Category Mig

Various experiments have been carried out on MiG-19s to upgrade some of their components and systems. That is how the KT-37 wheels of the main gear were replaced by KT-61s and the standard drum brakes were replaced by disc brakes, reducing markedly the heat gen­erated by the brakes after landing. New gear legs were also tested for

The SM-9/3T was a MiG-19S without camions that was used for testing K-13 air-to-air missiles.

Close-up of the K-13 air-to-air missile Its launch rail was held by the MiG-19S’s all-pur­pose pylon.

KT-87 wheels. Other MiG-19s were used for firing tests of unguided rockets (by themselves or in pods) and homing missiles (infrared or radar-seeking). Below is a list of some modified prototypes and their missions.

SM-11: Tests of the Yastiyeb infrared sensor for night fighters in 1956.

MiG-19R: Tests of several new cameras for the MiG-19R daytime reconnaissance aircraft. A small number of this version were built

MiG-19P (SM-52F): (1) Tests of the Gorizont-1 navigational equip­ment, which transmitted coded radio signals giving speed, altitude, heading, and other information to ground stations in order to guide the aircraft to its target. (2) Tests of the Svod radio navigational aid, which in bad weather (zero visibility) could automatically calculate the air­craft’s coordinates (bearing and distance) in relation to the nearest ground station and vector the aircraft to a beacon. This same SM-52P was used to test the Almaz ("diamond") fire control radar linked to the Baza-6 range finder.

MiG-19S: Tests of the unique BK-65 astronomical compass repeater, which could calculate the aircraft’s true heading and keep it on a predetermined course in northern latitudes (from 40 to 90 degrees) and into conditions of sun visibility at altitudes above "aircraft horizon” up to 70 degrees. In 1956 the Ilirn experimental automatic direction finder was tested It was meant to guide the aircraft to radio stations or radio beacons. Several types of antennae were tested as well. In 1956 the RUP-4 instrument landing system was tested on a MiG-19. Its computer worked simultaneously with an automatic direc­tion finder and an earth induction gyrocompass to plot the approach, using active guidance methods such as a "to/from” pointer. For the pro­duction MiG-19 a new NI-50IM dead reckoning position computer was tested and ordered. It could be operated at up to 20,000 m (65,600 feet) and 2,000 km/h (1,080 kt).

SM-21: MiG-19S no. 406, used for 210-mm S-21 unguided rocket tests, hence its designation.

MiG-19S (SM-2D, SM-6, SM-24): Tests of various navigational systems and weaponry

The Ye-50A high-altitude interceptor was designed in 1956 and built in the Gorki production factory after approval of a full-scale mock-up that

retained the Ye-2A airframe structure. The power unit was composed of the AM-11 turbojet and the S-155 rocket engine. Like the Ye-50, the new prototype had its rocket engine, accessories, and hydrogen perox­ide tank gathered in the fin base. A frame was added in the tail of the fuselage, and a jet air pump nozzle was installed in the engine bay.

The wing, the stabilator, the cockpit hood, and the gear were iden­tical to those of the Ye-2A. The inside fuselage arrangement was also identical to that of the Ye-2A all the way to frame no. 20. Beyond that point and back to the fin attachment fittings, it was identical to that of the Ye-50. The fuel system was modified slightly, tank nos. 6 and 7 being removed. The rocket engine control and supply systems were gathered in a long, easy-to-remove fairing on the underside of the fuse­lage. The production factory was ordered to build a batch of twenty Ye – 50As, but they were never finished because L. S. Dushkin OKB closed and therefore could not supply the needed rocket engines.

Specifications

Span, 8.109 m (26 ft 7.2 in); length (except probe), 13.25 m (43 ft 5.7 in); fuselage length (except cone), 11.53 m (37 ft 9.9 in); wheel track, 2.679 m (8 ft 9.5 in); wheel base, 4.41 m (14 ft 5.6 in).

The Ye-6/1, the first MiG-21 prototype, was ill fated. Engine failure led to the death of its test pilot, V. A. Nefyedov.

The Ye-6/2, the second MiG-21 prototype, was equipped experimentally with launch rails at the wing tips In this photograph, they hold K-13 air-to-air missiles

One of the lessons learned in combat over the Middle East and Viet­nam was that in order to defeat a turboprop-powered fighter one had

to involve it in close combat at low altitudes. To meet that challenge, the jet fighter had to be armed to the teeth and supplied with a good amount of fuel. It also needed to be a stable and maneuverable machine. The dominant feature of all of the MiG-21 variants reviewed thus far was their good performance at medium and high altitudes. But it had never performed up to par at low altitudes, because of some of the distinctive characteristics of such power plants as the R-11F2-300 and the R-13-300.

This is why it was decided in February 1971 to construct a new MiG-21 that would be especially efficient at low altitudes and high indi­cated airspeeds. The new ОКБ offspring was named the MiG-21 bis. It was powered by a new engine, the R-25-300. It was rated at 4,020 daN (4,100 kg st) dry—roughly equivalent to the R-13-300—but had a much higher afterburning ratio in that its reheated thrust was rated at 6,960 daN (7,100 kg st). Moreover, at Mach 1 and beyond it could utilize a special afterburning regime called ChR (Chrezuichayniy Rezhim: excep­tional rating) that permitted it to obtain a peak thrust of 9,700 daN (9,900 kg st) for as long as three minutes between 0 and 4,000 m (0 and 13,120 feet).

The MiG-21 bis could also be fitted with two SPRD-99 solid rocket boosters rated at 2,450 daN (2,500 kg st) apiece. Their kinetic energy topped 46,000 kgm/sec (451,000 W) for between 10 and 17.8 seconds according to temperature. The total capacity of the fuel tanks was 2,880

1 (760 US gallons). Installation of the new engine forced engineers to modify the fuel system with a booster pump for the afterburner. The aircraft was fitted with the new RSBN-2S short-range navigation sys­tem, similar to the Shoran and replaced in late-series machines by the RSBN-5S; it also received new instrument approach equipment Together, those new systems enabled the pilot to navigate accurately in even the worst weather. Automatic monitors for the airframe and engine significantly reduced maintenance downtime.

In addition to its built-in GSh-23 cannon, the MiG-21 bis was armed for close combat with R-55 and R-60M (K-60M) air-to-air missiles and with the R-13M (K-13M), which had twice the range of the R-3S and

The R-25-300, rated at 6,160 daN (7,100 kg st) with afterburner, gave the MiG-21bis excellent takeoff and climb performance.

could be fired under a much higher load factor. The airborne radar was the RP-22 Sapfir-21. The MiG-21 bis was accepted into WS fighter air regiments in February 1972 and was mass-produced in the Gorki facto­ry. India was granted the manufacturing license in 1974.

Specifications

Span, 7.154 m (23 ft 5.7 in); fuselage length (except cone), 12.285 m (40 ft 3.7 in); overall length (except probe), 14.7 m (48 ft 2.3 in); wheel track, 2.787 m (9 ft 1.7 in); wheel base, 4.7] m (15 ft 5.4 in); wing area, 23 m2 (247.6 sq ft); takeoff weight with two R-3S missiles, 8,725 kg (19,230 lb); max takeoff weight, 9,800 kg (21,600 lb); max takeoff weight on rough strip or metal-plank strip, 8,800 kg (19,395 lb); max takeoff weight with KT-92D wheels and 42A or 058 (800 x 200) tires, 10,400 kg (22,920 lb); fuel, 2,390 kg (5,270 lb); wing loading, 379.3- 426.1-382.6-452.2 kg/m2 (77.8-87.4-78.4-92.7 lb/sq ft); max operating limit load factor, 8.5.

Performance

Max speed, 2,175 km/h at 13,000 m (1,175 kt at 42,640 ft); max Mach number, 2.05; max speed at sea level, 1,300 km/h (702 kt); climb rate at sea level (half internal fuel, full thrust) with two R-3S missiles, 230 m/sec (45,275 ft/min); climb to 17,000 m (55,760 ft) in 8.5 min; ser­vice ceiling, 17,500 m (57,400 ft); landing speed, 250 km/h (135 kt);

range in clean configuration, 1,225 km at 11,000 m (760 mi at 36,080 ft), 1,110 km at 14,000 m (690 mi at 45,920 ft); with 800-1 (211-US gal) drop tank, 1,430 km at 14,000 m (890 mi at 45 920 ft), with two R-3S missiles and 490-1 (129-US gal) drop tank, 1,355 km at 11,000 m (840 mi at 36,080 ft); with two R-3S missiles and 800-1 (211-US gal) drop tank, 1,470 km at 10,000 m (910 mi at 32,800 ft), takeoff roll, 830 m (2 720 ft), landing roll with SPS and tail chute, 550 m (1 800 ft)

It does not appear that the MiG-23B, the first fighter-bomber descend­ed from a family of genuine fighters, satisfied all of the hopes pinned on it. The main weaknesses were its power plant and its nav-attack system. The MiG-27 was therefore developed from a MiG-23B air­frame—in this case, a MiG-23BM (32-25) powered by the new R-29B- 300 turbojet rated at 7,840 daN (8,000 kg st) dry and 11,270 daN (11,500 kg st) with afterburner. But unlike the MiG-23, the MiG-27 had fixed air intakes and could be recognized by its very small splitter plates, set 80 millimeters (3 78 inches) away from the fuselage wall to act as bound­ary layer bleeds. The blow-in doors used at takeoff or in flight at low Mach numbers were retained.

Keeping in mind that the aircraft’s new missions (bombing, deep tactical support) might require sudden changes in trim, the displace­ment speed of the type 3 wing between settings was modulated, so that during any aircraft acceleration or deceleration the wing could be given in due time the most favorable sweep angle, considering the air­craft’s speed. The full-span trailing edge flaps were set to 25 degrees at takeoff and 50 degrees at landing (only when the wing was fully spread). The aircraft’s standard AOA at landing was 15 degrees but could be reduced to 10 degrees for hard landings. It had a tail chute that covered 21 m2 (226 square feet) and was housed in a canister at the base of the rudder.

The main equipment included the PrNK-23 nav-attack system, SAU automatic flight control system, SPS-141 thermal jammer, Rl-65 vocal warning (for sixteen facts), SUA-1 AOA indicator, KN-23 naviga­tion computer, SG-1 radar warning receiver, SO-69 transponder, SRZO/SRO-1P IFF interrogator/transponder, RV-5R/RV-10 radio­altimeters, and Fone range finder.

This MiG-27 carries three bombs and two rocket pods. Note the new shape of the engine air intakes

The MiG-27’s weaponry was quite impressive. It had one 30-mm six-barrel GSh-6-30 cannon with 260 rounds and could handle a total load of 4,000 kg (8,815 pounds) at seven store stations:

— two SPPU-22-01 gun pods carrying twin-barrel 23-mm guns that could be depressed to attack ground targets —R-3S and R-13M air-to-air missiles —Kh-23 or Kh-29 air-to-surface missiles —240-mm S-24/S-24B rockets —UB-32A or UB-32-16 rocket pods

-twenty-two 50- and 100-kg (110- and 220-pound) bombs, eighteen 100-kg (220-pound) bombs, nine 250-kg (550-pound) bombs, eight 500-kg (1,100-pound) bombs, or tactical nuclear bombs of various sizes

—napalm containers

The internal fuel capacity was 5,400 1 (1,426 US gallons), and the aircraft could also carry three drop tanks with 790 1 (209 US gallons) apiece.

Specifications

Span (72° sweep); 7.779 m (25 ft 6.3 in); span (16" sweep), 13.965 m (45 ft 9.8 in); overall length, 17.076 m (56 ft 0.3 in); height, 5 m (16 ft 4.8 in); wing glove sweep at leading edge, 70°; wheel track, 2.728 m (8 ft 11.4 in); wheel base, 5.991 m (19 ft 7 9 in); wing area (72° sweep), 34.16 m2 (367.7 sq ft); wing area (16° sweep), 37.35 m2 (402 sq ft); empty weight, 11,908 kg (26,245 lb); takeoff weight, 18,100 kg (39,890 lb); max takeoff weight, 20,300 kg (44,740 lb); internal fuel, 4,560 kg (10,050 lb); wing loading (72° sweep), 529.9-594.2 kg/m2 (108.6-121.8 lb/sq ft); wing loading (16° sweep), 485.7-544.7 kg/m2 (99.6-111.7 lb/sq ft).

Performance

Max speed in clean configuration (72° sweep) at sea level, 1,350 km/h (729 kt); at 8,000 m (26,240 ft), 1,885 km/h or Mach 1.7 (1,018 kt); landing speed, 260-270 km/h (140-146 kt); radius of action, lo-lo-lo, with two Kh-29 missiles, 225 km (140 mi); with two Kh-29 missiles and three 790-1 (209-US gal) drop tanks, 540 km (335 mi), plus 7% reserve fuel; takeoff roll, 950 m (3,115 ft); landing roll with tail chute, 900 m (2,950 ft); landing roll without tail chute, 1,300 m (4,265 ft).

In order to have the proper tool to tram pilots and field support crews for the MiG-29, the ОКБ developed the M1G-29UB two-seat variant con­currently. The и stands for uchebmy (training) and the h for boyevoy (combat)—meaning that this trainer retained at least limited combat capabilities. The radar was removed, but the cannon, IRST complex, laser range finder, and wing store stations of the single-seater remained At 17.42 m (57 feet, 18 inches) the M1G-29UB is 100 mil­limeters (3 94 inches) longer than the single-seater. This is the only structural difference necessitated by the second cockpit The one-piece canopy is hinged at the rear and opens upward There a periscope that provides the occupant of the rear cockpit with a wide field of vision. Both ejection seats are of the K-36DM type .

The MiG-29UB was first piloted on 29 April 1981 by A. G. Fastovets with a mannequin strapped to the second seat. The test schedule moved briskly, Mach 1 4 being reached on the fourth flight and Mach 1.9 on the ninth flight. Production got under way in 1982 for the WS and for export.

The MiG-29S has something of a fatback silhouette because its bigger electronics bay and slightly enlarged no. I fuel tank occupy the extended dorsal spine.

In the history of aviation transitional periods are always marked by attempts to develop more powerful engines The first turbojets offered only meager thrust. For example, the first Soviet jet—the TR-1, designed and built by A. M Lyulka—delivered power equivalent to 1,323 daN (1,250 kg st) and was not available until 1947. The wartime German jets Jumo 004 and BMW 003 had thrusts limited to 880 and 785 daN (900 and 800 kg st) respectively Therefore, during this transi­tional period several aircraft manufacturers including Mikoyan and Guryevich decided to test the efficiency of rocket engines or ZhRD (Zhidkostniy Raketniy Dvigatyel liquid-propellant rocket engine) for a new type of high-speed, high-altitude interceptor At that time, only the rocket engine could meet those two requirements One of the basic advantages of rocket engines is that their thrust is slightly subordinat­ed to speed and altitude, two values that then depended only on the amount of combustible and oxidizer the interceptor could carry in its tanks.

The first thing that catches one’s eye about the three-view drawing of the Zh is the T-tail (the stabilizer is on top of the fin). In a note dated 30 May 1946 that was included with the preliminary design, Mikoyan and Guryevich wrote "If one reduces the effect of the wing on the sta­bilizer, it may be supposed that the moment characteristics will not be modified up to Mach 0 9 This is why the stabilizer has been moved upward, in relation to the wing, this displacement is equal to 1 2 MAC (mean aerodynamic chord).” Similar high-set stabilizers would appear later on transonic aircraft such as the MiG-15, MiG-17, and 1-320 But in 1946 TsAGI had not yet studied the characteristics of swept-wing air­craft, and manufacturers were not yet equipped with the necessary experimental and scientific facilities. This is why both 1-270 prototypes built at the end of 1946 had a straight wing The sweep angle at the leading edge was 12 degrees. Only the stabilizer was swept back (30 degrees at the leading edge) as shown in the preliminary design.

The 1-270 was an all-metal aircraft with a circular semimonocoque fuselage and a cantilever midwing. The fuselage was built in two parts and then mated (a first for MiG), The one-piece wing had a five-spar box structure and thick skin panels and was embedded in the lower part of the fuselage Its laminar flow airfoil was relatively thm The pre­liminary design called for a wing with a 20-degree quarter-chord sweep angle identical to that of the MiG-8, but as noted both prototypes received a straight wing with a modest taper to both the leading and trailing edge The main gear had a very narrow wheel track (1.6 m

The first prototype of the 1-270, or Zh-1, made its First flight without its power plant, towed behind a Tu-2 It was then released and allowed to glide to a landing.

The Zh-1 was somewhat short-lived Test pilot Yuganov had to make a belly landing, and the aircraft was thought to be beyond repair.

[5 feet, 3 inches]) and retracted inward into the wing center section The nose gear well and the two 23-mm NS-23 cannons (40 rpg) were located under the pressurized cockpit

It was planned to put two rocket pods (four RS-82s each) under the wing, but the idea was not accepted. The seat was equipped with a small pyrotechnic device to enable the pilot to eject in case of emer­gency. The power plant was a dual-chamber RD-2M-3V bipropellant rocket engine dev eloped by L S Dushkm and V P Glushko The com­bined thrust of both chambers was 1,421 daN (1,450 kg st)—that is, 1,029 daN (1,050 kg st) for the mam chamber and 392 daN (400 kg st) for the cruise chamber mounted on top The rocket engine was pump – fed by a mixture of nitric acid, kerosene, and hydrogen peroxide (80 percent). The propellants weighed 2,120 kg (4,672 pounds). All propel­lants were stored in three sets of tanks 1,620 kg (3,570 pounds) of nitric acid in four tanks, 440 kg (970 pounds) of kerosene in one tank, and 60 kg (132 pounds) of hydrogen peroxide in seven tanks The pro­pellant turbopumps were driven by two generators one that was part of the aircraft’s electrical system; and a second, powered by the wind – milling action of a small propeller in the nose, that served as a backup The first prototype or Zh-1 was rolled out at the end of 1946 with­out its power plant and made a few flights in December 1946 towed behind a Tu-2 bomber During these tests the bomber released it, and it glided to landings Before these first glide descents, pilots trained on a modified Yak-9 fighter that was weighted with lead ingots to approxi­mate the design yaw and pitch characteristics of the 1-270 The RD-2M – 3V rocket engine was mounted on the second prototype or Zh-2. In early 1947 an OKB test pilot, V. N Yuganov, used the engine in flight. He handed responsibility for the test flights over to a military pilot, A, K. Pakhomov, who shortly thereafter botched a landing and destroyed the aircraft. Within weeks Yuganov belly-landed the Zh-1, and the pro­totype was not repaired The 1-270 never made it past its factory tests And with the MiG-9, the Yak-15, and the first surface-to-air missiles in operation, the rocket-powered interceptor was no longer essential to the air defense forces So work came to a halt on the 1-270 and the RM-1, a similar type of interceptor designed by A S Moskalyev

Specifications

Span, 7 75 m (25 ft 5 1 in); length, 8 915 m (29 ft 3 in); height, 3 08 m (10 ft 1 3 in), height in level flight position, 2 58 m (8 ft 5 6 in), wheel track, 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in); wheel base, 2.415 m (7 ft 11 10 in), wing area, 12 m2 (129 2 sq ft), empty weight, 1,546 kg (3,407 lb); takeoff weight, 4,120 kg (9,080 lb), propellants, 2,120 kg (4,672 lb), wing loading, 343.3 kg/m2 (70 4 lb/sq ft).

The second prototype of the 1-270 or Zh-2, had a standby electrical system that was powered by the windmilling action of the small propeller in its nose

■

This photograph of the Zh-2 shows the two superimposed chambers of the RD-2M-3V rocket engine.

Performance

Max speed, 900 km/h at 5,000 m (486 kt at 16,400 ft), 928 km/h at 10,000 m (501 kt at 32,800 ft), 936 km/h at 15,000 m (505 kt at 49,200 ft), climb to 10,000 m (33,800 ft) in 2.37 min; to 15,000 m (49,200 ft) in 3.03 min; service ceiling, 17,000 m (55,760 ft), landing speed 137 km/h (74 kt); takeoff roll, 895 m (2,935 ft); landing roll, 493 m (1,617 ft); endurance with both chambers, 255 sec; with the cruise chamber only, 543 sec.

This MiG-15 bis was used as a test bed for the RP-1 Izumrud ("emer­ald") ranging radar developed by V. V. Tikhomirov in 1950. This radar had two antennae, one that scanned the sky for its target and one that could track enemy aircraft automatically. The scanning antenna was housed in a dielectric radome at the top of the engine air intake; the tracking antenna was set into a small, streamlined compartment in the air intake partition. The radar rack was in the equipment bay, in front of the cockpit. Radar control and target acquisition were automatic, but only the pilot could determine the distance and open fire. Like the SP – 1, the SP-5 had only one cannon. Because the Izumrud proved to be easier to operate and much more reliable than the Toriy, series produc­tion was recommended. It would later be used for both the MiG-17 and the MiG-19.

MiG 15 bis / S0/SA-1/SA 3/SA 4

These four designations were given to production MiG-15 bis’s used as test beds for various equipment and systems. They did not differ exter­nally.

The First Soviet Supersonic Fighter

The MiG-19 was taken for its premier flight on 5 January 1954 by G. A. Sedov, now the chief constructor at the Mikoyan ОКБ. It is no secret that the transition to supersonic speed was lengthy, tricky, and bloody. Ivashchenko died in a MiG-17, and many pilots were lost in other OKBs and aircraft manufacturers all the world over.

Some pilots succeeded in reaching and even surpassing Mach 1 for a short while, but for the true supersonic effect one had to maintain that speed for a long time in level flight. The SM-2, the first prototype of the MiG-19, seemed to have all of the prerequisites for supersonic flight: a thin wing with a high sweep angle (57 degrees), a reduced mas­ter cross-section, and a pair of AM-5A engines, a new type of compact and efficient turbojet. But the problem proved to be far more intricate than expected. More than one person would have lost heart, but all concerned clenched their teeth and committed themselves deeply.

Work on the engine got under way when it was decided to add an afterburner to the axial flow AM-5A turbojet. Mikulin knew how to make a success of this afterburner with an efficient flame holder that did not reduce the gas rate of flow in the combustion chamber. The armorer N. I. Volkov moved two of the three cannons and their ammu­nition into the leading edge of the wing near the root. In this manner, empty space in the wing was filled and some much-sought-after room was made in the fuselage for new equipment.

For their part, A. G. Brunov, deputy chief constructor, and R. A. Belyakov, department manager, developed a new servodyne-powered flight control unit. The variable incidence stabilizer was replaced by a stabilator, a single pivoted tailplane (without elevator) for pitch control (also called a slab tailplane) All flight control systems were duplicated to guard against failure of the main unit, and the stabilator was fitted with a booster control and an artificial feel unit. (As explained by Bill Gunston in Jane’s Aerospace Dictionary, "In aircraft control system arti­ficial feel can be explained by forces generated within system and fed to cockpit controls to oppose pilot demand. In fully powered or boosted system there would otherwise be no feedback and no ‘feel’ of how hard any surface was working.”) The engine flameout problems that occurred during cannon tests with the MiG-9 had not been forgotten, and everything was done to dodge the difficulty. The ejection proce­dures were also improved to protect the pilot at much higher speeds.

A lot of useful information was collected during the SM-2 flights. Unexpected spins occurred due to the blanketing effect of the wing on the stabilator at great angles of attack (AOA). The aircraft had to be returned to the wind tunnel, and tests there led engineers to move the stabilator from the top to the base of the fin. Moreover, the location of the wing fences was modified. This is how the SM-2 became the SM-9.

At this time the North American F-100 Super Sabre could not exceed Mach 1.09. From the start Sedov reached Mach 1.3 or 1,400 km/h (756 kt) in the MiG-19 and thereby beat—unofficially—the world speed record. But there remained many youthful inadequacies to cure. The stretch of the turbine blades at high rotation speeds ceased to be a problem once new heat-resistant steel was used to make the blades. The inadequate roll handling was improved by placing spoilers ahead of the ailerons. The longitudinal swings noticed at high speeds van­ished thanks to the new artificial feel system. The pressure surges felt on the rudder pedals at transonic speed were remedied by initiating a vortex flow—or burbling—on the rear of the fuselage. All of this was done step by step.

Only fourteen months after the SM-9’s first flight, two production MiG-19s were delivered to a hghter regiment. The MiG-19 was mass – produced and operated in many countries.

1-370 /1-1 /1-2

During the first half of the 1950s the ОКБ carried out—concurrently with the difficult development of the MiG-19—research work in other directions in its quest to break the sound barrier. One result was the I- 370 (prototypes 1-1 and 1-2), forefather of a new family of fighters that did not rely on Mikulin engines. The 1-370 represented a synthesis of the MiG-17 and MiG-19 as far as structure and aerodynamic design were concerned. Powered by a Klimov VK-7 but retaining the cannon arrangement of the MiG-17 (one N-37 on the right and two NR-23s on the left), the 1-1 borrowed the planform and 55-degree С/4 sweepback of the MiG-19 wing as well as the forward fuselage (except for a few modifications made necessary by the new power plant). The wing, attached to the fuselage just like the MiG-19, was of the monospar type with inside stiffeners.

The axis of rotation of the variable incidence stabilizer (with eleva­tors) was just above the afterburner duct. Preliminary sketches showed the stabilizer atop the fin, but after the SM-2 tests it was put under the base. Because one VK-7 "inhaled" a lot less air than two AM-9Bs, the air intake section was reduced. To counterbalance the diminution in yaw stability, two ventral fins angled at 45 degrees were added under the tail. The ailerons and flaps were identical to those of the MiG-19.

The cockpit hood was molded in one piece with a frame member in elektron, a light magnesium alloy. In case of emergency it had to be jettisoned whatever the aircraft’s attitude. The windshield was bullet­proofed and electrically heated. When the pilot activated the ejection seat, the cockpit hood was automatically jettisoned and the airbrakes were deployed.

The VK-7 no. K-733 had a nominal thrust of 3,455 daN (3,525 kg st) and 5,130 daN (5,235 kg st) with afterburner. In the midst of the flight tests it was replaced by a slightly more powerful VK-7 no. K-338 with 4,115 daN (4,200 kg st) of nominal thrust and 6,145 daN (6,270 kg st) with afterburner. At first the top speed of the 1-370 (1-1) reached 1,452 km/h (784 kt)—precisely that of the MiG-19S. But once the turbine inlet gas temperature was raised to 800° C (1,472′ F), the 1-370 reached 1,510-1,520 km/h (815-821 kt).

Rolled out in December 1954, the 1-І prototype was first piloted by F. I. Burtsev of the Nil WS on 16 February 1955. Tests continued until 2 June. According to Burtsev—who flew the aircraft thirteen times— the 1-1 reached Mach 1.334 and remained steady in flight Moreover, it handled just like the MiG-19 while taking off, climbing, descending, and landing.

The pickup of the VK-7 was not as good as that of the VK-1F But so long as the engine speed did not exceed 12,100 rpm, the VK-7 running was virtually identical to the VK-1F at all ratings The three fuselage tanks had a capacity of 2,025 1 (535 US gallons) The first two tanks were of the bladder type, while the third was made of welded AMTsAM alloy in the rear fuselage Two drop tanks could be attached under the wing The weapon system included the ASP-4N gunsight tied to the Radal-M ranging radar, the RSIU-3 VHF, IFF interrogator, and the OSP – 48 ILS receiver A new wing that featured a sweepback C/4 of 57 degrees did not help the aircraft reach its design airspeed With that new wing the aircraft was renamed the 1-2.

Specifications

Span, 9 m (29 ft 6.3 in), overall length 12 7 m (41 ft 8 in), fuselage length, 10 44 m (34 ft 3 in); wheel track 4 156 m (13 ft 7 6 in), wheel base, 4 508 m (14 ft 9 5 in); wmg area, 25 m2 (269 sq ft), empty weight, 5 086 kg (11,210 lb) takeoff weight 7,030 kg (15,495 lb) max takeoff weight, 8 300 kg (18 295 lb) fuel, 1 680 kg (3 700 lb) wmg loading, 280.2-332 kg/m2 (57.4-68 lb/sq ft)

Performance

Max speed, 1 452 km/h at 10 800 m (784 kt at 35,400 ft) climb to 5,000 m (16 400 ft) in 1 15 mm. to 10,000 m (32,800 ft) in 3 min service ceil­ing, 17 000 m (55,760 ft), approach speed 180 km/h (97 kt), takeoff roll, 464 m (1,522 ft); landing roll, 730 m (2,395 ft); range with two drop tanks, 2,500 km (1,550 mi)

The first three MiG-21 prototypes, Ye-6/1, Ye-6/2, and Ye-6/3, were built and flight-tested in 1957 and 1958. They were powered by a new version of the AM-11 turbojet, the R-11F-300 (developed from the experimental R-37F) rated at 3,800 daN (3,880 kg st) dry or 5,625 daN (5,740 kg st) with afterburner. Their stabilators were lower than that of the Ye-5, forcing designers to rearrange the airbrakes in these units; the two canted ventral fins on the fuselage under the tail were replaced by a single unit; the nozzle throat was lengthened; and the rear part of the cockpit hood was redesigned. Only the Ye-6/1 retained the six wing fences first seen on the Ye-5.

In no time the Ye-6/1 reached Mach 2.05 at 12,050 m (39,520 feet). But the seventh flight, on 28 May 1958, ended in tragedy after the engine failed at about 18,000 m (59,040 feet). The test pilot, V. A. Nefyedov, struggled desperately to return to the airfield in order to save the aircraft and the recording of all its flight data. He made it to the runway, but as the plane touched down it overturned and caught fire Severely burned, Nefyedov died in a hospital a few hours later. The official inquiry established that the pilot was betrayed by the pres­sure drop in the hydraulic system due to engine failure. Because the stabilator was hydraulically controlled the standby electrical control was automatically activated, but it took the backup unit far too long to set the stabilator at the proper angle. As a consequence the hydraulic system on the Ye-6/2 was duplicated and backed up by an emergency pump, and the electrical control unit was removed. К. K. Kokkinaki was given responsibility for the Ye-6/2 test program. This second pro­totype, numbered 22, was equipped experimentally with missile launching rails at the wing tips.

The Ye-6/3 made its first flight in December 1958 and became world-famous a few months later under the fanciful designation Ye-66 while beating two world records:

1. 31 October 1959. Speed over a 15- to 25-km (9- to 16-mile) course at unrestricted altitude, 2,388 km/h (1,289.52 kt). Pilot, G. K.

Mosolov. Highest speed attained during this flight, 2,504 km/h (1,352.16 kt)

2. 16 September 1960. Speed over a closed circuit of 100 km (62 miles), 2,148.66 km/h (1,160.28 kt). Pilot, К. K. Kokkinaki. High­est speed attained during this flight, 2,499 km/h (1,349.46 kt) or Mach 2.35