Deck fighter mig 29k. Russian aviation. About the combat training option

MiG-29K(NATO classification: Fulcrum-D) is a Russian multipurpose carrier-based fighter developed at the MiG Design Bureau in the late 1980s.

History of the MiG-29K

In the early 1970s, the USSR navy and the military-industrial complex began to create naval aviation groupings, the core of which was to be full-fledged large aircraft carriers equipped with an effective air group. The mixed group of the aircraft carrier was to be represented by aircraft, and the An-71 (a shipborne version of the AWACS based on the An-72), as well as a promising torpedo bomber.

However, the timing of the creation of the aircraft-carrying cruiser itself was constantly stretching and, as it turned out, by the time the aircraft carrier appeared, the aircraft of its air group would have already become outdated. Therefore, it was decided to create ship versions of the latest Soviet fighters and.

The MiG-29 was assigned the role of a multifunctional fighter, which was supposed to ensure the conquest of air superiority and, at the same time, perform the functions of attack aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft. In this form, the MiG-29K became a direct competitor to the shipboard as well.

The concept of the aircraft has been developed since 1978 after the first MiG-29 took off and proved its promise. One of the experienced MiG-29s was converted into a technology demonstrator and systems were tested on it, including on an aircraft carrier deck simulator - the NITKA complex in the Crimea. Already in 1989, the MiG-29LL made the first takeoff and landing on an aircraft carrier.

However, in the early 1990s, the collapse of the USSR and a sharp decline in government orders negatively affected the project. The MiG-29K was not yet ready for mass production, so the military had to abandon this project in favor of the Su-27K (future). The MiG-29K program, like many other MiG projects, were closed.

Only in the 2000s, the project was reopened when the Indian Navy bought the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov from Russia. The ship was refitted and joined the Indian fleet under the name of Vikramaditya. By this time, the Su-33s were no longer produced, besides, the Indian military needed a more multifunctional and light aircraft. The MiG-29K was the perfect option.

In 2004, a contract was signed for 16 carrier-based fighters. There was also an option for another 30 cars in the future. By the end of the 2000s, MiG had created 2 of the newest shipborne fighters: the base "K" and the two-seater "KUB". Technologically, these aircraft are far from the original design and are unified with the latest MiG-35.

Video footage of MiG-29 fighters from the deck of an aircraft carrier

Airframe MiG-29K

The MiG-29K, like the MiG-29KUB, are deck-based fighters. These are generation 4+ multi-functional all-weather fighters.

They have a number of differences from the base MiG-29:

• improved anti-corrosion protection of the airframe
• the landing gear has been reinforced, and the front strut mechanism has been completely rebuilt for working conditions from the ship's deck
• the airframe has been reinforced, the proportion of composite materials has been increased to 15%, the wing mechanization is more complicated to improve takeoff and landing characteristics, the wing consoles are folding
• the aircraft has an increased fuel reserve and an air refueling system
• new coatings and technological solutions reduce radar signature
• the aircraft is equipped with a Zhuk-ME radar complex, RD-33MK engines, new complex EDSU and avionics with open architecture.

MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB are armed with R-73E, RVV-AE guided missiles, as well as Kh-31A and Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. X-31P anti-radar missiles and KAB-500Kr aerial bombs can also be used.

Modifications

• The MiG-29K (9-31) is a basic shipborne fighter created in the 1980s.
• MiG-29K (9-41) is a new aircraft created in the early 2000s and launched into mass production.
• The MiG-29KUB is a two-seater fighter based on the 9-41 product.

It all began in 1984, when at the MMZ im. AI Mikoyan under the leadership of General Designer RA Belyakov started the design of the MiG-29K (ed. 9-31). For four years, there was a hard work on the design of the new aircraft. The construction of two prototypes was carried out jointly by the experimental design bureau and the serial plant "Znamya Truda" (MAPO named after P.V. Dementyev). On April 19, 1988, the first machine, which received an onboard "311" (ie, the "9-31 / 1" aircraft), was transferred to the airfield, and after a ground check of all systems and equipment on June 23, 1988, the MMZ test pilot them. A.I. Mikoyan T.O. Aubakirov lifted her into the air.

Test flights of the MiG-29K on the "Nitka" in September-October 1989 confirmed the conformity of the aircraft's takeoff and landing and flight characteristics to the calculated ones and made it possible to start studying the issues of the MiG-29K's suitability for basing on board the TAVKR. 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 the domestic aviation and the Navy cars on the deck of an aircraft carrier. On the same day in the evening, Aubakirov made the first takeoff from the Tbilisi springboard (the future Admiral of the Fleet Soviet Union Kuznetsov "), Pugachev on the Su-27K left the ship the next day. Thus, parity was achieved between the two rival design bureaus - Sukhoi sat down first, and MiG took off first.

As everyone knows, in connection with the collapse of the USSR, plans had to be moderated. As a result, priority was given to the Su-27K, which was later named the Su-33 and began to enter service. A total of 26 vehicles were built.

The MiG-29K aircraft have repeatedly participated in various aviation exhibitions. In February 1992, the second copy of the fighter ("312") was shown 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 display of the air show in Zhukovsky near Moscow. For four years, the car did not fly: the last one before conservation, 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. in Gelendzhik, where the first in Russia international exhibition of hydro-aviation took place. MiG-29K "311" was shown in August 1997 at the parking lot of the MAKS-97 air show.

In the future, the board "311" still served. For some time he stood in a hangar in Zhukovsky (the photos below were taken in the winter of 2006/2007).

The number of anchors indicates the number of landings per deck.

Cabin. At that time it was modern :)

His brother "312" was also there.

Later, the board "311" was used as a model on the aircraft carrier "Vikramaditya".

Although the MiG-29K project from the beginning of the 1990s could not count on a government order, it was proactively promoted by the KB for its own money.

The program received a second life after the signing on January 20, 2004 by the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSK) MiG of a contract for the supply of the Indian Navy with ship-based multifunctional fighters. It provided for the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29K aircraft and 4 double-seat MiG-29KUB aircraft, as well as training of pilots and technical personnel of the customer, the supply of simulators, spare parts and the organization service aircraft. There is also an option for another 30 aircraft with a delivery time of up to 2015. In 2005, in accordance with this option, a contract was signed for the supply of weapons for the MiG-29K / KUB.

Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Indian Navy took an active part in defining the appearance of the MiG-29KUB. For a number of positions they set requirements exceeding the world level.

Flight tests of individual systems and assemblies of the MiG-29K / KUB have been conducted since 2002. For this, 8 MiG-29 aircraft of various modifications were involved, on which in 2002-2006. made about 700 flights.

The single-seat MiG-29K is a ship-based multipurpose fighter designed for solving the problems of air defense of ship formations, gaining air superiority, and hitting surface and ground targets controlled by high-precision and conventional day and night in all weather conditions.

Its combat training version of the MiG-29KUB is designed for:

Training and acquisition (improvement) of piloting and flying skills;

Testing elements of combat use;

Solutions to all combat missions identical to the MiG-29K.

When creating the airframe, power plant and onboard equipment of the MiG-29KUB, the most modern technologies were used. The proportion of composite materials in the airframe reached 15%. The aircraft is equipped with new RD-33MK engines with increased thrust and resource.

The avionics (avionics) of the MiG-29K / KUB are built on the principle of open architecture, which makes it easier to upgrade the aircraft and build up its arsenal. In accordance with the wishes of the Customer, the MiG-29KUB avionics are made internationally. In addition to Russian companies, Indian, French and Israeli companies are involved in its creation.

The MiG-29KUB is equipped with modern multifunctional pulse-Doppler radars "Zhuk-ME" and the latest optoelectronic systems.

A distinctive feature of the aircraft is a high level of standardization. Despite the modification (single or double), the planes have the same airframe. In a single-seat aircraft, a fuel tank is located in the place of the co-pilot. This made it possible to reduce the costs of both production and operation.

The first prototype of the MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter made its maiden flight on January 20, 2007 from the airfield of the LII named after M.M. Gromova (Zhukovsky). The plane took off a crew consisting of Mikhail Belyaev and Pavel Vlasov.

On March 18, 2008, the already serial MiG-29KUB saw the sky. The aircraft performed traditional taxiing and jogging at the airfield of the RAC "MiG" flight test complex in Lukhovitsy near Moscow, and then made a 42-minute flight in the modes tested on the prototype aircraft. During the flight, all the performance 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 MiG-29K / KUB multipurpose naval fighters produced by the order of the Indian Navy on a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Northern Fleet Russian Navy "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". The first landing on the deck of the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" located in the Barents Sea was performed on September 28 on an experimental MiG-29K aircraft with tail number 941, the head of the flight service of the RSK "MiG" Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation Hero of Russia Pavel Vlasov.

He was followed by test pilots of RAC MiG Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyaev in the serial MiG-29KUB, 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 flights of the MiG-29K / KUB on Kuznetsov were carried out literally on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the first ship landings of domestic supersonic fighters of the fourth generation 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 in which, undoubtedly, was the development of refueling in the air.

At the end of 2009, the first fighters flew to India. Indian pilots highly appreciated the flying qualities of the machines.

Thanks to this, in connection with the construction of new aircraft carriers, India ordered another 29 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, during a test flight in the Astrakhan region, a MiG-29KUB fighter crashed. Pilots Oleg Spichka and Alexander Kruzhalin were killed. The flight mission was so difficult, practically on the verge of the aircraft's capabilities, that only the best could perform it ... - such aces as Oleg Spichka and Alexander Kruzhalin ...

The commission found that the plane was not destroyed and was in good working order until the moment of the collision. The pilots acted according to the flight assignment and did everything to get out of the most difficult situation.

But, despite heavy losses, the program is developing. 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 MiG-29K / KUB carrier-based fighters with a delivery time of up to 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, possibly, will find new foreign customers.

On July 28 this year, the MiG-29KUB naval fighter, with tail number 204, made its first landing on the deck of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, which is being tested in the Barents Sea. The plane was piloted by two well-known Russian test pilots: senior test pilot of the Fedotov Flight Test Center Mikhail Belyaev and Honored Test Pilot, Hero of Russia Nikolai Diorditsa.

At present, another fighter is being prepared for landing on an aircraft carrier - a single-seat MiG-29K. It can be noted that the successful work of the test pilots has drawn a line under the transformation of the former aircraft carrier "Admiral Gorshkov" into a full-fledged light aircraft carrier "Vikramaditya".

The future flagship of the Indian fleet began testing on June 8, 2012 after a rather lengthy re-equipment at the Sevmash enterprise (the city of Severodvinsk). Until the delivery of the ship to the Indian Navy, which is to take place in December 2012, the aircraft carrier must undergo a series of four-month tests. During this time, it is planned to check the elements and systems of its structure, which were installed on the ship during the modernization.

In addition to this, a large number of aviation technical means responsible for flight operations are also subject to testing. In particular, we are talking about the optical landing system, aerofinishers, launch delays, aviation control and communications, etc. For these purposes, the MiG-29K / KUB naval fighters were involved in the tests, which are carried out according to the plan agreed with the customer. After the ship is handed over to the Indian Navy, these Russian-made fighters will form the backbone of the Vikramaditya light aircraft carrier's air group.

The aircraft carrier Vikramaditya was built on the basis of the Admiral Gorshkov heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser (TAKR) by means of a deep modernization of the latter. The ship, in fact, underwent a complete reconstruction procedure, during which it changed its original purpose. Instead of an aircraft-carrying anti-submarine cruiser, the ship turned into a full-fledged light aircraft carrier.... In the process of deep modernization of the ship's hull, most of the elements located above the waterline were replaced on it, all weapons were dismantled and a new, exclusively anti-aircraft gun was installed, the boilers of the power plant were replaced.

The hangar of the ship was also rebuilt. On the deck, a springboard, a three-cable aerial arrestor, an optical landing system, and also 2 lifts were mounted. As a result of the work done, the aircraft carrier is able to take on board aircraft weighing up to 25 tons... At present, the composition of the aircraft carrier's air group has already been determined, which will include 14-16 MiG-29K fighters, 4 MiG 29-KUB fighters, as well as up to 8 Ka-28 helicopters, 1 Ka-31 AWACS helicopter, and up to 3 Indian HAL Dhruv helicopters.

Indian pilots are initially trained in electronic simulator ship aviation. The necessary infrastructure will be created to base the aircraft carrier at the naval base in the city of Mumbai. At present, the 2nd aircraft carrier has already been laid down at the Indian shipyards in the city of Cochin, which is made according to its own Indian project.

In total, the Indian Navy purchased 45 MiG-29K / KUB fighters from Russia... Having concluded a contract in 2004 for the supply of 16 aircraft, and then in 2010, having confirmed the option for the supply of 29 more aircraft. Aircraft delivery to India began in 2009. It was in 2009 that Russian pilots M. Belyaev and N. Diorditsa first landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" MiG-29KUB with Indian identification marks on board. Having brilliantly performed flights to the Russian aircraft carrier, the Russian pilots opened the way for the aircraft to the customer. In 2011, the MiG Corporation completed deliveries of fighters under the first contract and began to implement the second.

According to the general director of RSK MiG, Sergei Korotkov, work on the production of fighters is proceeding according to schedule, and in 2012 India will be able to receive 3 aircraft from a new batch. Also, the head of RAC "MiG" considered it necessary to personally participate in organizing the first landing of fighters on the deck of "Vikramaditya". The presence of the head of an aircraft manufacturer on the most demanding and challenging test flights is becoming a tradition in the industry.

The meaning of such a presence is not only that the work must be carried out and organized at the highest level, but also in the readiness to be personally responsible for everything that happens on earth and in the sky. The responsibility in this case is really great, because in addition to the delivery of the Vikramaditya to the customer, during these test flights, the Russian admirals once again made sure that they did right choice by ordering MiG-29K / KUB fighters for Russian naval aviation.

On the eve of the Day of the Russian Navy, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Vice-Admiral Admiral Viktor Chirkov, said that as part of the modernization program for the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov by 2020, the ship should receive new MiG-29K fighters, which will replace the Su-33 fighters. Also, according to the commander-in-chief, the Russian design bureaus received assignments for the design of a new aircraft carrier, funds for these works have already been allocated. In February 2012, the Russian Navy signed a contract for the supply of 24 fighters: 20 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB, the term of the contract is 2013-2015.

According to Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, the signing of a contract for the supply of these fighters is a real contribution to the implementation of a long-term program aimed at re-equipping the Russian Armed Forces. Following the Air Force, the country's naval aviation will be able to obtain modern combat aircraft, which today are not inferior to their foreign counterparts. It should be admitted that today, in the class of carrier-based fighters for light aircraft carriers, the MiG-29K / KUB are out of competition.

Foreign aircraft in this STOBAR class (Short take-off but arrested recovery) simply do not exist, although Western firms are working on the creation of these aircraft on the basis of already created fighters of the "4+" generation.

Modern serial carrier-based fighters F / A-18E / F and Rafal-M belong to a different class - CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take Off Barrier Arrested Recovery - take off from a catapult, landing on an aerial finisher). For their basing, larger ships are needed, preferably with a nuclear power plant.

However, against the background of the already named western carrier-based fighters, the MiG-29K / KUB looks like a quite competitive machine. Technological level of basic systems Russian fighter, including the optoelectronic complex and the radar, at least not worse. The performance characteristics of these fighters are also comparable. At the same time, the new F-35C and F-35B from the USA are significantly more expensive than the already mentioned "Super Hornet" and "Raphael" and have not yet gone beyond the stage of eliminating all "childhood diseases".

It should be noted that MiG-29K / KUB fighters have significant potential for further development... These models are a deep modernization of the MiG-29 fighter and retained only the aerodynamic concept from their progenitor. According to Sergei Korotkov, these aircraft have a new airframe, more than twice the combat load, engines with increased thrust, and a 1.5-fold increase in fuel reserves.

The open architecture of avionics makes it possible to further build up the capabilities of the fighter and expand the range of weapons used. When designing it, the requirements for reducing the aircraft's signature in the radar range were taken into account.

Ship-based MiGs are multi-functional all-weather fighters belonging to the 4 ++ generation. Their task is to provide anti-aircraft and anti-ship defense of ship formations, as well as strike at enemy ground targets. In the group of carrier-based aircraft, the MiG-29K is assigned the same multifunctional role as for the similar American F / A-18. It simultaneously acts as a short-range air superiority aircraft and an attack aircraft. The plane can also be used as a reconnaissance aircraft.

A number of significant changes were made to the deck version of the MiG-29K fighter... It had a reinforced airframe structure, as well as improved its anti-corrosion protection, landing gear struts were reinforced, and the front strut mechanism was completely rebuilt for ship-based, the proportion of composite materials in the structure was increased to 15%, a hook (landing hook) was installed, the landing parachute was removed, wings The aircraft are made folding, the air refueling system has been mounted, the wing mechanization system has been changed to improve takeoff and landing characteristics, the mass of weapons used has been increased, and the aircraft's radar signature has been reduced.

The aircraft was equipped with RD-33MK engines, avionics of the MIL-STD-1553B standard with an open architecture, a new EDSU (fly-by-wire control system) with four-fold redundancy. The aircraft can be armed with the R-73E and RVV-AE guided missiles for air combat, the Kh-31A and Kh-35 anti-ship missiles, the KAB-500Kr corrected air bombs to engage surface and ground targets, and the Kh-31P anti-radar missiles.

Ways have been worked out to further increase the capabilities of the fighter's avionics, for example, on the serial MiG-29M / M2, which is the land version of the MiG-29K, optoelectronic systems for detecting laser radiation and attacking missiles have been mounted. Together with the existing electronic warfare equipment, they are able to significantly increase the survivability of a fighter in an air defense breakthrough or in an air battle.

Also the next stage of modernization may be the installation of a new radar with an active phased antenna array... The first samples of this radar have already been tested on MiG-35 fighters and have proven their promise and efficiency.

The performance characteristics of the MiG-29K:
Dimensions:
- wingspan in the parking lot of the aircraft carrier - 7.8 m, full - 11.99 m.
- length - 17.37 m.
- height - 4.4 m.
Wing area - 42 sq. m.
Aircraft weight:
- normal takeoff - 18.500 kg.
- maximum takeoff - 24.500 kg.
Engine type - double-circuit turbojet with afterburner RD-33MK.
Maximum speed at an altitude - 2200 km / h, near the ground - 1400 km / h.
Ferry range:
without PTB - 2000 km.
with 3 PTB - 3000 km.
with 3 PTB and one refueling in the air - 5500 km.
Service ceiling - 17.500 m.
Crew - 1 person (2 people on the MiG-29KUB).
Armament: 30-mm automatic cannon GSh-301 (150 rounds), combat load 4500 kg, 8 hardpoints.

Deck fighter-bomber MiG-29K.

Developer: OKB MiG
Country: USSR
First flight: 1988

The second deep modification of the MiG-29 light front-line fighter was the MiG-29K multipurpose shipborne aircraft, development work on which was carried out at the M.M. AI Mikoyan from the mid-80s in parallel with the design of the MiG-29M. Along with the naval modification of the Su-27 (Su-33), the MiG-29K fighter was supposed to become the first domestic combat aircraft capable of taking off from the deck of a ship and landing on it in the usual way, i.e. with a running start and a run. Prior to that, the country's navy had neither aircraft of this type nor ships capable of receiving them. At the same time, more than two dozen aircraft carriers were already in service with the navies of the world's leading naval powers. The United States had 16 ships (including six nuclear-powered), each of which had on board 70-80 A-6E and A-7E attack aircraft, F / A-18 fighter-attack aircraft and F-14 fighters taking off from decks with steam catapults.

In the USSR, the need to equip the Navy with ships with aircraft on board was officially recognized by the country's leadership only in the late 1950s, when submarines with ballistic missiles began to enter the US Navy's arsenal. However, since “landing” jet aircraft on board the ship, without having the necessary technical groundwork, in short time was not possible, the problem began to be solved in the direction of creating anti-submarine cruisers (ASC) with aviation weapons - first with deck helicopters, and then with attack aircraft vertical takeoff and landing. In 1967 and 1969, the cruisers Moskva and Leningrad (project 1123) with 14 Ka-25 helicopters on board entered the fleet, and in 1975 and 1978 the cruisers Kiev and Minsk ( project 1143) with 16 Yak-38 aircraft and 16 Ka-25 or Ka-27 helicopters.

By flight performance vertically taking off Yak-38 attack aircraft were far from perfect: their combined power plant, consisting of a lift-sustainer turbojet engine with deflectable nozzles and two lift engines, consumed a fair share of the fuel on board in vertical take-off and landing modes, as a result of which the flight range The Yak-38, even without a combat load, was only slightly more than 500 km, and with the suspension of weapons, respectively, even less. The range of the armed attack aircraft was only 90-160 km - according to this indicator, the Yak-38 could not compete even with deck helicopters. In addition, the yaks were practically unable to provide air defense for ship groupings in oceanic theaters of military operations - for this they did not have the necessary weapons or sighting means, and they did not have the high-speed characteristics inherent in fighters. Therefore, the question inevitably arose about the development of aircraft-carrying ships with planes taking off and landing in the traditional way, i.e. with a running start and a run.

Therefore, back in 1968, in parallel with the design of the Kiev-type anti-ship missiles, the Nevsky Design Bureau (NPKB) of the Ministry of the Industry under the leadership of A.B. Morin began researching the appearance of a promising aircraft-carrying ship (AK) with ejection takeoff of aircraft. As a result of a number of complex research projects, by 1972 the tactical and technical characteristics of such a ship were substantiated and its preliminary design was developed. The aircraft armament of the first Soviet AK, known as the "Project 1160", was supposed to be carrier-based fighters MiG-23K (based on the "land" MiG-23ML), attack aircraft Su-25K (based on the developed army attack aircraft Su-25) and subsonic jet anti-submarine aircraft P-42 (designed by the Taganrog State Union Experimental Plant of Marine Aircraft Manufacturing - former OKB-49 G.M. Beriev - under the leadership of chief designer A.K. Konstantinov). In the process of these works, direct contacts were established for the first time between three aviation design bureaus (A.I. Mikoyan, P.O. Sukhoi and G.M. Beriev) with shipbuilding enterprises, and tactical and technical tasks for the development of aircraft were prepared and agreed upon.

In a report presented to the Central Committee of the CPSU and the USSR Ministry of Defense in the summer of 1973, the ministers of the aviation and shipbuilding industries, the Commanders-in-Chief of the Air Force and the Navy, on the basis of the considered preliminary project, recommended organizing the creation of a nuclear multipurpose aircraft-carrying ship with a displacement of up to 80,000 tons, which was supposed to have strike missile armament and an air group , which included Su-27K fighters (carrier-based version of a promising 4th generation Su-27 fighter) and P-42 anti-submarine aircraft. It was assumed that by 1986 the country's navy would receive three such ships, which would significantly reduce the lag between the USSR and the United States in the production of aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft. This proposal, however, did not find support from the Central Committee, and first of all from its secretary D.F. Ustinov, who was in charge of defense issues. As an alternative in the fall of 1973, DF Ustinov proposed to develop a domestic aircraft-carrying fleet based on the Kiev-type anti-ship missiles. The third ship of this project (1143.3) was planned to be built taking into account the basing on it of vertical take-off and landing fighters Yak-38, and later - supersonic Yak-141, and Ka-27 helicopters.

At the same time, NPKB continued work on aircraft carrier-type vessels. On the basis of the AK project 1160 in the mid-70s, a project of the ship was prepared, which was called in the documents "a large cruiser with aircraft weapons of project 1153". It was supposed to have a displacement of about 70,000 tons (the displacement of an anti-ship missile of the "Kiev" type - about 40,000 tons) and be equipped with a nuclear power plant. Airborne catapults and an aerofinisher would make it possible to operate MiG-23K fighters and Su-25K attack aircraft on it. By 1985, the Navy could receive two large cruisers. However, foreign policy considerations and the death of influential supporters of the project (Defense Minister A.A. Grechko and Minister of the Court Industry B.E. Butoma) did not allow the implementation of the program for the construction of such ships. Instead, in 1977, they decided to continue the construction of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers (TAVKR - the new name for anti-ship missiles with aircraft weapons) of Project 1143 of the "Kiev" type. The fourth ship (1143.4), which received the name "Baku" when it was laid down in February 1978, was supposed to have improved electronic, anti-ship missile and defensive missile and artillery weapons and still accept on deck only vertically taking off Yak-38 aircraft (in the future - Yak-141). On the fifth ship of this project (1143.5) with an increased displacement, along with the basing of vertical take-off and landing Yak-141 fighters and Ka-27 helicopters of various modifications, it was planned to provide ejection takeoff and aerial landing of Su-27K fighters and Su-25K attack aircraft.

For the development of aviation technical means of support for the takeoff and landing of carrier-based aircraft (catapult, aerofinisher, emergency barrier, optical and radio-technical landing systems), studying the specifics of ship-based aircraft, as well as training future carrier-based aviation pilots in the Crimea near the city of Saki at the Novofedorovka airfield, it was decided was to build a Research and Training Complex (NIUTK), which later received the name "NITKA". It included an accelerating device (a prototype of a catapult) and blocks of cable and chain air controllers. Prior to the start of experiments with aircraft, the enterprises of the Ministry of Industry and Trade conducted a large-scale series of equipment tests using unmanned imitators - loading carts, which were accelerated by the shuttle of the ejection device, and then braked by hooked onto the cables of the aerofinisher or caught by an emergency barrier.

In 1978, MMZ im. AI Mikoyan made a proposal to create a carrier-based aircraft MiG-29K on the basis of the 4th generation MiG-29 fighter. At the same time, it was planned that the "Migi" would complement the heavier and more expensive Su-27K in the TAVKR air group, just as it should have been done in the fighter aviation units of the Air Force. The difference from the "land" version of the MiG-29K was an increased internal fuel reserve from 3650 to 4000 kg, the possibility of using underwing suspended fuel tanks with a capacity of 800 liters (with a standard fuselage and two underwing PTBs, the fuel supply exceeded 6500 kg). The normal take-off weight of the aircraft with four missiles was 15570 kg (for the MiG-29, according to the project, it was 2 tons less), and the maximum (with four missiles and three PTBs) was 18210 kg. In terms of the power plant, the composition of equipment and weapons, the MiG-29K almost completely corresponded to the MiG-29 (with the exception of an increase in the number of simultaneously suspended K-27 medium-range missiles and the replacement of the standard radio technical short-range navigation system with a special radio system for driving and landing on a ship). The main armament version of the MiG-29K ship fighter included four K-27 missiles (with two underwing tanks), two K-73 melee missiles, as well as an ammunition load for the GSh-301 built-in cannon (150 rounds). The combat radius of the aircraft was to be 850 km without a PTB, 1050 km with an under-fuselage tank, 1300 km with three PTBs, with a loitering time at a distance of 250 km from the ship 1.6-2.3 hours.

The proposal of the OKB im. AI Mikoyan was accepted. Accordingly, the composition of the TAVKR air group of project 1143.5 was clarified: it was planned to include 18 Su-27K fighters and 28 MiG-29K fighters taking off from a catapult, as well as 14 Ka-252 helicopters: eight anti-submarine (after being put into service - Ka-27PL), two search and rescue (Ka-27PS) and four radar patrol complexes (Ka-31). The aircraft of the air group were now intended exclusively for the anti-aircraft defense of the cruiser and the warrant headed by him, so they were not supposed to have any strike weapons. The MiG-23K fighters, the Su-25K attack aircraft and the P-42 anti-submarine aircraft were abandoned on board the TAVKR. Thus, by the end of the 70s, the composition of the air group of the new TAVKR and its combat missions were clearly defined.

However, in 1981, a directive of the General Staff followed, prescribing to significantly reduce the displacement of the project 1143.5 being developed by the TAVKR, to abandon the basing of catapult take-off aircraft on it and the catapults themselves. The basis of the ship's air group was again to be the Yak-141 vertically taking off supersonic fighters, and to ensure the takeoff of such machines with an increased combat load, which could only be carried out with a takeoff, the cruiser was to be equipped with a takeoff springboard. On the basis of the existing groundwork for deck modifications of the 4th generation fighters, which had a large thrust-to-weight ratio, the leaders of the MMZ im. A.I. Mikoyan and the M.H. PO Sukhoi, with the support of the Air Force command, made a proposal not to remove the MiG-29K and Su-27K from the ship, promising to ensure their catapult-free takeoff from the springboard. In the summer of 1981, the proposal of the Ministry of Aviation Industry and the Air Force to conduct ground tests for a shortened takeoff of the MiG-29 and Su-27 from the springboard was accepted, and a little later it was possible to reach an agreement to increase the displacement of the TAVKR to 55,000 tons. The cruiser project was once again corrected - taking into account its increased dimension and the presence of a springboard. The main aircraft of the TAVKR air group was still the Yak-141, but now it was also planned to base the MiG-29K and Su-27K fighters for springboard takeoff and airborne landing.

It should be noted that launching from a springboard even has a number of advantages over the catapult takeoff method, which is traditional for Western aircraft carriers. When the catapult mechanism is triggered, the piston of the steam cylinder with a shuttle, onto which the deck aircraft is "hooked" by special nodes of the front landing gear, begins to move forward along the ship's course with high acceleration, accelerating the aircraft to a speed of about 300 km / h, after which it leaves the deck, increases the angle of attack (which is accompanied by a "drawdown" of the vehicle along the trajectory - when leaving the deck, the values ​​of the angles of inclination of the trajectory and attack are usually close to zero) and turns into a climb. Due to the fact that the piston stroke of the catapult is limited (usually about 90 m), the required speed can be achieved only with large longitudinal overloads (up to 4.5), which are difficult for the pilots and often lead to a violation of the coordination of their actions and sometimes even to a short-term loss of consciousness.

When taking off from a springboard (it is equipped at the end of the flight deck in the bow of the ship), the take-off speed of the aircraft does not exceed 180-200 km / h with a take-off run of 100-180 m, so the pilot experiences slight longitudinal g-forces and is in complete control of the situation. On the other hand, starting from a springboard, which occurs at relatively low translational speeds, dictates more stringent requirements for the stability and controllability characteristics of the aircraft and for its thrust-to-weight ratio. The aircraft engines are brought into take-off (or emergency) mode even before the start of the takeoff run. At the same time, in order to hold the plane in place until permission is obtained for take-off, special devices are used to prevent premature starting of the car - delays, which are stops for the wheels of the main landing gear issued from under the deck. To prevent possible damage to the deck elements and superstructures of the ship by hot gases of aircraft engines operating at maximum modes, lifting cooled gas reflective shields are provided in the design of the TAVKR.

Testing of the trampoline takeoff method for fighters began at the NITKA complex in the summer of 1982. By this time, the complex was equipped with an experimental springboard T-1, designed at the Nevsky Design Bureau and built at the shipyard in Nikolaev. It had a height of 5 m, a length of 60 m, a width of 30 m and an angle of inclination of 8.5 °. It was planned to involve in the tests appropriately modified prototypes of the 4th generation fighters: the 7th flight copy of the MiG-29 (aircraft No. 918) and the 3rd copy of the Su-27 (T-10-3). In addition, for these purposes, the LII allocated the MiG-27 aircraft No. 603 (side No. 03), and the MZ im. P.O. Sukhoi (somewhat later) - an experienced T-10-25 (made, in contrast to the T-10-3, already in the configuration of the serial Su-27).

Re-equipment of the MiG-29 No. 918 for flights on the Nitka complex was carried out in July-August 1982. The aircraft was significantly lightened - all the now "unnecessary" equipment was removed from it (previously the 918 was used to test the airborne radar), at the same time the chassis structure was strengthened. The overflight of the modified fighter took place on August 11, and on August 21, 1982, the test pilot of the MMZ im. A.I. Mikoyan A.G. Fastovets performed on the 918th the first take-off from the T-1 springboard. The length of the takeoff run was 250 m, the speed of descent from the springboard was 240 km / h, the take-off weight of the vehicle was 12,000 kg. IA Vlasov was the leading engineer for testing the MiG-29 No. 918 at NITKA, and VN Shmelev was the aircraft technician. Remembering the first takeoff from the springboard, A.G. Fastovets said that he was very worried: “Usually you take off like: there is a strip in front. Cleared. Everything is fine. Nobody here. And here in front of you there is a wall at a distance of 100 m, and you need to climb this wall. The wall - it seems so, in fact it is a springboard. It was really exciting to run up such a hill. When you imagine what should be, then it's easier ... "

A week later, the pilot of the M.I. P.O. Sukhoi N.F. Sadovnikov (the take-off weight of the aircraft was 18,200 kg, the take-off run - 230 m, and the take-off speed - 232 km / h). In subsequent flights (in total, according to the test program, 32 of them were made), which were also carried out by test pilots of the MMZ im. A.I. Mikoyan A.V. Fedotov and B.A. Orlov, a pilot of the Ministry of Health named after A.V. P.O. Sukhoi V.G. Pugachev and the pilot of the LII V.G. Gordienko, the results gradually improved. The MiG-29 No. 918 managed to reduce the take-off run to 150 m, and the speed of descent from the springboard to 180 km / h, while the mass of the fighter reached 14,500 kg. On September 8, 1982, the program of the first stage of tests of the MiG-29 No. 918 at the NITKA complex was completed, and the prototype, which had completed 149 flights by this time (including 20 after conversion), was sent to the plant for further modifications.

The results of the first flights on the NITKA complex made it necessary to significantly correct the profiling of the take-off springboard. While the new springboard was being built, in the Crimea, so as not to waste time, they began to practice landing on the aerofinisher, which was a set of four ascending and pulling cables, one of which the landing plane had to catch with the released hook. The NITKA structure included the BS-P-1 landing block with a mock-up of the Svetlana-2 naval aerofinisher. The first test landings on a ground air arrestor were carried out on an experimental MiG-27 # 603, which was additionally equipped with a hook, by LII pilots A.V. Krutov and S.N. Tresvyatsky. In May-July 1983, the MiG-29 No. 918 was also equipped with a hook. The aircraft was flown over on July 29, and on August 21, 1983 it was relocated to NITKA. The work of the 918th on the aerofinisher continued until October 31, 1983, the pilots of the MMZ im. AI Mikoyan carried out on it a large number of "raids" on the cables of the aerofinisher and more than a dozen test landings. In 1983, similar studies were carried out by N.F.Sadovnikov on the T-10-3, and in 1984 by V.G. Pugachev on the T-10-25. The length of the run of the aircraft with the use of the aerofinisher was reduced to 90 m.

In 1984, the production of a new T-2 springboard (height 5.6 m, length 53.5 m, width 17.5 m, departure angle 14.3 °) was completed, which exactly repeated the shape of the bow of the deck of the project 1143.5 TAVKR under construction. The first takeoff from the T-2 was performed on September 25, 1984 on the T-10-25 by N.F. Sadovnikov. On October 1, V.E. Menitskiy also began flying from the T-2 springboard in MiG-29 No. 918 (tests continued until October 25, 1984). On the "Nitka" complex, not only took off from a springboard and landing on an aerofinisher, but also the approach equipment intended for the ship was tested: the optical landing system "Luna-3", warning the pilot with lights of different colors about deviations from the calculated glide path, a drive radar system and a short-range navigation and landing radio system. The first landings of the MiG-29 No. 918 using the Luna-3 system were performed in May 1984. In 1987, NITKA made the first automatic and night landing of aircrafts on an aerofinisher. In addition to the pilots of the OKB A.I. Mikoyan, P.O. Sukhoi and the LII, military pilots from the Air Force Research Institute were also involved in the tests (for example, V.N. Kondaurov performed 200 flights on the NITKA complex in 1988, of which 65 were with landing on an aerofinisher).

Intensive flights on board "NITKA" continued until December 1991, after which the operation of the unique complex, which ended up on the territory of "non-railway" Ukraine, was practically stopped. In August 1992, the MiG-29 No. 918, which performed more than 300 flights under various test programs, was demonstrated under the name MiG-29KVP (ie "short take-off and landing") in the static display of "Mosaeroshow-92" in Zhukovsky, and then was transferred to the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, where it is used as a teaching aid.

Flight studies carried out in 1982-1984 on the NITKA complex confirmed the fundamental possibility of creating serial naval fighters for springboard takeoff and airborne landing, and in 1984 the corresponding decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, which asked the development of such aircraft by the Ministry of Health named after P.O. Sukhoi and MMZ im. A.I. Mikoyan. The first was entrusted with the creation of the Su-27K heavy naval air defense fighter, the second - the lighter MiG-29K multipurpose naval fighter, which could also be used for striking surface and coastal targets. It is easy to see that, despite a number of significant differences (including in the method of take-off from the deck), the air group of the domestic aircraft-carrying cruiser was planned to be built on a principle close to that adopted in the US Navy, where the main types of carrier-based aircraft in the 80s were long-range heavy F-14 air defense interceptor fighters and F / A-18 lighter attack aircraft. The creation of naval fighters was supposed to be carried out in parallel with the construction of a new TAVKR project 1143.5, in close cooperation of specialists from two departments - the Ministry of Aviation Industry and the Ministry of Transport Industry. The ship, which was originally named Riga (in November 1982 it was replaced by Leonid Brezhnev), was laid at the Black Sea Shipyard (ChSZ) in Nikolaev in September 1982. In December 1985, it was launched, and after a year and a half the TAVKR was renamed again - now in "Tbilisi". The place of the Leonid Brezhnev ship in the ChSZ dry dock at the end of 1985 was taken by the second ship of a similar type - at first, again, the Riga (since 1990 - Varyag), which was to be followed by an aircraft-carrying cruiser with a nuclear power plant - Ulyanovsk "(Project 1143.7).

The design of the MiG-29K (product "9-31") began at the MMZ im. A.I. Mikoyan under the leadership of General Designer R.A. Belyakov in 1984. M.R. Waldenberg was appointed chief designer of the aircraft. In contrast to the preliminary studies of the shipborne version of the MiG-29, performed in 1978 (see above), it was now supposed to build the MiG-29K based not on the base MiG-29, but on the modernized MiG-29M. The unification concerned, first of all, the new weapons control system, as well as a number of design and technological improvements that were planned to be implemented on the EMK. OKB im. P.O. Sukhoi went the other way: for the tasks of air defense of the ship group, which they intended to assign to the Su-27K, the existing armament system of the serial front-line fighter Su-27 was also quite suitable. To "chill" the Su-27, only modifications were required to ensure the aircraft basing on the ship - the introduction of a folding wing, reinforcement of the landing gear, installation of a landing hook, etc. Looking ahead, it should be said that thanks to this approach, the Sukhovites were able to test the Su-27K faster and put it into service. The Mikoyanites had to work hard to fine-tune the new weapons control system, which is why the MiG-29K was "delayed" until the early 90s, when the country's economy was hit by a crisis, and it was never put into mass production.

The MiG-29K was supposed to provide air defense of an aircraft carrier formation in all weather conditions in the altitude range from 30 m to 27 km, suppression of enemy aircraft (anti-submarine defense aircraft and helicopters), transport and landing helicopters, radar patrol aircraft, defeat of ship groups, cover landing of troops, escorting coast-based aviation and conducting aerial reconnaissance.

Due to the specific conditions of basing on the ship, in the constructive plan, the MiG-29K had a number of features. During the development of the deck modification units, much attention was paid to the protection of the aircraft from corrosion, taking into account the "marine" requirements for coatings, materials and sealing of individual elements. Due to the increased loads during landing, the central tank, located behind it the power compartment of the hull, to which the main landing gear and brake hook were attached, as well as the nose of the hull in the area of ​​the front landing gear, were significantly reinforced. In the tail section, instead of a parachute brake system, a hook damping mechanism and a rescued emergency recorder were placed. As on the MiG-29M, a braking flap with an area of ​​about 1 m was installed on the upper surface of the MiG-29K hull. The stabilizer area increased, while it received a characteristic "tooth" along the leading edge. The wing span and area increased to 11.99 m and 43 m2 - accordingly, its mechanization changed - double-slotted flaps with an increased chord and ailerons hovering at landing appeared on the ship fighter. The wing profile of the base model P-177 gave way to the improved P-177M. To reduce the parking dimensions of the aircraft when placed on the deck of the ship and in the underdeck hangars, the wing consoles of the MiG-29K were folded and controlled from the cockpit by means of a hydraulic drive. In the folded position, the wingspan was reduced to 7.8 m (the overall width of the aircraft with missiles suspended under the wing was 8.3 m). Initially, it was planned to make the radar fairing deflectable (with the fairing folded down, the overall length of the aircraft was to be reduced from 17.27 to 15.1 m), but later this idea was abandoned.

The landing gear legs had a large length, increased shock absorber travel and were equipped with units for mooring and towing by ship means. To be placed in the retracted position in the previous volumes of the body, the racks of the main supports were equipped with pull mechanisms.

The steered front landing gear strut began to rotate at an angle of up to 90 °. A three-color signaling device was installed on its struts, the lights of which informed the landing manager about the position of the aircraft on the glide path and its landing speed. All pneumatics were replaced with new ones of higher pressure (20 kgf / cm2 (1.96 MPa)). The brake hook was placed under the aft hull between the engine nacelles and was equipped with an exhaust, pull and damping system. To provide visual control landing on the deck at night there was a hook illumination system.

Like the MiG-29M, the ship's vehicle was equipped with an analog-digital fly-by-wire control system with three- and four-fold redundancy in all three channels, with mechanical duplication in the roll and direction channels. Like the "emka", the MiG-29K no longer had upper air intakes, so its fuel system was re-arranged (the internal fuel supply was 5670 liters). The aircraft was equipped with a centralized fueling system for both internal tanks and three outboard ones. In the event of an emergency landing, to reduce the weight of the vehicle to the maximum permissible (15300 kg), the possibility of emergency fuel drain was provided. To increase the flight range, the MiG-29K was equipped with a system for refueling in the air from a refueling aircraft (for example, an Il-78) equipped with a unified aerial refueling unit UPAZ. A retractable refueling rod was located in front of the cockpit on the left. At night, the boom was illuminated with a special headlight.

The power plant of the MiG-29K consisted of two double-circuit turbojet engines RD-33K, which had an integrated digital control system, which also generated commands for controlling the air intake flaps, and a new external box of the units. The thrust of the engines at maximum mode was increased to 5500 kgf (53.9 kN), at full afterburner - to 8800 kgf (86.3 kN). Unlike the RD-33K turbojet engine with the same name, which was used on the MiG-29M, the engines of the ship fighter had an emergency operating mode (CR), in which the thrust briefly increased to 9400 kgf (92.2 kN). The CR guaranteed takeoff from a ship of an aircraft weighing 17,700 kg from the first launch position (take-off distance 105 m) and a mass of 22,400 kg from the second launch position (take-off distance 195 m), and also allowed the MiG-29K pilot to make a go-around even after touching decks at the stage of the run (in case of non-snagging on the air arrestor cable). The duplicated digital automatic control system (ACS) ensured the optimal operating condition of the engines in the entire range of flight modes and during missile launches. The controllable lower edge of the air inlet with a downward deflection of 20 degrees reduced thrust losses during takeoff.

The S-29K armament control system used on the MiG-29K, in composition, generally corresponded to the SUV of the MiG-29M aircraft. It included an RLPK-29UM radar sighting system with a NOYu radar with improved performance over the water surface and an OEPrNK-29M optical-electronic sighting and navigation system with an OLS-M optical location station and a helmet-mounted target designation system. A single multifunctional control panel was located in the cockpit, which made it possible to expand the range of used air-to-surface missiles. The SOI-29K information display system was three-screen and included an indicator on the windshield (KAI) and two multifunctional indicators on cathode-ray tubes. The multifunctional weapon control system provided all-weather search, all-aspect detection, identification and measurement of coordinates of single and group air targets in free space and against the background of the underlying surface when exposed to organized interference. The complex use of sighting systems made it possible to covertly launch an attack and use several types of weapons simultaneously. The weapons control system automatically detected and tracked up to ten targets, ensuring the launch of guided missiles at four targets.

One of the differences between the MiG-29K equipment complex in comparison with the avionics of the MiG-29M aircraft was the inclusion of the SN-K "Knot" navigation system in its composition, which ensured aircraft navigation over the sea and its landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The "Knot" navigation system consisted of a new generation inertial navigation system (INS-84), a satellite navigation system, a short-range navigation and landing radio-technical system, an air signal system and a digital computer. The onboard navigation system equipment was supposed to interact with ship beacons. It had an anti-jamming coded information transmission line and an automated built-in control. As on the MiG-29M, it was planned to install an on-board defense system on the ship-based fighter as part of an electronic reconnaissance station, a Mak-F heat direction finder, a Gardenia jamming station and two BVP-60-26 passive jamming blocks.

The armament of the MiG-29K included eight missile weapons for aerial combat and 25 weapons for operations against ground and surface targets. The maximum payload mass, as on the MiG-29M, was increased to 4500 kg. To accommodate it, there were nine suspension points: one - between the air channels of the engines and eight - under the wing (including four - under the folding parts of the consoles). Guided air-to-air missiles included two to four R-27R (RE) and T (TE) missiles, up to eight R-73 or RVV-AE missiles. The use of general-purpose air-to-surface missiles Kh-25ML and Kh-29L (T), four Kh-31A and Kh-35 anti-ship missiles with active radar seeker, Kh-31P and Kh-25MP anti-radar missiles, and KAB guided bombs was provided. -500Kr with television correlation guidance system. Unguided weapons were represented by aerial bombs, KMG-U small cargo containers and unguided rockets. As in the land version, the MiG-29K housed a built-in 30 mm GSh-301 cannon with 100 rounds of ammunition.

For four years, there was a hard work on the design of the new aircraft. The construction of two prototypes was carried out jointly by the experimental design bureau and the serial plant "Znamya Truda" (MAPO named after P.V. Dementyev). On April 19, 1988, the first machine, which received side number 311 (ie, the 9-31 / 1 aircraft), was transferred to the airfield, and after a ground check of all systems and equipment on June 23, 1988, a test pilot of the MMZ im. A.I. Mikoyan T.O. Aubakirov lifted her into the air. The leading test engineer for the 311 was S.P. Belyasnik, the aircraft technician was Yu.V. Tyukov. The first experimental MiG-29K has not yet been equipped new system armament control. After 33 flights, in which the stability and controllability of the new aircraft were assessed, on August 7, 1989, the MiG-29 No. 311 was transferred to Saki. Test flights of the MiG-29K aboard NITKA in September-October 1989 confirmed the conformity of the aircraft's takeoff and landing and flight characteristics to the calculated ones and made it possible to start studying the issues of the MiG-29K's suitability for basing on board the TAVKR. The first stage of testing for compatibility between the MiG-29K and the spacecraft was carried out on the Nitka complex, equipped with an analogue of the C-2 ship's aerofinisher, a T-2 springboard and a Luna-3 optical landing system (OSP).

During the tests on "NITKA" the dynamic characteristics of the aircraft were investigated during the take-off and descent from the springboard, in transient modes, the stability of the operation of the power plant in the emergency mode was studied. Special attention the accuracy and safety of landing on an aerofinisher was paid, which was carried out without keeping from a glide path with an inclination angle of 3.5-4 °. The light diagram for the OSB "Luna" developed in the OKB provided the aircraft to be brought to the calculated point of contact (a circle with a diameter of 12 m) with a spread of vertical velocities within 0.5 m / s. An important role was played by "flights" on the TsAGI aerobatic stand created by K.V. Zakharov and O. Tkachenko. The primary skills acquired on this simulator allowed the test pilots of ANPK "MiG" T.O.Aubakirov, V.E. Menitsky, A.N. Kvochur, R.P. Taskaev and P.N. Vlasov to prepare for the most difficult stage of flight on the MiG-29K - landing on deck.

On October 21, 1989, the TAVKR "Tbilisi" departed from the outfitting wall of the ChSZ and went out to sea. A very crucial moment was ahead: the test pilots of the OKB P.O. Sukhoi and A.I. Mikoyan were preparing for the first time in the USSR to land aircraft on the deck of a ship. And now, 10 days later, on November 1, 1989, first V.G. Pugachev in the Su-27K (T-10K-2), and then T.O. Aubakirov in the MiG-29K No. 311 for the first time in the history of Russian aviation and the Navy "Landed" their machines on board an aircraft-carrying cruiser. On the evening of the same day, Aubakirov made the first takeoff from the Tbilisi springboard on a MiG-29K (Pugachev left the ship on the Su-27K the next day), after which another one landed on the TAVKR deck. aircraft- training Su-25UTG, piloted by IV Votintsev and AV Krutov. Flight design tests (LKI) of aircraft on "Tbilisi" continued on November 10 and successfully completed on November 22, 1989, after which the ship returned to the plant for completion and retrofitting necessary equipment, and the MiG-29K # 311 was sent to the plant for revisions (by January 1990, 111 flights had already been performed on it). During LKI on November 17, 1989, military test pilots from the Air Force Research Institute VN Kondaurov on the MiG-29K and Yu.A. Semkin on the Su-27K took off for the first time (and then landed) from the TAVKR deck. In total, during the flight design tests, 227 flights and 35 landings on the ship were made, of which 13 landings on the MiG-29K: 10 were performed by T.O. Aubakirov, two by V.N. Kondaurov and one by A.N. Kvochur.

Factory sea trials (ZHI) of the TAVKR in the Black Sea were started on May 24, 1990 and continued until September of the same year, after which the new aircraft-carrying cruiser was officially included in the Navy on December 25, 1990 and received the new name "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" ... A year later, in December 1991, he moved to his base in Severomorsk. Test flights of the MiG-29K No. 311 on the NITKA ground complex and on the ship were resumed on May 23, 1990 and continued until October 3, 1990. On the fighter, the deck landing system was tested and the electromagnetic compatibility was evaluated. radio electronic systems aircraft and ship. In the same year, OKB test pilot A.N. Kvochur made the first night landing on the MiG-29K and the first night takeoff from the ship, as well as takeoff in the daytime with four missiles. During the tests, a crack was found in the landing gear of the aircraft; it was necessary to somehow "remove" the prototype from the ship. We decided to take off from the deck in a lightweight version (with an incomplete supply of fuel). Test pilot A.N. Kvochur brilliantly performed the night takeoff on the damaged aircraft. After the repair of the rack, the tests of the MiG-29K continued.

In August 1991, flights began under the State Test Program. One more test pilot of ANPK "MiG" - R.P. Taskaev took part in them. In a short time, thanks to intensive training, he mastered boarding and taking off an aircraft from it in the entire range of takeoff and landing masses. So, several times he took off on MiG-29K No. 311 with stirrups of outboard fuel tanks and four air-to-air missiles, the take-off weight of the aircraft reached 22 tons. No. 312), which, unlike the first, had a new "naval" color and was equipped with a standard set of weapons control systems. The aircraft was supposed to be used mainly for testing the new SUV. The 312 entered trials in September 1990. By March 1991, 29 flights were performed on it, in which stability and controllability, acceleration characteristics and fuel consumption indicators were assessed. Until August 5, 1991, the aircraft was refined at the plant, after which it was relocated to the ship.

In total, during the tests, the first copy of the MiG-29K made 313 flights, including 13 under the State Test program. On this aircraft, the pilots of the OKB and GK NII VVS performed 74 landings on the deck of the ship, as well as flights with aircraft refueling in the air. However, the state tests of the MiG-29K were never completed. In the last (thirteenth) flight after landing on the deck, the military test pilot VN Kondaurov literally "laid out" the plane. Having departed for 1.5 hours, the pilot safely boarded the ship and, with the engines turned on, relaxed, put the landing gear crane to clean up. Having come to his senses, he returned the crane to the “release” position, however, due to the abrupt shifting of the chassis crane, there was a backflow of the working fluid in the hydraulic system and the hydraulic cylinders and tubes of the chassis exhaust-retraction system were out of order. The plane was in need of serious repairs. While it was being produced, in December 1991, the ship had already left for its permanent base in the Northern Fleet, and the state tests of the MiG-29K had to be interrupted. The second prototype made only six flights. After recovery on the first plane, they performed seven more flights. The last, 320th flight of the MiG-29K No. 311 took place on August 27, 1992.

Competitors from the Sukhoi Design Bureau were able to start state tests of the Su-27K earlier, which was put into serial production in 1990. By the time they began in March 1991, seven serial Su-27Ks had already been built, and the second prototype of the T-10K-2 was in flight condition. ANPK "MiG" by this time had only two experimental MiG-29K (the readiness of the third flying machine, built at MAPO, by 1992 was 60%). In 1991, a decision was made to stop the purchases of the MiG-29 for the Russian Air Force and to concentrate the scarce funds available to continue production of the Su-27. In this regard, the future of the new modifications of the "twenty-ninth", including the MiG-29K, became very vague. The Mikoyanites' stake on the use of a promising weapon system on a naval fighter led to the fact that, given the reduction, and then the complete suspension of funding for the MiG-29K program, it was not quickly possible to bring it up as an aviation combat complex. In addition, the collapse of the USSR and the deficit in the military budget led to the actual freezing of the program for the construction of new aircraft-carrying ships. At the beginning of 1992, at ChSZ, which became the property of independent Ukraine, the construction of the Varyag TAVKR was mothballed in a state of 70 percent readiness, and in February of the same year, cutting into metal of the hull sections of the Ulyanovsk nuclear-powered aircraft-carrying cruiser ( the degree of his readiness was estimated at 20%). Therefore, it became an unaffordable luxury to develop yet another type of shipborne fighter: for the air group of the only TAVKR "Kuznetsov", the Su-27K, already mass-produced, were enough.

However, it should be noted that the MiG-29K, although it is in a different "weight category" from the Su-27K, has a number of advantages over it. The Su-27K's armament range is limited only to air-to-air missiles, and its onboard equipment meets the requirements for the avionics of 4th generation combat aircraft. The unconditional advantages of the Su-27K include a long flight range without suspended tanks, high maneuverability and thrust-to-weight ratio, the ability to suspend 12 medium and short-range missiles at the same time. The MiG-29K has a weapon control system with higher tactical characteristics, worthy of the 4+ generation aircraft, and a much wider range of guided and unguided weapons, primarily of the air-to-surface class.

Therefore, it is still too early to give up on the MiG-29K aircraft. This is evidenced by the resumption in August 1996, after a four-year break, of flight tests of the MiG-29K. According to the statement of the chief designer of ANPK "MiG" A.A. Belosvet, over the past period, a new set of equipment has been completed on the experimental MiG-29M, and now the OKB has certain plans for the MiG-29K. However, we are no longer talking about the launch of the MiG-29K into mass production. More realistic in modern conditions at the company is the use of technical solutions tested on the MiG-29K, on ​​the deck version of the modernized MiG-29SMT fighter. Such solutions include a reinforced folding wing, a more energy-intensive chassis, a new set of equipment, etc. The new ship-borne aircraft, known in the press as the product "9-17K", can be offered not only to the Russian Navy, but also to foreign customers: the press, for example, has been discussing the possibility of selling the TAVKR "Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov" to India for several years. which does not currently have "aircraft" weapons (the operation of the Yak-38 VTOL aircraft on ships was discontinued in 1991), however, after possible modernization and necessary refinement (organization of a take-off jump, aerofinisher, etc.) takeoff and landing with a mass of up to 20 tons. The OKB is ready to retrofit the vehicle to provide a catapult takeoff.

The MiG-29K aircraft have repeatedly participated in various aviation exhibitions. In February 1992, the second copy of the fighter (No. 312) was shown 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 aircraft did not fly for four years: the last flight before mothballing, the 106th flight on the MiG-29K No. 312, took place on August 28, 1992. However, in the summer of 1996, the 312th was again prepared for test flights, and in September of the same year it arrived in Gelendzhik, where the first international exhibition of hydro-aviation in Russia was held. After that, the plane was transferred to the airfield of the State Flight Test Center in Akhtubinsk to participate in the final stage State tests of the MiG-29M. To date, 109 flights have been performed on it. MiG-29K # 311 was shown in August 1997 at the stand of the MAKS-97 air show. Now he is at the flight base of ANPK "MiG" in Zhukovsky.

To train pilots for the MiG-29K in the ANPK "MiG" in the second half of the 80s, a project of a two-seater deck-based combat training vehicle was worked out, called the MiG-29KU (ed. "9-62"). It is known that it is extremely difficult to train the flight personnel of carrier-based aviation, and especially the pilots of combat aircraft. Errors during takeoff and landing on deck rarely go unpunished. The study of the possibilities of using the MiG-29UB ground combat training aircraft for training naval pilots showed that the view from the rear cockpit (instructor) is clearly insufficient to ensure a safe landing on the deck. Therefore, the cockpits of the instructor and the trainee on the MiG-29KU were made separate according to the type of cockpit of the MiG-25RU / PU aircraft. The seat in the rear cockpit was installed with a large excess relative to the front one, due to which, on landing, almost the same view was provided from both cabins. The new layout of the cockpits led to a change in the design and contours of the nose of the aircraft. The MiG-29KU, like the MiG-29K, was supposed to be equipped with two RD-33K engines. In terms of the design of the main units, the naval training vehicle was similar to a single-seat carrier-based fighter. So, the plane did not have upper entrances, the wing was folding, and a landing hook was attached to the rear of the hull.

Due to the suspension of work on the MiG-29K shipborne fighter, the detailed design of its training version was not carried out. They only built a purge model of the MiG-29KU and a full-size mock-up of the head of its hull, which was later sent to the Air Force Academy. YA Gagarin (in Monino).

Modification: MiG-29K
Wingspan, m
- at the parking lot of the aircraft carrier: 7.80
-full: 11.99
Length, m: 17.37
Height, m: 5.18
Wing area, m2: 42.00
Weight, kg
- empty aircraft: 12700
-normal takeoff: 17770
-maximum takeoff: 22400
Fuel, kg
-internal: 5670
-maximum with PTB: 9470
Engine type: 2 x TRDDF RD-33I
Thrust, kgf: 2 x 9400
Maximum speed, km / h
-on high: 2300 (M = 2.17)
- off the ground: 1400
Practical range, km
- at low altitude: 750
-at high altitude: 1650
-at high altitude with PTB: 3000
-with one refueling: 5700
Max. rate of climb, m / min: 18000
Practical ceiling, m: 17000
Takeoff run, m: 110-195
Path length, m: 150-300
Operating overload: 8.5
Crew, people: 1
Armament: 30-mm cannon GSH-301 (150 rounds of ammunition); combat load - 4500 kg at 9 hardpoints: air-to-air missiles R-27 and RVV-AE, short-range missiles R-73, anti-ship Kh-31A, anti-radar Kh-31P, air-to-surface missiles Kh-25ML , Kh-29T, Kh-29L, NUR, KAB with laser and television guidance, free-fall bombs and aircraft mines.

MiG-29K - Single-seat shipborne fighter based on TAVKR type "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov"

TTX MiG-29K:

Wingspan, m at the parking lot of the aircraft carrier 7.80 full 11.99

Length, m 17.37

Height, m ​​5.18

Wing area, m2 42.00

Weight, kg empty aircraft 12700

normal takeoff 17770

maximum takeoff 22400

Fuel, kg internal 5670

maximum with PTB 9470

Engine type 2 TRDDF RD-33I Thrust, kgf 2 x 9400

Maximum speed, km / h

at an altitude of 2300 (M = 2.17)

near the ground 1400

Practical range, km: at low altitude 750 at high altitude 1650 at high altitude with PTB 3000 with one refueling 5700

Maximum rate of climb, m / min 18000

Practical ceiling, m 17000

Takeoff run, m 110-195

Path length, m 150-300

Operational overload 8.5 Crew, people 1

Armament:

30-mm cannon GSH-301 (150 rounds of ammunition),
combat load - 4500 kg at 9 hardpoints:
Air-to-air missiles R-27 and RVV-AE, short-range missiles R-73, anti-ship Kh-31A, anti-radar Kh-31P, air-to-surface missiles Kh-25ML, Kh-29T, Kh-29L, NUR , KAB with laser and television guidance, free-fall bombs and aircraft mines.

The first version of the MiG-29K carrier-based fighter (still based on the 9-12 type) with catapult takeoff and landing on an air arrestor was developed at the preliminary design level in 1978 and differed from the base type by a reinforced chassis, the introduction of a landing hook, additional anti-corrosion protection of the airframe, increased fuel supply and modified navigation equipment. The design of the MiG-29K type 9-31 with a significantly modified design and a fundamentally new weapon system began in 1984. Due to the specific conditions of basing on a ship, the MiG-29K had a number of features in comparison with the MiG-29M.
During the development of the deck modification units, much attention was paid to the protection of the aircraft from corrosion, taking into account the "marine" requirements for coatings, materials and sealing of individual elements. Due to the increased loads during landing, the central tank, located behind it the power compartment of the hull, to which the main landing gear and brake hook were attached, as well as the nose of the hull in the area of ​​the front landing gear, were significantly reinforced. In the tail section, instead of a parachute brake system, a hook damping mechanism and a rescued emergency recorder were placed. Like on the MiG-29M, a brake flap with an area of ​​about 1 m 2 is installed on the upper surface of the MiG-29K hull. The stabilizer area has increased, while it has received a characteristic "tooth" along the leading edge. The wingspan and area of ​​the wing increased to 11.99 m and 43 m 2, respectively, its mechanization changed - double-slotted flaps with an increased chord and ailerons hovering at landing appeared on the ship fighter.
To reduce the parking dimensions of the aircraft when placed on the deck of the ship and in the underdeck hangars, the wing consoles of the MiG-29K were folded by means of a hydraulic drive and controlled from the cockpit. In the folded position, the wingspan was reduced to 7.8 m.
The landing gear legs had a large length, increased shock absorber travel and were equipped with mooring and towing units by ship means. To be placed in the retracted position in the previous volumes of the body, the racks of the main supports were equipped with pull mechanisms. The steerable front landing gear strut began to swing at an angle of up to € 90. A three-color signaling device was installed on its struts, the lights of which informed the landing manager about the position of the aircraft on the glide path and its landing speed. All pneumatics gave way to new ones - higher pressure (20 kgf / cm 2). The brake hook was placed under the aft hull between the engine nacelles and was equipped with an exhaust, pull and damping system. To provide visual control of boarding at night, there was a hook illumination system.
Like the MiG-29M, the ship's vehicle was equipped with an analog-digital fly-by-wire control system with three- and four-fold redundancy in all three channels, with mechanical duplication in the roll and direction channels. The aircraft also did not have upper air intakes; accordingly, its fuel system was also rearranged (the internal fuel supply was 5670 liters). In the event of an emergency landing, in order to reduce the weight of the vehicle to the maximum permissible, the possibility of emergency draining of fuel was provided. To increase the flight range, the MiG-29K was equipped with an in-air refueling system from a refueling aircraft (for example, an Il-78) equipped with a unified UPAZ suspended refueling unit. A retractable refueling rod was located in front of the cockpit on the left. At night, the boom was illuminated with a special headlight.
The power plant of the MiG-29K consisted of two RD-33K bypass turbojet engines, which had an integrated digital control system. The thrust of the engines at maximum mode was increased to 5500 kgf, at full afterburner - to 8800 kgf. Unlike the RD-33K turbojet engines used on the MiG-29M, the engines of the ship fighter had an emergency operating mode (CR), in which the thrust briefly increased to 9400 kgf. The CR guaranteed takeoff from a ship of an aircraft weighing 17,700 kg from the first launch position (take-off distance 105 m) and a mass of 22,400 kg from the second launch position (take-off distance 195 m), and also allowed the MiG-29K pilot to make a go-around even after touching decks at the stage of the run (in case of non-snagging on the air arrestor cable).
The S-29K armament control system used on the MiG-29K, in composition, generally corresponded to the SUV of the MiG-29M aircraft. One of the differences between the MiG-29K equipment complex, in comparison with the avionics of the MiG-29M aircraft, was the inclusion of the SN-K "Knot" navigation system in its composition, which ensured the aircraft navigation over the sea and its landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier, as well as an exhibition of inertial navigation systems on a swinging base (ship deck). In terms of the range and number of suspended weapons, the MiG-29K practically did not differ from the MiG-29M.
The first copy of the MiG-29K (aircraft No. 311, 9-31 / 1) was flown over on June 23, 1988 by test pilot T.O.Aubakirov. On November 1, 1989, he first landed the car on the deck of the TAVKR "Tbilisi" (before him boarding the ship on the same day, VG Pugachev made the Su-27K), and then he was the first to take off from the ship. In September 1990, the second copy of the MiG-29K (No. 312) entered for testing. In August 1991, the stage of state tests of the MiG-29K on the ship began, which, however, could not be completed. The aircraft's compatibility with the ship was assessed positively, but due to the start of serial production of the Su-27K shipborne fighters and the refusal to build new aircraft-carrying ships, work on the MiG-29K was suspended in the early 90s. A total of more than 420 flights were performed on two prototypes of the MiG-29K, of which about 100 were on board. Currently MiG-29K # 312 is in flight condition.
It is planned to use it in the interests of creating a new version of the shipborne fighter based on the MiG-29SMT - MiG-29K (9-17K).

 

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