Deck moment 29k. Russian aviation. Lighter, stronger and more economical

MiG-29K - Single-seat shipborne fighter based on TAVKR of the "Admiral of the Fleet" type 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. Design of the MiG-29K type 9-31 with a significantly modified design and fundamentally new system armament began in 1984. Due to the specific conditions of basing on the ship, in terms of design, the MiG-29K had, in comparison with the MiG-29M, 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. 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 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. 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 double-circuit turbojet engines RD-33K, 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).

MULTI-PURPOSE SHIP Fighters MIG-29K / MIG-29KUB

MARINE MULTI-PURPOSE FIGHTERS MIG-29K / MIG-29KUB

05.01.2018

On January 3, 2018, a ship fighter crashed at the Hansa air base in Goa Russian production MiG-29K aviation of the Indian Navy. The pilot (according to reports, a young pilot who was undergoing retraining for this type) successfully ejected, the plane was apparently completely destroyed. According to early reports, the accident occurred during takeoff, as a result of which the plane skidded out of the runway, although the details of the incident are still unknown.
The Indian Navy under two contracts in 2004 and 2010 received from Russia from 2009 to 2016 a total of 45 MiG-29K / KUB (9-41 / 9-47) shipborne fighters. These aircraft are equipped with the 300th and 303rd Aviation Squadrons of the Indian Navy, based at the Hansa airbase in Goa. The incident was the first loss of a MiG-29K / KUB aircraft in the Indian naval aviation.
In Russia, two experimental MiG-29KUB aircraft (in 2011 and 2014) and one MiG-29KR combat fighter from the 100th separate shipborne fighter aviation regiment of the Russian Navy's Naval Aviation were lost in accidents and disasters (in the Mediterranean Sea on November 14, 2016) ). Another MiG-29KR from the 100th regiment crashed at the beginning of 2017, but is subject to restoration.
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In the Mediterranean Sea, a Russian carrier-based fighter MiG-29K. According to the RF Ministry of Defense, "during training flights, as a result of a technical malfunction during the landing approach, an aircraft accident with a MiG-29K carrier-based fighter occurred several kilometers before the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov." The pilot ejected, brought on board the "Admiral Kuznetsov", nothing threatens his health.

In the fall of 2016, the MiG-29K aircraft became part of the strike group Northern Fleet, which on October 15 went on a hike to the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It supplemented the Su-33 carrier-based fighters available on the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser.

MiG-29K- Russian multipurpose carrier-based supersonic fighter of the fourth generation, development of the MiG-29 project.

The first combat aircraft in the USSR, capable of taking off from the deck of a ship and landing on it in the usual way - with a takeoff and a run. It is intended for solving the problems of air defense of ship formations, gaining air supremacy, hitting surface and ground targets at any time of the day, etc.

About the history of creation

Developed in the 1980s. by the team of the Separate Design Bureau of Plant No. 155 (OKB named after A.I. Mikoyan, now - JSC "Russian Aircraft Corporation" MiG ") under the leadership of Chief Designer Mikhail Waldenberg, later significantly modernized. naval forces of India did not participate in hostilities.

Russian aircraft carrier strike group arrives in the Mediterranean

The first flight of the MiG-29K took place on June 23, 1988, the car was piloted by a test pilot of the OKB im. Mikoyan Toktar Aubakirov. On November 1, 1989, he also performed the first landing on the deck of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Tbilisi" (now the flagship of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov") and the first take-off from the ship's springboard.

In the USSR, the MiG-29K was built in single copies at the Moscow machine-building plant "Znamya Truda" (now - production complex number 2 of JSC RSK "MiG"). In the Russian Federation, serial production was launched in the 2000s. at the Lukhovitsky machine-building plant (production complex number 1 of JSC RSK "MiG") in the Moscow region.

About design features

The aircraft is made according to the normal aerodynamic configuration with a folding trapezoidal powered wing, two-keel vertical tail, two RD-33K engines (RD33MK "Morskaya Osa" in production vehicles) in the tail section of the fuselage.

Crew - 1 person (2 people in a combat training "twin" MiG-29KUB / KUBR).

The carrier-based fighters from the original land-based MiG-29 are distinguished by improved anti-corrosion protection of the airframe, reinforced landing gear, improved wing mechanization, the presence of an air refueling system, etc.

Deck modifications of the MiG-29 can be based on aircraft-carrying ships with a displacement of 28,000 tons or more, equipped with a take-off ramp and a landing aerial finisher and capable of receiving aircraft weighing more than 20 tons (the Russian Navy has one such ship - Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov). Also MiG-29K can be based on ground airfields.

Height - 4.4 m.

Wingspan - 11.99 m (full) or 7.80 m (in the parking lot of the aircraft carrier).

Service ceiling - 17,500 m.

Ferry range - 2 thousand km, with outboard fuel tanks - 3 thousand km (2700 km with outboard fuel tanks for the MiG-29KUB).

The maximum take-off weight is 24,500 kg.

The maximum speed at altitude is 2200 km / h.

On weapons and equipment

The MiG-29K is armed with a 30 mm cannon (150 rounds of ammunition), at 8 hardpoints it can carry up to 4,500 kg of payload - air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles different types, adjustable bombs.

The onboard radio-electronic equipment of the serial version of the fighter includes the Zhuk-ME radar (provides tracking of up to ten air targets, simultaneous firing of four of them with missiles), an additional navigation system "Uzel", an automatic control and registration complex "Karat". Aircraft are equipped with an on-board video recording system, an autonomous power generation system for ground checks of equipment without starting the main engines, etc.

About the combat training option

To train pilots for the MiG-29K in the second half of the 1980s. a project was developed for a two-seater MiG-29KU with separate cockpits for an instructor and a trained pilot, but work was suspended in the early 1990s.

In the 2000s, after the conclusion of a contract for the supply of carrier-based fighters to the Indian Navy, the MiG-29KUB carrier-based combat training fighter with a common two-seater cockpit was created. Its first flight took place on January 20, 2007, the car was piloted by a crew consisting of Mikhail Belyaev and Pavel Vlasov.

Where is the MiG-29K operated

Since 2009, the aircraft have been supplied to India, which has ordered a total of 45 copies of the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB for basing on the aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya (Vikramaditya) and INS Vikrant (Vikrant) (under two contracts - from 2004. on 16 boards, in the amount of 730 million US dollars, and from 2010 on 29 boards, in the amount of 1.2 billion dollars).

In 2013-2015 The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) supplied the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation with 20 MiG-29KR units and four MiG-20KUBR units under the contract dated February 29, 2012.

Since 2013, several of the delivered vehicles have undergone trial operation in the 279th shipborne fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

March 20, 2016 at the airfield of the 859th Center combat use and retraining of the flight personnel of naval aviation (Yeysk, Krasnodar Territory), the MiG-29KR / KUBR flights from the 100th separate shipborne fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, recreated in January 2016, began.

Accidents and disasters MiG-29K

According to data from open sources, two aircraft accidents occurred with aircraft of this type, in which a total of three people died.

June 23, 2011 in the area of the Kabakovo farm in the Akhtubinsky district of the Astrakhan region. there was a disaster during a test flight of the MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter ( tail number"927 blue") of the 929th State Flight Test Center of the Russian Air Force. The machine collided with the ground, performing a downward half-loop from an altitude of 2 thousand 700 m, with the engines operating at maximum mode. The crew was killed - Colonels Alexander Kruzhalin and Oleg Spichka, who managed to take the falling car away from settlement(in 2012, both pilots were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia). Among the probable causes of the disaster is a defect in the wing folding mechanism, due to which it could fold spontaneously.
On June 4, 2014, off the coast of the Indian state of Goa, a MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter of the Indian Navy made a hard landing on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (Vikramaditya). The plane, at a speed of about 300 km / h, missed the first two rows of aerofiner cables and caught on the third at the moment when the pilots were already preparing to go around. As a result of the accident, the nose landing gear of the fighter was damaged. The pilots and crew of the ship were not injured.
December 4, 2014 in the area of the village of Chemodurovo, Voskresensky district, Moscow region. an experienced carrier-based fighter MiG-29KUB (registration number "204 black"), which was returning to the airfield in Zhukovsky during a training flight, fell. Test pilots Sergei Rybnikov and Vadim Selivanov ejected and were hospitalized in serious condition. On December 6, Sergei Rybnikov died in the hospital. The alleged cause of the crash is the failure of the equipment. The plane belonged to the MiG corporation that developed it.

The material was prepared according to the TASS-Dossier data.

At the end of 2015, the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSK) MiG, completed a state order for the supply of 24 MiG-29K / KUB aircraft of the naval aviation of the Navy. In 2016, MiG plans to complete a major contract for the supply of similar aircraft to the Indian Navy. It is expected that promising Indian and Russian aircraft carriers will also be equipped with the MiG-29K / KUB.

Until now, in the domestic naval aviation there was only one formation of carrier-based aviation - the 279th separate shipborne fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet. It is armed with carrier-based aircraft Su-33, as well as training Su-25UTG. It is this regiment that is the wing of the Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov".

From May to August 2015, the flagship of the Russian Navy, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, underwent repairs at a plant in Roslyakovo, Murmansk region. In October, the ship began its planned combat training missions in the Barents Sea.

Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Russian Navy "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov"

In September-October 2016, "Admiral Kuznetsov" will enter the Mediterranean Sea, where it will lead the permanent grouping of ships of the Russian Navy. The cruiser will carry on board a mixed air group of carrier-based aircraft Su-33, Su-25UTG and MiG-29K. In the months remaining before the start of the cruise, the aircraft crews will hone their skills in taking off and landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier at ground test training complexes in Saki and Yeisk.

Ship MiG

The single MiG-29K and the two-seater MiG-29KUB are multifunctional fighters of the 4 ++ generation, designed to solve the problems not only of air defense of naval formations, like the carrier-based fighters previously developed in Russia, but also for gaining air supremacy, destruction of surface and ground targets controlled high-precision weapons day and night in any weather conditions.

The MiG-29K / KUB ship fighters are the base aircraft of the new unified family, which also includes the MiG-29M / M2 and MiG-35 / MiG-35D fighters.

The launch customer of the MiG-29K / KUB was the Indian Navy. According to the results of the competition, they selected Russian "palubniks" for the manning of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, as well as the promising Indian-built Vikrant aircraft carrier.

On January 20, 2004, India signed a contract for $ 730 million for the development and delivery of 16 carrier-based fighters (12 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB). This agreement was successfully implemented in 2011. But even before that, on March 12, 2010, the parties signed a second contract worth $ 1.2 billion for the delivery of another 29 MiG-29K by the end of 2016. The second operator of the aircraft was the Russian fleet: in February 2012, a contract was signed to supply 20 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB naval aviation aircraft to the Russian Navy by the end of 2015.

Aircraft carrier model Project 23000 "Storm"

The first public demonstration of the MiG-29K, updated for the Russian fleet, took place in June 2015 in Kubinka at the Army-2015 forum. At the same forum, a model of the promising Russian aircraft carrier "Storm" was shown.

According to the Nevsky Design Bureau, which developed the project, "the Shtorm air group will consist of MiG-29K carrier-based fighters, as well as PAK FA T-50 and early warning aircraft."

Pilots about MiG-29K / KUB

The pilots who tested the MiG-29K / KUB highly appreciated its characteristics. They prefer to speak of the MiG-29K / KUB not as a variant of the MiG-29, but as a completely new aircraft.

“A modern multifunctional aircraft with qualitatively new combat capabilities has been created,” says the honored test pilot. Russian Federation, Hero of the Russian Federation, General Director of the Flight Research Institute named after M. M. Gromova Pavel Vlasov. - The payload has increased. The range of weapons has expanded. This, of course, led to an increase in mass.

However, a set of new solutions, such as Kruger flaps, a new flap design, a modern remote control system, made it possible to level negative factors and significantly improve the piloting conditions for the pilot. " According to Vlasov, the operational characteristics of the aircraft have improved. The pilot-plane interface has been improved to make it more user-friendly. Information support for the crew has been significantly expanded. Improving the accuracy of navigation equipment has provided new capabilities, such as a satellite-based approach. New solutions made it easier to work at the stage of flight tests, ensured their rhythm.

“On landing, the compact MiG-29K with a digital fly-by-wire control system behaves more dynamically than the Su-33 with an analogue one,” says Nikolai Diorditsa, Merited Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Hero of the Russian Federation, test pilot of the MiG RSK. - And on takeoff, too, due to the better thrust-to-weight ratio. On the MiG-29K / KUB it is easier to withstand the direction of the takeoff roll, the plane leaves the springboard with sufficient controllability reserves. "

Indian variant

Today, the Indian Navy has the largest fleet of naval MiGs. According to general director RSK MiG by Sergey Korotkov, in 2016 six MiG-29K carrier-based fighters will be delivered to India. This will complete the 2010 contract.

By this time, India will have 45 MiG-29K / KUB. They will be merged into three squadrons, two of which will be deployed on aircraft carriers Vikramaditya and Vikrant, and the third will be used for training pilots on land. The first of these units, the 303rd Black Panthers Squadron, was formed in May 2013 at the Indian Naval Air Force Base Hansa (Goa). The squadron is armed with 12 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB (all delivered under the first contract of 2004). She is included in the air group of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, which is part of the Western Indian Fleet. This ship, built by Russia on the basis of the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, has a total displacement of 45.5 thousand tons and is capable of carrying up to 24 MiG-29K aircraft.

According to an official statement from the Indian Navy, as of March 2015, “the MiG-29K squadron flew more than 2,500 hours and successfully tested the entire range of aircraft weapons, including guided air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles, bombs, unguided rockets and a cannon. " The planes took off and landed both on a ground airfield and on an aircraft carrier. The report also says that "the aircraft undergoing tests have participated in important exercises of the Indian Navy and Air Force."

In the summer of 2015, the formation of the second squadron of MiGs began on the east coast of Hindustan, at the Dega base (Andrha Pradesh state). However, the ship for this squadron is late: according to official reports, the aircraft carrier Vikrant (also known as "Project 71"), being built by India, will not enter service until December 2018. It will have a slightly lower total displacement than Vikramaditya - 40 thousand tons, but it is also designed to carry up to 24 MiG-29K aircraft.

Another squadron of the MiG-29K of the Indian Navy plans to deploy at the Kadamba base (Karnataka state). Apparently, it will serve to train pilots. At the same time, in June 2015, the MiG-29K simulator supplied by RSK MiG was put into operation at the Institute of Aviation Technologies of the Indian Navy in the city of Kochi (Kerala state). “The simulator allows for training flight and technical personnel, demonstrating the operation of all aircraft systems and related Maintenance"- said the chief of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba (Sunil Lanba).

To ensure the operation of MiGs in India, a center for their maintenance is being created. “The premise has been built, we are bringing in the equipment promised under the offset contract, which was concluded at the MAKS-2013 showroom. The training of Indian specialists is underway and soon in this service center the direct repair of blocks and units will begin, "said the head of the MiG corporation Sergei Korotkov.

In addition, to expand the capabilities of the aircraft, tests are being carried out, new equipment is being created. In early 2015, as reported by the Indian press, at the request of the Indian Navy, a MiG-29K landing on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier with one out of two engines was tested. “The MiG-29K / KUB is an excellent aircraft equipped with very powerful engines,” the newspaper The Hindu quoted an unnamed Indian military as saying. “To allay the fears of our pilots, we asked RSK MiG to confirm the possibility of landing the MiG-29K on one engine.”

At the MAKS-2015 air show, the PAZ-MK suspended refueling unit for the MiG-29K / KUB, created by order of the Indian Navy, was demonstrated for the first time. Taking into account the restrictions on the takeoff weight of the aircraft, dictated by the length of the carrier strip, the PAZ-MK unit will allow refueling the MiG-29K already in the air, thereby expanding its range.

Based on the full load of both aircraft carriers, then India will need at least 48 carrier-based fighters and at least one squadron for training on land. “Whether an air group for a Project 71 aircraft carrier will be formed from the contracted and supplied equipment or there will be additional applications - this question is in the competence of the Indian side,” said Igor Sevastyanov, Deputy Director General of Rosoboronexport.

Following Vikrant, India plans to commission new aircraft carrier Vishal with a total displacement of 65 thousand tons and with a nuclear power plant... There is no aircraft wing solution for it yet.

Modifications of the MiG-29K

MiG-29K (9-31)- carrier-based fighter (1988)
MiG-29KU (9-62)- the draft of the training option.
MiG-29KUB- combat training option.

Description

N. Buntin

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The MiG-29 fighters, which are in service with the Indian Air Force, received the name Baaz ("Eagle") in this country. The program to strengthen the Indian Navy provides for the construction of a light aircraft carrier with a displacement of 20,000-24,000 tons. In addition to the creation of a new ship, negotiations have been underway for several years to purchase the aircraft carrier "Admiral Gorshkov" in Russia, on which the Yak-38 VTOL aircraft were based in the past, removed in 1992 from weapons. The modernized "Admiral Gorshkov" should be equipped with a continuous flight deck and a springboard in the bow for aircraft take-off. It is planned to use fighters with horizontal take-off from a springboard and airborne landing as weapons of the updated ship. Considering the small size of the "Admiral Gorshkov", the capacity of its under-deck hangar, the Russian side offered India a deck version of the MiG-29K.

The decision to develop it was made back in 1981, when accelerated tests of the MiG-29 front-line fighter were underway. On August 21, 1982, the MiG-29 took off for the first time from the ground springboard of the Nitka training complex in the Crimea. In 1983, almost simultaneously with the laying of the aircraft carrier of project 1143.5 (later "Admiral of the Fleet Kuznetsov"), work began on the creation of a shipborne version of the MiG-29.

The terms of reference provided for the creation of a full-fledged multipurpose fighter capable of performing a wide range of combat missions.

MiG-29K

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Work on the creation of the MiG-29K (factory index "9-31") was carried out under the leadership of General Designer RA Belyakov and Chief Designer MR Waldenberg. The deck version of the MiG-29 was created in parallel with the development of the MiG-29M, a multipurpose fighter of the Air Force, which ensured the implementation in their design of a number of uniform technical solutions... In the gliders of both aircraft, the share of the use of composite materials (CM) was significantly expanded, additional fuel was placed in the place of the upper air intake, and special grilles were installed in the air intake ducts to protect the engines.

At the same time, the deck version had differences from its land-based counterpart. The wing in the middle of the span had a folding unit, the central tank and the power compartment of the fuselage were significantly reinforced, to which the brake hook and the main landing gear were attached.

Taking into account the high vertical landing speeds on the aircraft carrier, the chassis elements were modified and reinforced. To improve the takeoff and landing characteristics, the wing area was increased from 38 to 42 square meters. m, wing mechanization was also improved, the area of slats, double-slotted flaps and ailerons was increased. The area of the vertical and horizontal tail was increased.

When developing the deck vehicle, much attention was paid to protection against corrosion, and the "marine" requirements for materials, coatings, and fuselage sealing were taken into account.

The controllable nose landing gear, in addition to reinforcement, began to turn 90 ^ o, to increase the maneuverability of the aircraft when taxiing on a deck of limited dimensions. A special three-color signaling device was installed on it, the lights of which informed the landing manager about the position of the aircraft on the glide path of the descent.

The fuel reserve was 5670 liters, the MiG-29K was equipped with an in-flight refueling system.

The aircraft was equipped with improved RD-33K engines with afterburner thrust up to 8800 kg, for takeoff from the ship an emergency mode (CR) was envisaged, in which the thrust briefly increased to 9400 kg.

The armament control system of the new aircraft, which includes the Zhuk radar, provided the use of not only air-to-air missiles, but also air-to-surface guided weapons. It automatically detected and took up to ten targets for tracking and ensured the launch of the missile launcher against four targets.

The armament of the MiG-29K included eight variants of missile weapons for air combat and 25 variants of weapons for actions against ground and surface targets. The maximum combat load was 4500 kg.

On April 19, 1988, the first aircraft, which received side number 311 (i.e., aircraft 9-31 / 1), was delivered to the airfield and on June 23, 1988, test pilot T.Aubakirov took it into the air. After 33 test flights, the MiG-29K was flown to the Crimea, where, during training on the Nitka, the fighter's suitability for flying from a ship was confirmed.

November 1, 1989 - a historic day in the history of the Russian fleet and aviation, on the deck of an aircraft carrier after the Su-27K, a MiG-29K, piloted by T. Aubakirov, landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier, on the same day he lifted his MiG from the ship's springboard.

In September 1990, the second prototype aircraft, No. 312, went for testing. Last flights experienced MiG-29K took place in 1992. And although the conclusion of the Russian Ministry of Defense was received, recommending it for serial production, this did not happen. In 1992, a decision was made to stop the purchases of the MiG-29 for the Russian Air Force, this also affected the fate of the MiG-29K.

However, this plane may be in demand right now. The multifunctionality of the MiG-29K, a successful test cycle, gives a good chance for the revival of this program, taking into account the needs of the Indian Navy for an aircraft of this class.

During tests on the Admiral Kuznetsov, the fighter took off from a springboard at distances of 195 and 95 meters. The accuracy of landing on the aerofinisher cables turned out to be extremely high, which made it possible to switch to a system of three cables on the modernized Admiral Gorshkov.

MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB

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The updated MiG-29K will have more advanced avionics, which were tested on the MiG-29SMT and were highly praised by both Russian and Indian pilots.

The intelligence of onboard equipment computing systems and weapons control systems will increase. Both the Russian and Indian sides agreed that all systems, including weapons, should be Russian. Based on the experience of cooperation in the modernization of the MiG-21 into the 21-93 model, the introduction of Indian-made avionics is also expected. The experience of such assistance will have a positive effect on the timing of the improvement of the MiG-29K. This will be facilitated by exactly the same cooperation of Russian enterprises as in the MiG-21-93 program.

By reducing the weight and volume of the equipment, the supply of internal fuel will be increased in comparison with the MiG-29K model of 1991. As a result, when operating from an aircraft carrier, the aircraft will have a range of 850 km for air combat and 1150 km for strike operations (without refueling). The aircraft's armament will include RVV-AE (R-77) air-to-air missiles, various versions of the R-27 and R-73 missiles, as well as the Kh-31A and Kh-35 anti-ship missiles, and television and laser-guided weapons.

MiG-29KU

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The introduction of an autothrottle engine will increase the accuracy of landing on an aircraft carrier. Takeoff performance allows approximately 90% of flights to be performed in tropical conditions with an aircraft carrier traveling at 10 knots.

The RD-33 III series engine is the record holder in terms of service life and reliability among Russian engines; it will have a takeoff mode of increased thrust and additional anti-corrosion protection.

To reduce the overall characteristics when basing on a ship, the wing folding unit was moved closer to the center section, by 1 m on each wing, as a result, the wingspan of the folded wing from 7.8 m on the MiG-29K will be 5.8 m on the modernized aircraft. The horizontal tail will also fold.

A double combat training version of the MiG-29K, which was named the MiG-29KUB, is also being developed. It is being developed taking into account technical unification, the same dimensions, weight characteristics, the same equipment. Unlike the previously existing MiG-29KU project, where the pilots were located in separate cockpits, like on the MiG-25PU, and there was no radar on it, the MiG-29KUB will have a standard radar, and the pilots will be placed in the cockpit under a single canopy - one after another ... As a result, there will be a higher gargrot behind the cockpit, which will accommodate a sufficient amount of fuel.

On the basis of the MiG-29KUB, options for reconnaissance and target designation, jamming, and a tanker can be created in the future.