future Su-33, and then T.O. Aubakirov on the MiG-29K “311” for the first time in domestic aviation and the Navy landed their cars on the deck of an aircraft-carrying cruiser. On the same day in the evening, Aubakirov on a MiG-29K made the first takeoff from the Tbilisi springboard (the future “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov”), Pugachev on a Su-27K left the ship the next day. Thus, parity was achieved between the two competing design bureaus - Sukhoi was the first to land, and the MiG was the first to take off.
As everyone knows, due to the collapse of the USSR, plans had to be moderated. In the end, priority was given to the Su-27K, which later received the name Su-33 and began to enter service. A total of 26 vehicles were built.
MiG-29K aircraft have repeatedly participated in various aviation exhibitions. In February 1992, the second copy of the fighter (“312”) was demonstrated to the heads and representatives of the defense departments of the CIS countries at the Machulishchi airfield in Belarus, in 1992, 1993 and 1995. - in the static exposition of the air show in Zhukovsky near Moscow. The vehicle did not fly for four years: the last before mothballing, the 106th flight on the MiG-29K “312” took place on August 28, 1992. However, in the summer of 1996, the 312th was again prepared for test flights and arrived in September of the same year to Gelendzhik, where the first international hydroaviation exhibition in Russia was held. The MiG-29K "311" was shown in August 1997 at the MAKS-97 air show.
In the future, board “311” still served. For some time it stood in a hangar in Zhukovsky (photos below were taken in the winter of 2006/2007).
The number of anchors indicates the number of landings on deck.
Cabin. At that time it was modern :)
His brother “312” was also there.
Later, board 311 was used as a mock-up on the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya.
Although the MiG-29K project could not count on a government order since the early 1990s, the design bureau proactively promoted it at its own expense.
The program received a second life after the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSC) MiG signed a contract on January 20, 2004 for the supply of ship-based multirole fighters to the Indian Navy. It provided for the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29K and 4 double-seat MiG-29KUB aircraft, as well as training of pilots and technical personnel of the customer, supply of simulators, spare parts and organization of aircraft maintenance. There is also an option for another 30 aircraft with a delivery date of up to 2015. In 2005, in accordance with this option, a contract for the supply of weapons for the MiG-29K/KUB was signed.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Indian Navy took an active part in determining the appearance of the MiG-29KUB. For a number of positions they set requirements that exceeded the world level.
Flight tests of individual systems and components of the MiG-29K/KUB have been carried out since 2002. For this purpose, 8 MiG-29 aircraft of various modifications were used, on which in 2002-2006. about 700 flights were performed.
The single-seat MiG-29K is a ship-based multi-role fighter designed to solve air defense tasks for ship formations, gain air superiority, and destroy surface and ground targets with high-precision and conventional control, day and night in all weather conditions.
Its combat training version MiG-29KUB is designed for:
Training and acquisition (improvement) of piloting and aviation skills;
Practicing elements of combat use;
Solutions to all combat missions identical to the MiG-29K.
The most modern technologies were used to create the airframe, power plant and on-board equipment of the MiG-29KUB. The share of composite materials in the airframe reached 15%. The aircraft is equipped with new RD-33MK engines with increased thrust and service life.
The MiG-29K/KUB avionics (avionics) are built on the principle of open architecture, which facilitates the modernization of the aircraft and the expansion of its arsenal. In accordance with the Customer's wishes, the MiG-29KUB avionics was made international. In addition to Russian ones, Indian, French and Israeli companies are participating in its creation.
The MiG-29KUB is equipped with modern multifunctional pulse-Doppler radar stations "Zhuk-ME" and the latest optical-electronic systems.
A distinctive feature of the aircraft is the high level of unification. Despite the modification (single or double), the aircraft have the same airframe. In a single-seat aircraft, a fuel tank is located in the co-pilot's seat. This made it possible to reduce costs of both production and operation.
The first prototype of the MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter made its first flight on January 20, 2007 from the LII airfield. M.M.Gromova (Zhukovsky). The plane was lifted into the air by a crew consisting of Mikhail Belyaev and Pavel Vlasov.
On March 18, 2008, the serial MiG-29KUB saw the sky. The aircraft performed traditional taxiing and jogging at the airfield of the RSK MiG flight test complex in Lukhovitsy near Moscow, and then made a flight lasting 42 minutes in the modes tested on the prototype aircraft. During the flight, all flight characteristics of the serial MiG-29KUB were confirmed.
But a carrier-based fighter must undoubtedly fly from the deck. :)
At the very end of September 2009, the Russian Aircraft Corporation "MiG" successfully conducted flight tests of the new multi-role ship-based fighters MiG-29K/KUB, produced for the Indian Navy, on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". The first landing on the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR located in the Barents Sea was performed on September 28 on an experimental MiG-29K aircraft with tail number 941 by the head of the flight service of RSK MiG, Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Hero of Russia Pavel Vlasov.
He was followed by RSK MiG test pilots Nikolai Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyaev on a serial MiG-29KUB twin, already painted in the customer’s colors.
In just two days, several deck landings and takeoffs of both aircraft were made, which practically confirmed the possibility of safe operation of the new fighters on aircraft-carrying ships. It is noteworthy that the MiG-29K/KUB flights on Kuznetsov were carried out literally on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the first ship landings of domestic fourth-generation supersonic fighters and became a kind of return of the MiGs to the deck.
After the new aircraft showed its full viability, training of Indian flight and technical personnel began. The most difficult element of which, undoubtedly, was practicing in-flight refueling.
At the end of 2009, the first fighter jets flew to India. Indian pilots highly appreciated the flight qualities of the machines.
Thanks to this, in connection with the construction of new aircraft carriers, India ordered 29 more aircraft worth $1.2 billion, in addition to the 2004 contract for 16 aircraft. As of August 2011, India has received 11 MiG-29Ks from the first contract for 16 aircraft
But there were also sad moments. On June 23, 2011, a MiG-29KUB fighter crashed during a test flight in the Astrakhan region. Pilots Oleg Spichka and Alexander Kruzhalin died. The flight mission was so complex, almost at the limit of the aircraft’s capabilities, that only the best could complete it... - such aces as Oleg Spichka and Alexander Kruzhalin...
The commission found that the plane was not destroyed and was operational until the moment of the collision. The pilots acted in accordance with the flight mission and did everything to get out of the most difficult situation.
But despite heavy losses, the program is growing. More recently (http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/12906/) it became known that at the beginning of February 2012 the Russian Ministry of Defense will conclude a contract with RSK MiG for 28 carrier-based MiG-29K/KUB fighters with a delivery date until 2020 of the year.
As a result, we can confidently say that the MiG-29K/KUB program has taken place! The new carrier-based fighter will be a worthy replacement for the Su-33 and, perhaps, will find new foreign customers.
A Russian carrier-based fighter MiG-29K crashed in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, “during training flights, as a result of a technical malfunction during the landing approach several kilometers before the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, an accident occurred with a MiG-29K carrier-based fighter.” The pilot ejected and was taken aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov; his health is not in danger.
In the fall of 2016, the MiG-29K aircraft became part of the strike group of the Northern Fleet, which on October 15 set off on a cruise to the northeastern part of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It complemented the carrier-based Su-33 fighters available on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.
MiG-29K- Russian multi-role carrier-based supersonic fighter of the fourth generation, development of the MiG-29 project.
The first combat aircraft in the USSR, capable of taking off from the deck of a ship and landing on it in the usual way - with a take-off run and a run. Designed to solve the problems of air defense of naval formations, gaining air superiority, hitting surface and ground targets at any time of the day, etc.
About the history of creation
Developed in the 1980s. by the team of the Separate Design Bureau of Plant No. 155 (OKB named after A.I. Mikoyan, now JSC Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG) under the leadership of Chief Designer Mikhail Waldenberg, it was subsequently significantly modernized. It is in service with the Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy and the Military Indian naval forces. Did not participate in hostilities.
Russian aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the Mediterranean Sea
The first flight of the MiG-29K took place on June 23, 1988, the machine was piloted by a test pilot from the OKB. Mikoyan Toktar Aubakirov. On November 1, 1989, he performed the first landing on the deck of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Tbilisi" (now the flagship of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov") and the first takeoff from a ship's springboard.
In the USSR, the MiG-29K was built in single copies at the Moscow Engineering Plant "Znamya Truda" (now production complex number 2 of JSC RSK "MiG"). In the Russian Federation, serial production began in the 2000s. at the Lukhovitsky Machine-Building Plant (production complex number 1 of RSK MiG JSC) in the Moscow region.
About the design features
The aircraft is made according to a normal aerodynamic design with a folding trapezoidal mechanized wing, a two-fin vertical tail, and two RD-33K engines (RD33MK "Sea Wasp" in production aircraft) in the rear fuselage.
Crew – 1 person (2 people in the combat training “spark” MiG-29KUB/KUBR).
The carrier-based fighters are distinguished from the original ground-based MiG-29 by improved anti-corrosion protection of the airframe, reinforced landing gear, improved wing mechanization, the presence of an in-flight refueling system, etc. Before the start of mass production, the aircraft was significantly modernized, the front-line MiG-29SMT fighter served as its base.
Deck-based modifications of the MiG-29 can be based on aircraft-carrying ships with a displacement of 28 thousand tons, equipped with a take-off ramp and a landing arrestor and capable of receiving aircraft weighing more than 20 tons (the Russian Navy has one such ship at its disposal - the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov). MiG-29K can also be based at ground airfields.
© RSK "MiG" The length of the aircraft is 17.3 m.
Height – 4.4 m.
Wing span - 11.99 m (full) or 7.80 m (at the aircraft carrier's parking lot).
Service ceiling – 17,500 m.
Ferry range is 2 thousand km, with external fuel tanks - 3 thousand km (2700 km with external fuel tanks for the MiG-29KUB).
Maximum take-off weight – 24,500 kg.
The maximum speed at altitude is 2200 km/h.
About weapons and equipment
The MiG-29K is armed with a 30 mm caliber cannon (ammunition capacity of 150 rounds), on 8 hardpoints it can carry up to 4 thousand 500 kg of payload - air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles of various types, adjustable bombs.
The onboard radio-electronic equipment of the serial version of the fighter includes the Zhuk-ME radar station (provides tracking of up to ten air targets, simultaneous firing of missiles at four of them), an additional Uzel navigation system, and an automatic control and registration complex Karat. Aircraft are equipped with an on-board video recording system, an autonomous power generation system for ground checks of equipment without starting the main engines, etc.
About the combat training version
To train MiG-29K pilots in the second half of the 1980s. A project was being developed for a two-seat MiG-29KU vehicle with separate cockpits for the instructor and the student pilot, but work was suspended in the early 1990s.
In the 2000s, after concluding a contract for the supply of carrier-based fighters to the Indian Navy, the MiG-29KUB carrier-based combat training fighter with a common two-seat cockpit was created. Its first flight took place on January 20, 2007, the car was piloted by a crew consisting of Mikhail Belyaev and Pavel Vlasov.
Where is the MiG-29K operated?
Since 2009, the aircraft have been supplied to India, which has ordered a total of 45 MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB aircraft for deployment on the aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant (under two contracts from 2004). for 16 boards, worth 730 million US dollars, and from 2010 for 29 boards, worth 1.2 billion dollars).
In 2013-2015 The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) supplied the Russian Ministry of Defense with 20 MiG-29KR and four MiG-20KUBR units under a contract dated February 29, 2012.
Since 2013, several of the delivered vehicles have undergone trial operation in the 279th naval fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.
On March 20, 2016, at the airfield of the 859th Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Naval Aviation Flight Personnel (Yeysk, Krasnodar Territory), MiG-29KR/KUBR flights from the 100th Separate Naval Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Northern Fleet of the Navy, recreated in January 2016, began RF.
Accidents and disasters of the MiG-29K
According to open sources, there were two plane crashes involving aircraft of this type, in which a total of three people died.
- June 23, 2011 in the area of the Kabakovo farmstead, Akhtubinsky district, Astrakhan region. A disaster occurred during a test flight of the MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter (tail number “927 blue”) at the 929th State Flight Test Center of the Russian Air Force. The car collided with the ground, performing a downward half-loop from a height of 2 thousand 700 m, with the engines running at maximum speed. The crew died - colonels Alexander Kruzhalin and Oleg Spichka, who managed to move the falling car away from the populated area (in 2012, both pilots were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia). Among the probable causes of the disaster is a defect in the wing folding mechanism, due to which it could fold spontaneously.
- On June 4, 2014, off the coast of the Indian state of Goa, a MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter of the Indian Navy made a hard landing on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The plane, at a speed of about 300 km/h, missed the first two rows of arrestor cables and caught on the third at a time when the pilots were already preparing for a go-around. As a result of the incident, the nose landing gear of the fighter was damaged. The pilots and crew of the ship were not injured.
- December 4, 2014 near the village of Chemodurovo, Voskresensky district, Moscow region. An experienced carrier-based fighter MiG-29KUB (registration number "204 black") crashed while returning to the airfield in Zhukovsky during a training flight. Test pilots Sergei Rybnikov and Vadim Selivanov ejected and were hospitalized in serious condition. On December 6, Sergei Rybnikov died in the hospital. The suspected cause of the crash is equipment failure. The plane belonged to the MiG corporation that developed it.
The material was prepared according to TASS-Dossier data.
SHIP-BASED MULTI-ROPLE FIGHTERS MIG-29K/MIG-29KUB
MARINE MULTI-PURPOSE FIGHTERS MIG-29K/MIG-29KUB
05.01.2018
On January 3, 2018, a Russian-made MiG-29K naval fighter aircraft of the Indian Navy crashed at the Hansa air base in Goa. The pilot (according to reports, a young pilot undergoing retraining for this type) successfully ejected, the aircraft was apparently completely destroyed. According to early reports, the accident occurred during takeoff, causing the plane to skid off the runway, although the overall details of the incident are still unknown.
The Indian Navy, under two contracts in 2004 and 2010, received from Russia from 2009 to 2016 a total of 45 MiG-29K/KUB (9-41/9-47) ship-based fighters. These aircraft are equipped with the 300th and 303rd aviation squadrons of the Indian Navy, based at the Hansa airbase in Goa. The incident was the first loss of a MiG-29K/KUB aircraft in Indian naval aviation.
In Russia, two experimental MiG-29KUB aircraft (in 2011 and 2014) and one MiG-29KR combat fighter from the 100th separate naval fighter aviation regiment of the Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy were lost in accidents and disasters (in the Mediterranean Sea on November 14, 2016 ). Another MiG-29KR from the 100th regiment crashed in early 2017, but is subject to restoration.
http://bmpd.livejournal.com
A special place in the MiG-29 family is occupied by a ship-based aircraft, intended to solve air defense tasks of ship formations, gain air superiority, and engage surface and ground targets with high-precision weapons at any time of the day and in the most unfavorable weather conditions. The government decree on the construction of a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of Project 1145.5 was signed on May 7, 1982. With the same document, the Moscow Metallurgical Plant named after A.I. Mikoyan and P.O. Sukhoi was tasked with developing technical proposals for short takeoff and landing aircraft for deployment on the cruiser.
In the summer of 1982, an experimental complex “Nitka” was built in Crimea with a T-1 springboard 5 m high, 60 m long and 30 m wide (vanishing angle 8.5 degrees). To conduct flight research on it, in addition to the Su-27 (TYu-Z) aircraft, the seventh flight prototype of the MiG-29 (No. 918) was also involved.
The first take-off from a ski-jump on a MiG-29 was carried out by OKB test pilot A.G. Fastovets August 21, 1982.
The first landings using the Svetlana-2 aerofinisher were performed in 1983 on MiG-27 No. 603 by LII test pilots A.V. Krugov and S.N. Tresvyatsky. In the summer of the same year, the MiG-29 No. 918 was also equipped with a brake hook.
The development of a carrier-based aircraft based on the MiG-29M began in accordance with a government decree signed on January 30, 1984. The main task facing the aircraft was the defense of Navy ships from enemy air in the near zone, and the secondary ones were the fight against surface ships with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons and ensuring landings.
The deck-based MiG-29K differed from its land-based counterparts, in particular, in its folding wing consoles, reinforced landing gear, the absence of an upper air intake entrance and a brake hook in the rear of the hull. Since the car was noticeably heavier compared to its predecessor, and take-off from the deck of an aircraft carrier took place using a springboard, it was necessary to boost the engines by introducing an emergency thrust mode - 9400 kgf. In this case, its thrust-to-weight ratio, depending on the take-off weight, varied from 1.05 to 0.8. To increase safety in the event of a pilot ejecting from the deck of an aircraft carrier, on which, as is known, the “island” (superstructure for command personnel) is located, the flight path of the seat (K-36D-3.5) with the pilot passes to the left with an angle of 30 degrees to the vertical.
The vehicle's armament, in addition to the cannon and unguided projectiles suspended on nine nodes, included R-73, K-27T and K-27R missiles, as well as Kh-31A/P and adjustable bombs.
The first flight of the MiG-29K (product "9-31", tail number 311) took place on July 23, 1988, and the second (no. 912) - in October 1990. In 1988, test pilot T.O. Aubakirov began flying the MiG-29LL flying laboratory on the Nitka ground simulator. Then pilots from the Air Force Research Institute V. Kondaurov and A. Lavrikov joined the tests.
A year and a half later, on November 1, 1989, test pilot of OKB T.O. Aubakirov on MiG-29 No. 311, following the Su-27K, made the first landing and an hour and a half later took off (takeoff 180 m) from the deck of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.
The operation of the MiG-29K (13 landings were made) from the deck of an aircraft-carrying cruiser had its own characteristics. The take-off was carried out after a short take-off run from the springboard, and the landing was carried out using the Luna-3 optical system (OSP), reminiscent of a traffic light, but unlike it with lights located horizontally.
Taking off from a springboard had its limitations on the speed of descent from it - no less than 160 km/h, due to the downward drawdown, and no more than 180 km/h - on compression of the front landing gear when the air pressure receiver (APR) located on the fairing The radar could have hit the hill.
Until the end of the summer of 1992, two copies of the MiG-29K made over 80 landings on the cruiser’s deck.
The MiG-29K passed the tests and was recommended for mass production, but circumstances were such that priority was given to the Su-27K aircraft, which was the first to land on the deck of the ship. After this, the aircraft entertained the public for some time at various air shows and was displayed in parking lots. For the same reason, it was not possible to implement the project for a two-seat trainer version of the MiG-29KU.
To improve the instructor's visibility on the MiG-29KU, the cockpits were designed to be separate (by analogy with the MiG-25PU/RU training machines), and the seat in the rear cockpit had to be installed higher than the front one. Therefore, it was necessary to change the contours of the nose and the design of the supporting body of the vehicle. However, due to the cessation of work on the MiG-29K, detailed design of the twin was not carried out.
It seemed that the two built vehicles were destined for the fate of museum exhibits, but suddenly an Indian order appeared on the horizon to convert the former aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Gorshkov into the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier with a ski-jump, designed for 24 aircraft. By the way, not only the MiG-29K took off from the springboard, but also an ordinary land fighter. True, these studies were carried out with the aim of reducing its takeoff run in the event of runway damage.
A comprehensive contract for the supply of multirole ship-based fighter aircraft to the Indian Navy was signed by RSK MiG on January 20, 2004. The contract provides for the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29K and 4 double-seat MiG-29KUB, training of pilots and technical personnel, supply of simulators, spare parts and organization of aircraft maintenance. The contract also provides for an option for another 30 vehicles with a delivery date until 2015.
Seven years after the cessation of MiG-29K flights from the aircraft-carrying cruiser, aircraft No. 311 and No. 312 were reactivated and used to work under the Indian program. N.N. was appointed chief designer of the updated machine. Buntina.
The tasks facing the carrier-based aircraft remain the same. Although the name of the aircraft (in the OKB it was designated product “9-41”) remained the same, it became completely different. First of all, its avionics and radio equipment have undergone significant changes, including the PJ1C Zhuk-ME, largely borrowed from the MiG-29SMT. The MiG-29K/KUB avionics are built on the principle of open architecture based on the MIL-STD-1553B standard. At the same time, some of the equipment used was made in India and France.
A digital fly-by-wire aircraft control system with quadruple redundancy is used.
At the same time, the airframe was improved, increasing the proportion of composite materials to 15%, and significantly reduced visibility in the radar range.
On the left side of the aircraft in front of the pilot's cabin, a module of the in-flight refueling system was preserved. At the same time, the aircraft, using a removable fuel refueling unit PAZ-1MK, can be used to refuel other MiG-29Ks in flight.
The power plant used was the RD-ZZMK engine, created on the basis of the RD-33 3rd series, but with maximum thrust increased to 5400 kgf, and in full afterburner mode - up to 9000 kgf. Thanks to the overhead tank and overflow tanks
the center section increased by more than 16% and the fuel supply increased. In addition, the volume of the ventral tank was increased to 2150 liters, and under the wing it is now possible to hang not two, but four PTBs.
And another innovation aimed at increasing reliability was a new box of aircraft components. Now, if one of the generators or hydraulic pumps fails, its functions will be performed by the other.
The weapons are exclusively Russian-made. These are primarily air-to-air guided missiles RVV-AE and R-73E, anti-ship Kh-31A and anti-radar Kh-31P. The aircraft's arsenal also includes unguided missiles and aerial bombs, both ballistic and adjustable.
To train Navy pilots, a two-seat ship-based combat training aircraft MiG-29KUB (product “9-62”) was built. The MiG-29K/KUB is equipped with a modern multi-channel optical location station and a target designation system for passive homing heads of anti-radar missiles. It is possible to install containers with infrared and laser sighting equipment on the aircraft to illuminate ground targets. The open architecture of the avionics makes it possible to install new equipment and weapons of Russian and foreign production on the aircraft.
Flight tests of individual systems and components of the MiG-29K/KUB have been conducted since 2002. For this purpose, nine MiG-29 of various modifications are used, on which over 700 flights were carried out in 2002-2006. During the flight tests, the calculated flight performance data of the aircraft was confirmed. In particular, takeoff and landing characteristics have significantly improved, which is especially important for ship-based aircraft.
Flight tests of the pre-production MiG-29KUB began in January 2007. But only five months later, on June 25, Deputy General Director - General Designer of RSK MiG for flight work - Head of the Flight Test Center named after. A.V. Fedotova Hero of Russia P.N. Vlasov performed the first flight on it.
In terms of combat capabilities, flight and operational characteristics, the MiG-29K/KUB is significantly superior to its predecessor, which was tested on an aircraft-carrying cruiser in 1991. The flight life of the MiG-29K/KUB has been more than doubled, and the cost of a flight hour has been reduced by almost 2.5 times.
In September 2009, test pilots of RSK MiG M. Belyaev, P. Vlasov, N. Diordnitsa and Colonel O. Spichka (GLITs Air Force) tested the MiG-29K (prototype No. 941) and MiG-29KUB (one of the first serial ones - No. 672, painted in the customer’s colors) on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union N.G. Kuznetsov" located in the Barents Sea.
The first landing on board the Admiral Kuznetsov was performed by P. Vlasov on a single-seat MiG-29K, and less than half an hour later the wheels of the MiG-29KUB, piloted by N. Diordnitsa and M. Belyaev, touched the deck of the aircraft-carrying cruiser.
In early December, the first batch of six MiG-29K/KUB arrived in India and on February 19, 2010, a ceremony took place at the Hansa Naval Base in the province of Goa. Until the delivery of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to India, carrier-based fighters will be operated on land, in the newly created 303rd Air Squadron, called the Black Panthers.
It seems that the cars made a good impression on the Indians, and they announced their intention to purchase another batch of 29 MiG-29Ks from Russia.
The successful modernization of the ship version of the MiG-29 and the creation of its two-seat version once again attracted the attention of the Russian Navy command to this machine, which is capable of ending the monopoly of the Su-33.
In January 2010, it was reported that the Russian Navy plans to purchase several MiG-29K ship-based fighters this year for deployment on the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. In total, 24 MiGs are expected to be acquired in the next three to four years, which will complement the current fleet of Su-33s, the service life of which expires in 2015, although it is planned to extend it until 2025.
In April, it was reported that the Russian Navy in 2010-2012 will buy 26 MiG-29K carrier-based fighters, which will be based on the aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. According to the Navy's plans, two fighters will be purchased in 2010, and the rest will arrive in several batches in 2011 and 2012.
As for India, during the visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to this country in March 2010, a contract was signed for the purchase of 29 MiG-29K/KUB with the start of deliveries in 2012.
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