Category Mig

This label, invented solely for the purpose of submitting world-record corroboration documents to the FAI in Paris, applied not to one but rather to three aircraft: the Ye-155R-1, Ye-155R-3, and Ye-155P-l, all prototypes of the MiG-25 family. They were powered either by two R – 15B-300 turbojets rated at 10,005 daN (10,210 kg st) with afterburner and renamed R-266 in the FAI file, where their thrust was listed at 9,800 daN (10,000 kg st), or by two R-15BD-300 turbojets rated at 10,975 daN (11,200 kg st) renamed RD and listed at 10,780 daN (11,000 kg st).

1. 16 March 1965. Speed over a closed circuit of 1,000 km (621 miles) with a 2,000-kg (4,400-pound) payload, 2,319.12 km/h (1,252.32 kt). Pilot, A. V. Fedotov

2. 16 March 1965. Speed over a closed circuit of 1,000 km (621 miles) with a 1,000-kg (2,200-pound) payload, 2,319.12 km/h (1,252.32 kt). Pilot, A. V. Fedotov

3 16 March 1965. Speed over a closed circuit of 1,000 km (621 miles) without payload, 2,319.12 km/h (1,252.32 kt). Pilot, A. V. Fedotov

4*5 October 1967. Speed over a closed circuit of 500 km (310.5 miles), 2,981.5 km/h (1,610.01 kt). Pilot, M. M. Komarov. Absolute world record

5 *27 October 1967. Speed over a closed circuit of 1,000 km (621 miles) with a 2,000-kg (4,400-pound) payload, 2,920.67 km/h

‘These records were stil! standing as this book went to press.

(1,577.16 kt). Pilot, P. M. Ostapyenko 6 27 October 1967. Speed over a closed circuit of 1,000 km (621 miles) with a 1,000-kg (2,200-pound) payload, 2,920.67 km/h (1,577.16 kt). Pilot, P. M. Ostapyenko

7. 27 October 1967. Speed over a closed circuit of 1,000 km (621 miles) without payload, 2,920 67 km/h (1,577.16 kt). Pilot, P. M. Ostapyenko

8. * 8 April 1973. Speed over a closed circuit of 100 km (62 miles),

2,605.1 km/h (1,406.75 kt). Pilot, A. V. Fedotov

9. 5 October 1967. Altitude with a 2,000-kg (4,400-pound) payload,

29.977 m (98,325 feet). Pilot, A. V. Fedotov

10 5 October 1967 Altitude with a 1,000-kg (2,200-pound) payload,

29.977 m (98,325 feet). Pilot, A V. Fedotov

11. 25 July 1973 Altitude with a 2,000-kg (4,400-pound) payload,

35.230 m (115,555 feet). Pilot, A. V. Fedotov

12. 25 July 1973. Altitude with a 1,000-kg (2,200-pound) payload,

35.230 m (115,555 feet). Pilot: A. V. Fedotov

13. 25 July 1973. Altitude without payload, 36,240 m (118,867 feet). Pilot, A. V. Fedotov. Absolute world record

14. 4 June 1973. Time to climb to 20,000 m (65,600 feet), 2 minutes, 49.8 seconds. Pilot, B. A. Orlov

15. 4 June 1973. Time to climb to 25,000 m (82,000 feet), 3 minutes, 12.6 seconds. Pilot, P. M. Ostapyenko

16 4 June 1973. Time to climb to 30,000 m (98,400 feet), 4 minutes, 3.86 seconds Pilot, P. M. Ostapyenko

Training ship-based aircraft pilots is a rather delicate task, especially if they are to fly sophisticated machines with high wing loadings. While landing or taking off using a carrier’s deck, mistakes are usually fatal. Thus, a specialized trainer aircraft was needed. The MiG OKB engi­neers proposed a two-seat variant of the MiG-29.

Why not simply "navalize" the MiG-29UB? Add stronger gear legs and the arrester hook, some suggested This seemed like a logical approach—and yet it would have proved shortsighted in every sense of the word. Even though the angle of attack that the aircraft has to take at landing because of its short gear legs is relatively small, the forward view from the rear cockpit would still be totally inadequate to make a precise landing on a carrier deck. So on the KU project the rear seat was raised noticeably, giving the aircraft a distinctly hunchbacked sil­houette. Like the K, the MiG-29UK was to be powered by two RD-33K turbofans rated at 8,625 daN (8,800 kg st). But this project has since been abandoned.

The need to train pilots to fly at night or in adverse weather conditions led to several engineering modifications of the UTI MiG-15. The most noteworthy upgrading was the installation of the OSP-48 instrument landing system; to make room, the NR-23 cannon was removed and the capacity of fuel tank no. 1 was reduced. The instrument panel was completed with a KI-11 additional compass, and the cockpit pressuriza­tion system was fitted with a filter. On the other hand, the outlet port for spent links and cartridge cases from the UBK-E machine gun was changed to prevent it from jamming when firing. A newer gunsight, the ASP-3N (the same one used in the MiG-15), replaced the ASP-1 of the ST prototype. These modifications marked the birth of the ST-2.

After certification tests at the GK Nil WS, the ST-2 became the new master aircraft on the UTI MiG-15 production line.

When they began work on the preliminary design of a fighter capable of breaking the sound barrier in level flight in 1950, the OKB engineers decided to power it with a new, smaller Mikulin turbojet. At that time Mikulin, the engine manufacturer and academician, had just devel­oped a big and powerful turbojet, the AM-3, to power the Tu-16 bomber. Rated at 8,575 daN (8,750 kg st), it was probably the most powerful jet engine in the world Of course, it was much too large to use in a fighter. So Mikulin hit upon the idea of developing an engine with the same layout, operating cycle, and architecture as the AM-3 but on a scale one-third as large

On 30 June 1950 Khrumchev, minister of the aviation industry, Mikoyan, Yakovlev, and Mikulin were called to the Kremlin to discuss the plans for the engine that, by decree of the USSR council of minis­ters, would power the new Yakovlev and Mikoyan fighters This engine, referred to as the AM (Aleksandr Mikulin)-5, was not an imme­diate success Numerous adjustments proved to be necessary, and it was obvious that they could be performed best on a flying test bed rather than a factory test bench. Mikoyan, who was very interested in the new engine, offered to install two AM-5s side-by-side in a MiG-15, a proven aircraft For his part Yakovlev proposed arranging them in pods under the wing of his new fighter, the Yak-25

In the end the first two AM-5s replaced the single VK-1 of the MiG – 15 bis 45 (the experimental aircraft that had led the wray to the MiG – 17) This modification was approved on 20 April 1951 by the council of ministers and renamed the SM-1. The prototype rolled out of the facto­ry at the end of 1951 and was put into the hands of test pilot G A Sedov The goals of the SM-1 tests were to improve on the performance of the MiG-17 with a minimum of modifications and to bring the AM – 5A to the required level of reliability and fuel efficiency

The AM-5A had no afterburner, and its maximum rating was 1,960 daN (2,000 kg st) But the thrust of the two engines together was greater than that of a single VK-1 F with reheat. Moreover, the two AM – 5As weighed 88 kg (194 pounds) less than one VK-1F Yet it quickly became apparent that the thrust of the AM-5A was inadequate to meet the design specifications Mikulin then decided to add an afterburner to the engine, which thus became the AM-5F and was rated at a maxi­mum dry thrust of 2,015 daN (2,150 kg st) and a reheated thrust of 2,645 daN (2,700 kg st). Both fuel tanks—with capacities of 1,220 1 (322 US gallons) and 330 1 (87 US gallons)—were located m the fuselage behind the cockpit. To accommodate the required increase in airflow, the engine air intake ducts were widened. A canister for a 15-m2

(161-square foot) tail chute was attached to the fuselage under the tail section.

The AM-5F development flights with the SM-1 and later the SM-2 convinced Mikoyan, Mikulin, and other experts that the thrust of this engine was still inadequate for the next generation of Soviet aircraft. Mikulin embarked immediately on the creation of a new afterburner and increased the engine compressor output from 37 to 43.3 kg/sec. Out of this came a much more powerful turbojet, the AM-9, later renamed the RD-9B. The top speed of the compressor’s first stage was already supersonic, and with the afterburner the thrust reached 3,185 daN (3,250 kg st). This was the engine that the MiG OKB counted on for its new supersonic interceptor.

Specifications

Span, 9.628 m (31 ft 7 in); overall length, 11.264 m (36 ft 11.5 in); fuse­lage length, 8.603 m (28 ft 2.7 in); wheel track, 3.849 m (12 ft 7.5 in); wheel base, 3.368 m (11 ft 0.6 in); wing area, 22.6 m2 (243.3 sq ft); empty weight, 3,705 kg (8,166 lb); takeoff weight, 5,210 kg (11,483 lb); wing loading, 230.5 kg/m2 (47.2 lb/sq ft).

Performance

Max speed, 1Д93 km/h at 1,000 m (644 kt at 3,280 ft); 1,154 km/h at

5. m (623 kt at 16,400 ft); climb to 1,000 m (3,280 ft) in 0.16 min; to

5.0 m (16,400 ft) in 0.94 min; to 10,000 m (32,800 ft) in 2.85 min; to

15.0 m (49,200 ft) in 6.1 min; service ceiling, 15,600 m (51,170 ft); range, 920 km at 5,000 m (570 mi at 16,400 ft); 1,475 km at 10,000 m (915 mi at 32,800 ft); 1,965 km at 15,000 m (1,220 mi at 49,200 ft); take­off roll, 335 m (1,100 ft); landing roll, 568 m (1,863 ft).

The K-5 air-to-air missile was developed and mass-produced in the mid-1950s, and the Mikoyan ОКБ was ordered to design a version of the MiG-19 armed solely with these guided missiles. On January 1956 A. I. Mikoyan confirmed that the OKB was working on the preliminary design for the MiG-19PM armed with four K-5M missiles (M = Modem- izinrovanmkh: modernized). Once certified, the K-5M received the mil­itary designation of RS-2US. The future MiG-19PM was assigned the factory code SM-7/M.

The K-5M missiles were guided toward the target through a zone of equi-signals transmitted by the antenna of the RP-2U Izumrud-2 airborne radar. Due to the radar installation in the nose of the air­craft, the forward section of the fuselage had to be modified. The SM – 7/M wing was identical to that of the MiG-19P except for the addition of the K-5M pylons and the removal of the wing cannons. The tailplane was also the same as that of the SM-7/1 and therefore had an elevator. The hydraulic system was identical as well. The SM-7/M was powered by two AM-9B (RD-9B) reheated turbojets that each gen­erated 3,185 daN (3,250 kg st) of thrust. Its navigational instruments matched those of the MiG-19P with the exception of the DGMK-3 gyrocompass heading repeater, which was replaced by the GKI-1 earth inductor gyrocompass.

For the first time, the aircraft was fitted with an emergency right – left switchover from one wing tip probe to the other. The Izumrud-2 radar, an upgraded version of the RP-1, was linked with the ASP-5N sight for firing the K-5M missiles. This radar unit could spot a target ahead, plot its path in relation to the fighter’s position (heading and dis­tance) while it was still out of sight, bring the fighter toward the target to a suitable distance, and transmit coded pulses (together with the IFF interrogator) to establish the target’s identity. It could detect targets in the forward sector at bearing angles of plus or minus 60 degrees and at elevation angles between plus-26 degrees and minus-14 degrees in rela­tion to the aircraft’s longitudinal axis. It was also capable of offering the pilot a choice of attack paths on the radar scope placed in the aircraft cockpit. Once the fighter had closed to within 3,500-4,000 m (11,480-13,120 feet) the Izumrud-2 automatically fed the ASP-5N sight the target’s distance, bearing, and elevation coordinates, whatever the visibility conditions.

APU-4 launch rails were fastened to the wing pylons so as to fire either K-5M missiles or ARS-160 and ARS-212M unguided rockets. The missiles were electrically triggered by fire buttons located on the con­trol column through a PUVS-52 active-inert control panel

The SM-7/M made its debut in January 1957 with G. A. Sedov at the controls. After being certified, it was mass-produced with the mili­tary designation of MiG-19PM Shortly thereafter the SM-7/2M was brought out for tests. It differed from the first prototype only in its slab tailplane. Most of the state trials and acceptance flights were made by S. A. Mikoyan, a military pilot The SM-7/2M was flight-tested with K – 5M missiles from 14 to 23 October 1957. It was certified and mass-pro­duced as well under the military designation MiG-19PMU

Specifications

Span, 9 m (29 ft 6.3 in); fuselage length, 10 48 m (34 ft 4 6 in); height, 4 02 m (13 ft 2 3 in); wing area, 25 m2 (269 sq ft); takeoff weight, 7,730 kg (17,040 lb); takeoff weight with two 400-1 (106-US gal) drop tanks, 8,464 kg (18,655 lb); wing loading, 309,2-338 6 kg/m2 (63.4-69.4 lb/sq ft).

Performance

Max speed, 1,250 km/h at 10,000 m (675 kt at 32,800 ft); 1,130 km/h at

15.0 m (610 kt at 49,200 ft); without reheat, 1,100 km/h at 5,000 m (594 kt at 16,400 ft); 965 km/h at 14 000 m (520 kt at 45,900 ft), climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) with reheat in 4.8 min, climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) with dry thrust in 7.2 min; service ceiling with reheat, 16,700 m (54,800 ft), service ceiling with dry thrust, 15,000 m (49,200 ft); range,

1.0 km at 10,000 m (620 mi at 32,800 ft); with two 400-1 (106-US gal) drop tanks, 1,415 km (880 mi).

Ye-150

The Ye-150 experimental prototype was designed as a test bed for the new Mikulin/Tumanskiy R-15-300 turbojet. The intent of the aircraft – plus-engine project was to lay the foundation for a new generation of interceptors. The aircraft was designed to fly at speeds of about 2,800 km/h (1,510 kt) and altitudes of 20,000 to 25,000 m (65,600 to 82,000 feet).

The initial plan called for the new engine to be tested on a remote­ly controlled aircraft. This turbojet had a veiy short lifetime, but in that brief period it was powered up on the test bench, examined in flight, and even used to power a missile. It had a dry thrust of 6,705 daN (6,840 kg st) and a reheated thrust of 9,945 daN (10,150 kg st); its after­burner also had a second-stage nozzle called an ejector that supplied 19,405 daN (19,800 kg st) of thrust at Mach 2.4-2.5 and helped to clean up the base drag. For components particularly sensitive to the thermal

stresses (aerodynamic heating) that were the result of high speeds, the manufacturers decided to use heat-resistant materials such as stainless steel in place of duralumin.

The fuselage was shaped like a cylinder 1,600 mm in diameter except at the rear, where the diameter increased to 1,650 mm in the afterburner/ejector area. The shock cone in the engine air intake had a triple-angle profile and was made of dielectric material to house the antenna for the Uragan-5 interception system. The flow rate in the air inlet duct was controlled by a two-position translating ring. As soon as the aircraft reached Mach 1.65 the ring moved forward automatically; once the aircraft dropped back under that speed, the ring returned to its primary position.

The delta wing had a sweepback of 60 degrees at the leading edge, a thickness-chord ratio of 3.5 percent, Fowler-type flaps, and two-part ailerons with balance surfaces at the trailing edge. The wing could be fitted with two pylons for air-to-air missiles. The gear kinematics were standard: the nose gear strut retracted forward into the fuselage, and the main gear wheels also retracted into the fuselage while their struts folded into the wing. The cockpit was equipped with a curtain-type ejection seat. The fuel system included five fuselage tanks with a total capacity of 3,2701 (863 US gallons) plus two wet wing tanks that carried 245 1 (65 US gallons) apiece. The stabilator controls were boosted by two BU-65 power units, and those of the ailerons and rudder by two BU-75 power units. There were two separate hydraulic systems, one primary circuit and one for the servo-controls. The main circuit served the gear, the flaps, the three airbrakes on the underside of the fuselage, the translating ring on the air intake, and the surge bleed valve (on the fuselage sides) while also acting as a backup for the servo-control units. The PT 5605-58 tail chute measured 18 m2 (193.7 square feet). The cockpit hood was made of T2-55 glass, a 12-mm-thick material capable of withstanding 170° C (338° F) in aerodynamic heating.

The Ye-150 rolled out in December 1958 and was first piloted by A. V. Fedotov on 8 July 1960. During the fourth flight, on 26 July, aileron flutter was observed at Mach 0.925. The problem was quickly solved by fitting a damper on the aileron controls. After the fifth flight the tests had to be suspended because the casing of the engine gearbox had cracked. Tests resumed on 18 January 1961 with a brand-new R-15-300 turbojet. From 21 January to 30 March the aircraft made eight more flights and reached Mach 2.1 at 21,000 m (68,900 feet). After a second engine change, the Ye-150 made another twenty flights and hit a top speed of Mach 2.65 at 22,500 m (73,800 feet). At that point the ejector was replaced and the cockpit’s thermal insulation improved; tests resumed on 14 November 1961 and ended on 25 January 1962. There were forty-two flights altogether. Tests of the Uragan-5 complex with two K-9 missiles were not carried out until the Ye-152 A was ready a lit­tle later.

Specifications

Span, 8.488 m (27 ft 10.2 in); overall length (except probe), 18.14 m (59 ft 6.2 in); fuselage length (except cone), 15.6 m (51 ft 2.2 in); wheel track, 3.322 m (10 ft 10.8 in); wheel base, 5.996 m (19 ft 8 in); wing area, 34.615 m2 (372.6 sq ft); empty weight, 8,276 kg (18,240 lb); take­off weight, 12,435 kg (27,405 lb); fuel, 3,410 kg (7,515 lb); wing loading, 359.2 kg/m2 (73.6 lb/sq ft); max operating limit load factor, 5.1.

Performance

Max speed, 1,210 km/h (653 kt) at sea level; 2,890 km/h at 19,000 m (1,560 kt at 62,300 ft); climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 1 min 20 sec; to

20,0 m (65,600 ft) in 5 min 5 sec; service ceiling, 23,250 m (76,260 ft); landing speed, 275-295 km/h (148-160 kt); endurance, 1 h 50 min; range, 1,500 km (930 mi); takeoff roll, 935 m (3,065 ft); landing roll, 1,250 m (4,100 ft).

The Ye-7/1 and Ye-7/2 were both direct descendants of the Ye-6T. The MiG-21P was therefore a direct descendant of the MiG-21F, with the same R-11F-300 turbojet but a new 170-1 (45-US gallon) fuel tank behind the cockpit. To make the aircraft usable at rough strips the main gear was fitted with bigger wheels (type KT-50/2, tire size 800 x 200), and to shorten its takeoff roll two attachment points were added under rear fuselage for two solid propellant ‘‘accelerators" that could be dropped after ten seconds of burning time. The Ye-7s had the KAP-1 autopilot, but oscillations were damped on the roll axis only.

The MiG-2 IP was the first member of the family without cannons. The new air-battle concept prevailing at that time called for missiles to be the only armament of fighter aircraft It was thought that the consid­erable increase in fighter speed had ended the era of close combat. Confined conflicts such as the Vietnam War would reveal the errors of that doctrine.

The MiG-21P was also the first member of the family to be equipped with a real interception system, the MiG-21 P-13, which included TsD-30T radar (with surveillance, acquisition, tracking, and fire control modes), command receiver, SOD-57M decimetric transpon­der, Vozdukh-l-Lazur guidance system, KSI navigation system, IFF interrogator, and two K-13 IR homing air-to-air missiles. In place of missiles, the MiG-21P could cany unguided rocket pods, bombs, and even napalm containers. For ground-attack missions the pilot had the PKI-1 gunsight, which could also be used in the event of radar failure. The ejection seat was of the SK type.

The Ye-7/1 prototype made its first flight on 10 August 1958, the Ye-7/2 on 18 January 1960. The factory tests, conducted by P. M. Ostapyenko and I. N. Kravtsov, ended on 8 May 1960, and production was launched in June The performance of the MiG-21 P was identical to that of the MiG-21F except for the service ceiling, which increased to 19,100 m (62,650 feet); the climb rate at sea level in clean configura­tion, which was reduced to 150 m/sec (29,530 ft/min); and the landing roll with tail chute, which was reduced to 650 m (2,130 feet). Its maxi­mum operating limit load factor was 7 8

In the mid-1960s the MiG OKB, in cooperation with the Kazan Aviation Institute (KAI), developed versions of the MiG-21 PF and MiG-21 PFM to be operated as remotely controlled target drones for WS and PVO pilots as well as AAA gunners. For this purpose, fighters that had out­lived their operational parameters were used.

The radar in these aircraft was replaced by ballast to restore the aircraft’s trimming. The ejection seats were removed to make room for remote control equipment and the drive mechanism for the control surfaces. The target drone was controlled by radio signals from the ground or from another aircraft specially equipped to steer the drone with preset routines. Those modifications were carried out in the WS ARZs (air force overhaul workshops). The remotely controlled MiG – 21Ye could take off and make maneuvers, but only within the subsonic flight envelope.

IVHG21K

This experimental version of the MiG-21 bis was designed to develop new on-board systems to be installed in cruise missiles and was, like the MiG-21 bis, powered by an R-25 turbojet.

The MiG-25R was a high-altitude supersonic reconnaissance aircraft cast in the same mold as the MiG-25P interceptor. It was designed and built in 1961 and 1962. Externally, the Ye-155R-1 was different from the Ye-155P-l except for the forward fuselage (right up to bulkhead no. 1), which housed the reconnaissance systems, and the wing tip fuel tanks (capacity 1,200 1 [317 US gallons]), which could not be removed because they held the winglets. The fin tips had a more square shape. The internal modifications were limited to the refurbishing of the cockpit and electronics compartment as well as the installation of addi­tional antennae. To increase the operating range, the adjustable-area nozzles were fitted with larger flaps; the fuel capacity was increased by adding built-in tanks (350 1 [92 US gallons] each) to both fins and by •These records were still standing as this book went to press.

The Ye-155R-1 the first prototype of the MiG-25R. The wing – with no anhedral—had fuel tanks at the tips supporting a downward-canted winglet (the Soviets called it a flip­per).

On the third prototype, the Ye-155R-3 numbered 3155, the wing tip fuel tanks were replaced by antiflutter bodies. The wing has a 5-degree anhedral.

developing a huge auxiliary fuel tank (5,3001 [1,400 US gallons]) for the underbelly.

The MiG-25R-l was first flown on 6 March 1964 by A V. Fedotov, OKB chief pilot. It was powered by two R-15B-300S rated at 7,350 daN (7,500 kg st) dry and 10,005 daN (10,210 kg st) with afterburner. The first test flights led to a number of modifications that were introduced on the МІО-25Р These changes were made gradually. On the third pro­totype or Ye-155R-3 (the number 3155 tagged on its nose, it was one of the first four MiG-25s used for the Domodyedovo air display in July 1967) the wing tip fuel tanks and the winglets were replaced by anti­flutter bodies, the wing chord was increased significantly, the leading edge compound sweepback was rubbed out (and replaced by a constant 41 degrees), the fin tips were given a bevel shape, and the canard sur­faces were retained. Not until later was the fin area enlarged, the slab tailplane granted a taileron function, the ventral fin area reduced and the aircraft powered by its definitive engines, two R-15BD-300s rated at 10,975 daN (11,200 kg st) with afterburner

After passing the factory tests, the state acceptance trials, and the military acceptance inspections, the Ye-155 entered production in 1969 in the Gorki factory It was also decided that year to give the aircraft a bombing capability, in 1970 the new version, the MiG-25RB passed its tests and entered the production phase Simultaneously, all MiG-25Rs already built were upgraded with retrofit kits to the standard of the MiG-25RB reconnaissance-bomber variant, which was the progenitor of many specialized subtypes such as the MiG-25RBK (к standing for Kub—“cube"—the nickname of its SLAR radar) MiG-25RBS (1972), MiG-25RBV (v standing for Virazh—"turn”—the nickname of its SLAR radar), and MiG-25RBT (1978) These later models differed only in their electronic intelligence or navigation systems

When the basic MiG-25R (RB) was developed, the OKB had to face a number of difficult technical problems

—the aircraft had to be capable of cruising for great distances at Mach 2.35 and flying at Mach 2.83 with its full external bomb load —it had to be able to escape the interceptors and missiles of hostile air forces for the decade to come (1970-1980) by relying on its speed, ceiling, maneuverability, and electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment

—a highly accurate, automatic homing bombing system had to be invented to attack ground targets at known coordinates from supersonic speeds and altitudes above 20,000 m (65,600 feet), around the clock and in any weather conditions —a highly accurate inertial navigation unit had to be developed (the USSR’s first) to tie together the DISS system (doplerovskiy izmeritel skorosti г snosa a Doppler radar to compute ground speed and

This remarkable aerial photograph was taken near Cairo in 1971 by a MiG-25 flying at 22 000 m (72,160 feet) and 2,500 km/h (1 350 kt). The camera, with a 650-mm focal length could cover a strip of ground equal to five times the aircraft’s altitude—in this instance, 110 km (68 miles) Foreground, the pyramids.

drift) and other course correction devices; a bank of digital com­puters (another first) linked to the automatic flight control system initiated on a preset path the release of bombs or the activation of reconnaissance equipment

—three interchangeable bays had to be engineered to house various types of powerful high-resolution cameras capable of covering a strip 90 km (56 miles) wide

—electronic intelligence equipment had to be incorporated, such as the SRS-4A(4B) on the MiG-25R (RB) and the SRS-9 on the MiG-25RBV

—a network of ground stations had to be established to pick up the data transmitted by the aircraft

—the performance of the Peleng ("bearing") navigation system had to be improved

The MiG-25R had no armament (neither cannons nor missiles) and could rely only on its speed and ceiling attributes to escape any attacker.

For photo-reconnaissance missions, the MiG-25R might have two left-right rotating cameras in one of its three interchangeable hays. One camera could have a focal length of 650 mm and be capable of covering a strip of ground equal to five times the flight altitude, while the other might have a focal length of 1,300 mm to cover an area half that long. The two cameras shot obliquely through two port and two starboard ports. A vertical camera with a short focal length was located under the cockpit to make the linking shots.

The MiG-25RB could carry six 500-kg (1,100-pound) bombs, four under the wing and two under the fuselage. Structurally significant items were strengthened at the bomb-launcher attachment points. The MiG-25RB, RBK, and RBS were commissioned for the WS in 1972 by the council of ministers. Those three versions as well as the MiG- 25RBV were produced until 1972. The MiG-25 reconnaissance variant was exported to Bulgaria, Algeria, Syria, India, Iraq, and Egypt[11] Dur­ing the Iran-lraq war, the Iraqi MiG-25Rs were upgraded to the RB stan­dard by field service personnel.

The exceptional advantages of the MiG-25RB and RBV were greatly appreciated by their operators extent of the ground area swept during a single flight by either the cameras or the elint equipment, high-speed long-distance flight, and near invulnerability to air defenses of the time. It is not widely known that MiG-21 Rs were used by branches of the public authorities for tasks such as demarcating regions affected by forest fires, snow, or floods. They were so quick and economical that neither satellites nor aircraft built especially for aerophotogrammetry (such as the An-32) could ever compete.

Specifications

Span, 13 418 m (44 ft 0 3 in); length (except probe), 21.55 m (70 ft 8 4 in); height, 6 5 m (21 ft 3 9 in); wheel track, 3 85 m (12 ft 7 6 in); wheel base, 5 138 m (16 ft 10.3 in); wing area, 61 4 m2 (660 9 sq ft), takeoff weight, 37,000 kg (81,550 lb); max takeoff weight, 41,200 kg (90,805 lb); fuel, 15,245 kg (33,600 lb); wing loading, 602 6-671 kg/m2 (123 5-137 6 lb/sq ft)

Performance

Max speed, 3,000 km/h at 13 000 m (1,620 kt at 42,640 ft); max speed at sea level, 1,200 km/h (648 kt); max Mach, 2.83, climb to 19,000 m (62,320 ft) in clean configuration in 6.6 min; with a 2,000-kg (4,400-lb) bomb load in 8.2 min; service ceiling in clean configuration, 21,000 m (68,880 ft); range at supersonic speed, 1,635 km (1,015 mi); range at subsonic speed, 1,865 km (1,160 mi); range at supersonic speed with 5,300-1 (1,400-US gal) auxiliary fuel tank, 2,130 km (1,320 mi); range at subsonic speed with 5,300-1 (1,400-US gal) auxiliary fuel tank, 2,400 km (1,490 mi).

It took until the end of the MiG OKB’s fifth decade and the start of the konversiya for the first real civil project to find its way to the design bureau’s drawing boards. This project was not initiated either by

Aeroflot or by a foreign airline. It was instead a purely homemade product searching out its own customers—or even partners. And it is not the only such project in the OKB’s files.