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

Mig-29K - Single-seat shipborne fighter for deployment on the Admiral of the Fleet type TAVKR Soviet Union Kuznetsov"

TTX Mig-29K:

Wing span, m at aircraft carrier parking 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

Run length, m 110-195

Run length, m 150-300

Operational overload 8.5 Crew, persons 1

Weapons:

30-mm gun GSh-301 (ammunition 150 rounds),
combat load - 4500 kg on 9 hardpoints:
Air-to-air medium-range 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-falling bombs and aircraft mines.

The first version of the MiG-29K carrier-based fighter (still based on the 9-12 type) with ejection takeoff and landing on an aerofinisher was developed at the preliminary design level in 1978 and differed from the basic type in a reinforced landing gear, the introduction of a landing hook, additional anti-corrosion protection for the airframe, increased fuel reserves 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 deployment on the ship, in design terms the MiG-29K had a number of features in comparison with the MiG-29M.
When developing deck modification units, much attention was paid to protecting 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, the power compartment of the hull located behind it, to which the main landing gear and brake hook were attached, as well as the bow of the hull in the area of the front landing gear, were significantly strengthened. In the tail section, instead of a parachute braking unit, a hook damping mechanism and a rescueable emergency recorder were placed. Like 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 area of the stabilizer has increased, and it has received a characteristic “tooth” along the leading edge. The wing span and area increased to 11.99 m and 43 m 2, respectively, its mechanization changed - double-slit flaps with an increased chord and ailerons that hovered during landing appeared on the ship-based fighter.
To reduce the parking overall dimensions of the aircraft when placed on the deck of a ship and in below-deck 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 wing span was reduced to 7.8 m.
The landing gear struts had a greater 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-up mechanisms. The controlled strut of the front landing gear began to rotate at an angle of up to 90 €. A three-color indicator was installed on its struts, the lights of which informed the landing director 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 located under the rear part of the hull between the engine nacelles and was equipped with a release, pull-up 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 on all three channels, with mechanical duplication in the roll and direction channels. The aircraft also did not have upper air intakes, and its fuel system was redesigned accordingly (the internal fuel supply was 5670 liters). In the event of an emergency landing, to reduce the weight of the vehicle to the maximum permissible, the possibility of emergency fuel drainage was provided. To increase the flight range, the MiG-29K was equipped with an in-flight refueling system from a tanker aircraft (for example, Il-78), equipped with a unified suspended refueling unit UPAZ. The retractable refueling rod was located ahead of the pilot's cabin on the left. At night, the bar was illuminated with a special headlight.
The MiG-29K power plant consisted of two dual-circuit turbojet engines RD-33K, which had a comprehensive digital control system. Engine thrust at maximum mode was increased to 5500 kgf, at full afterburner - to 8800 kgf. Unlike the RD-33K turbofan engines used on the MiG-29M, the engines of the ship-based fighter were provided with an emergency operating mode (ER), 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 weighing 22,400 kg from the second launch position (take-off distance 195 m), and also allowed the MiG-29K pilot to make a missed approach even after touching down decks during the run stage (in case of non-engagement with the arresting arrester cable).
The S-29K weapons control system used on the MiG-29K was generally consistent in composition with the SUV of the MiG-29M aircraft. One of the differences between the MiG-29K equipment complex, compared to the avionics of the MiG-29M aircraft, was the inclusion of the SN-K “Uzel” navigation system, which ensured the fighter’s aircraft navigation over the sea and its landing on the deck of an aircraft-carrying ship, as well as the exhibition of inertial navigation systems on a swinging base (ship's deck). In terms of the nomenclature and number of suspended weapons, the MiG-29K was practically no different from the MiG-29M.
The first prototype of the MiG-29K (aircraft No. 311, 9-31/1) was flown on June 23, 1988 by test pilot T.O. Aubakirov. On November 1, 1989, he was the first to land a car on the deck of the TAVKR "Tbilisi" (before him, V.G. Pugachev landed on the ship on the same day on a Su-27K), and then was the first to take off from the ship. In September 1990, the second copy of the MiG-29K (No. 312) arrived for testing. In August 1991, the stage of State testing of the MiG-29K on the ship began, which, however, could not be completed. The compatibility of the aircraft with the ship was assessed positively, but due to the start of serial production of the Su-27K naval 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 a ship. Currently, MiG-29K No. 312 is in flight condition.
It is planned to be used in the interests of creating a new version of the ship-based fighter based on the MiG-29SMT - MiG-29K (9-17K).

SHIP-BASED MULTI-ROPLE FIGHTERS MIG-29K/MIG-29KUB

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

05.01.2018

On January 3, 2018, a naval fighter crashed at the Hansa air base in Goa. Russian production MiG-29K of the Indian Navy. The pilot (according to reports, a young pilot undergoing retraining for this type) successfully ejected, the aircraft was apparently completely destroyed. According to early reports, the accident occurred during takeoff, causing the plane to skid off the runway, although the overall details of the incident are still unknown.
The Indian Navy, under two contracts in 2004 and 2010, received from Russia from 2009 to 2016 a total of 45 MiG-29K/KUB (9-41/9-47) ship-based fighters. These aircraft are equipped with the 300th and 303rd aviation squadrons of the Indian Navy, based at the Hansa airbase in Goa. The incident was the first loss of a MiG-29K/KUB aircraft in Indian naval aviation.
In Russia, two experimental MiG-29KUB aircraft (in 2011 and 2014) and one MiG-29KR combat fighter from the 100th separate naval fighter aviation regiment of the Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy were lost in accidents and disasters (in the Mediterranean Sea on November 14, 2016 ). Another MiG-29KR from the 100th regiment crashed in early 2017, but is subject to restoration.
http://bmpd.livejournal.com

A Russian ship crashed in the Mediterranean Sea carrier-based fighter MiG-29K. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, “during training flights, as a result of a technical malfunction during the landing approach several kilometers before the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, an accident occurred with a MiG-29K carrier-based fighter.” The pilot ejected and was taken aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov; his health is not in danger.

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

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

The first combat aircraft in the USSR, capable of taking off from the deck of a ship and landing on it in the usual way - with a take-off run and a run. Designed to solve the problems of air defense of naval formations, gaining air superiority, hitting surface and ground targets at any time of the day, etc.

About the history of creation

Developed in the 1980s. by the team of the Separate Design Bureau of Plant No. 155 (OKB named after A.I. Mikoyan, now JSC Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG) under the leadership of Chief Designer Mikhail Waldenberg, it was subsequently significantly modernized. It is in service with the Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy and the Military Indian naval forces. Did not participate in hostilities.

Russian aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the Mediterranean Sea

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

In the USSR, the MiG-29K was built in single copies at the Moscow Engineering Plant "Znamya Truda" (now production complex number 2 of JSC RSK "MiG"). In the Russian Federation mass production was deployed in the 2000s. at the Lukhovitsky Machine-Building Plant (production complex number 1 of RSK MiG JSC) in the Moscow region.

About the design features

The aircraft is made according to a normal aerodynamic design with a folding trapezoidal mechanized wing, a two-fin vertical tail, and two RD-33K engines (RD33MK "Sea Wasp" in production aircraft) in the rear fuselage.

Crew – 1 person (2 people in the combat training “spark” MiG-29KUB/KUBR).

The carrier-based fighters are distinguished from the original ground-based MiG-29 by improved anti-corrosion protection of the airframe, reinforced landing gear, improved wing mechanization, the presence of an in-flight refueling system, etc. Before the start of mass production, the aircraft was significantly modernized, the front-line MiG-29SMT fighter served as its base.

Deck modifications of the MiG-29 can be based on aircraft-carrying ships with a displacement of 28 thousand tons, equipped with a take-off ski-jump and a landing arrestor and capable of receiving aircraft weighing more than 20 tons (the Russian Navy has one such ship at its disposal - the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov). MiG-29K can also be based at ground airfields.

Height – 4.4 m.

Wing span - 11.99 m (full) or 7.80 m (at the aircraft carrier's parking lot).

Service ceiling – 17,500 m.

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

Maximum take-off weight – 24,500 kg.

The maximum speed at altitude is 2200 km/h.

About weapons and equipment

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

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

About the combat training version

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

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

Where is the MiG-29K operated?

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

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

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

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

Accidents and disasters of the MiG-29K

According to open sources, there were two plane crashes with aircraft of this type, in which a total of three people died.

June 23, 2011 in the area of the Kabakovo farmstead, Akhtubinsky district, Astrakhan region. a disaster occurred during a test flight of the MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighter ( tail number"927 blue") of the 929th State Flight Test Center of the Russian Air Force. The car collided with the ground, performing a downward half-loop from a height of 2 thousand 700 m, with the engines running at maximum speed. The crew died - colonels Alexander Kruzhalin and Oleg Spichka, who managed to steer 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. The plane, at a speed of about 300 km/h, missed the first two rows of arrestor cables and caught on the third at a time when the pilots were already preparing for a go-around. As a result of the incident, the nose landing gear of the fighter was damaged. The pilots and crew of the ship were not injured.
December 4, 2014 near the village of Chemodurovo, Voskresensky district, Moscow region. An experienced carrier-based fighter MiG-29KUB (registration number "204 black") crashed while returning to the airfield in Zhukovsky during a training flight. Test pilots Sergei Rybnikov and Vadim Selivanov ejected and were hospitalized in serious condition. On December 6, Sergei Rybnikov died in the hospital. The suspected cause of the crash is equipment failure. The plane belonged to the MiG corporation that developed it.

The material was prepared according to TASS-Dossier data.

At the end of 2015, the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSC) MiG completed a state order for the supply of 24 MiG-29K/KUB aircraft to the naval aviation of the Navy. In 2016, MiG plans to complete a large 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, the domestic naval aviation had only one formation of carrier-based aviation - the 279th separate naval fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet. It is armed with carrier-based Su-33 aircraft, as well as Su-25UTG trainers. This particular regiment is the air 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 scheduled combat training tasks 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, the Admiral Kuznetsov will enter the Mediterranean Sea, where it will lead a permanent group 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 voyage, the aircraft crews will hone their skills in taking off and landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier at ground-based test training complexes in Saki and Yeysk.

Shipborne MiG

The single-seat MiG-29K and the double-seat MiG-29KUB are multifunctional fighters of the 4++ generation, designed to solve not only air defense tasks of ship formations, like carrier-based fighters previously developed in Russia, but also to gain air supremacy, destroy surface and ground targets with controlled precision weapons day and night in all weather conditions.

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

The initial customer for the MiG-29K/KUB was the Indian Navy. Based on the results of the competition, they selected Russian “decks” to man the air wing of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, as well as the promising Indian-built aircraft carrier Vikrant.

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

Model of the aircraft carrier 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 Storm air group will consist of carrier-based MiG-29K fighters, as well as PAK FA T-50 and long-range radar detection aircraft.”

Pilots about MiG-29K/KUB

The pilots who tested the MiG-29K/KUB highly appreciated its characteristics. They prefer to talk about 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, and a modern remote control system, made it possible to level out negative factors and significantly improve piloting conditions for the pilot.” According to Vlasov, the aircraft's performance characteristics have improved. The “pilot-plane” interface has been improved, making it more user-friendly. Information support for the crew has expanded significantly. Improving the accuracy of navigation equipment has provided new capabilities, such as approaches to landing using satellite systems. New solutions made work easier at the stage of flight testing and ensured their smoothness.

“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, Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Hero of the Russian Federation, test pilot of RSK MiG. - And on takeoff too, due to better thrust-to-weight ratio. On the MiG-29K/KUB it is easier to maintain the direction of the take-off run; the aircraft leaves the ski-jump with sufficient controllability margins.”

Indian version

Today, the Indian Navy has the largest fleet of ship-borne MiGs. According to general director RSK "MiG" of Sergei Korotkov, in 2016 six MiG-29K carrier-based fighters will be delivered to India. Thus, the 2010 contract will be completed.

By this time, India will have 45 MiG-29K/KUB. They will be organized into three squadrons, two of which will be deployed on the 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 Base Hansa (Goa). The squadron is armed with 12 MiG-29K and 4 MiG-29KUB (all delivered under the first contract of 2004). It is included in the air group of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, part of the Western Fleet of India. 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 class aircraft.

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

In the summer of 2015, the formation of the second MiG squadron began on the eastern coast of Hindustan, at the Dega base (Andhra 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 enter service no earlier than December 2018. It will have a slightly smaller total displacement than Vikramaditya - 40 thousand tons, but is also designed to accommodate up to 24 MiG-29K class aircraft.

The Indian Navy plans to deploy another MiG-29K squadron at the Kadamba base (Karnataka). 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 Technology of the Indian Navy in Kochi (Kerala). “The simulator allows for training of flight and technical personnel, demonstrating the operation of all aircraft systems and associated Maintenance“- said the head of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba.

To ensure the operation of MiGs, a maintenance center is being created in India. “The premises have been built, we are bringing there the equipment promised under the offset contract, which was concluded at the MAKS 2013 salon. Indian specialists are being trained and will soon service center Direct repairs of blocks and assemblies 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 and new equipment is being created. At the beginning of 2015, as the Indian press reported, at the request of the Indian Navy, landing of the MiG-29K on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with one of the two engines running was carried out. “The MiG-29K/KUB is a wonderful aircraft, equipped with very powerful engines,” The Hindu newspaper quotes an unnamed Indian military man. “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 take-off weight of the aircraft, dictated by the length of the aircraft carrier's runway, the PAZ-MK unit will make it possible to refuel the MiG-29K already in the air, thereby expanding its range.

Assuming both carriers are fully loaded, India will need at least 48 carrier-based fighters and at least one squadron for land-based training. “Whether an air group will be formed for the Project 71 aircraft carrier from among the contracted and delivered equipment or whether there will be additional requests - this issue is within the competence of the Indian side,” said Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport Igor Sevastyanov.

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

MiG-29K modifications

MiG-29K (9-31)- carrier-based fighter (1988)
MiG-29KU (9-62)- draft educational version.
MiG-29KUB- combat training version.

Description

N. Buntin

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

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

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

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 R.A. Belyakov and Chief Designer M.R. Waldenberg. The deck version of the MiG-29 was created in parallel with the development of the MiG-29M, a multi-role Air Force fighter, which ensured the implementation of a number of common features in their design technical solutions. In the airframes of both aircraft, the use of composite materials (CM) was significantly expanded, additional fuel was placed in place of the upper air intake, and special grilles were installed in the air intake channels to protect the engines.

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

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

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

The controlled nose landing gear, in addition to being strengthened, began to rotate 90° to increase the maneuverability of the aircraft when taxiing on a deck of limited dimensions. A special three-color indicator was installed on it, the lights of which informed the landing director about the position of the aircraft on the descent glide path.

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

The aircraft was equipped with improved RD-33K engines with afterburner thrust up to 8800 kg; for take-off from a ship, an emergency mode (ER) was provided, in which the thrust briefly increased to 9400 kg.

The new aircraft's weapons control system, which included the Zhuk radar, ensured the use of not only air-to-air missiles, but also air-to-surface guided weapons. It automatically detected and tracked up to ten targets and ensured the launch of guided missiles against four targets.

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

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

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

In September 1990, the second prototype aircraft, No. 312, entered testing. Latest flights experimental MiG-29K tests took place in 1992. And although a conclusion was received from the Russian Ministry of Defense recommending it for mass production, this did not happen. In 1992, a decision was made to stop purchasing the MiG-29 for the Russian Air Force, which also affected the fate of the MiG-29K.

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

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

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 received high praise from both Russian and Indian pilots.

The intelligence of on-board equipment computing systems and weapons control systems will increase. Both the Russian and Indian sides agreed that all systems, including weapons, should be Russian. Based on the experience of cooperation in modernizing the MiG-21 into the 21-93 model, it is also planned to introduce Indian-made avionics. The experience of such assistance will have a positive impact on the time frame for improving the MiG-29K. This will be facilitated by exactly the same cooperation between Russian enterprises as in the MiG-21-93 program.

By reducing the weight and volume of the equipment, the internal fuel supply will be increased compared to the MiG-29K of the 1991 model. As a result, when operating from an aircraft carrier, the aircraft will have a range of 850 km for air combat and 1,150 km for strike operations (without refueling). The aircraft's armament will include RVV-AE (R-77) air-to-air missiles, various versions of the R-27, R-73 missiles, as well as anti-ship Kh-31A and Kh-35, television- and laser-guided weapons.

MiG-29KU

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The introduction of automatic engine thrust will improve the accuracy of landing on an aircraft carrier. Take-off characteristics allow approximately 90% of flights in tropical conditions when the aircraft carrier moves at 10 knots.

The RD-33 Series III engine is a record holder for service life and reliability among Russian engines, will have a high-thrust takeoff mode and additional anti-corrosion protection.

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

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

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