Mikoyan MiG-29

The Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a Russian jet fighter aircraft designed in 1972 as a replacement for the MiG-21 and MiG-23 in the primary fighter role. The multi-role fighter entered service throughout the Soviet bloc in 1985. The high performance MiG-29 equals or surpasses the American F-15 in several areas. Though the F-15 has a longer combat range and is more capable at beyond visual range (BVR) combat, the MiG-29 is superior at closer range. The MiG-29 is closer to the F/A-18A/B variants in weight, dimensions, and especially appearance, being a light frontline fighter with secondary (and severely limited) ground attack capabilities.

The MiG-29 shares an almost identical layout with its much larger brother, the Su-27 heavy air superiority fighter. The MiG and the Sukhoi design bureaus have been mutually accusing each other of industrial espionage, while independent observers put the "blame" on the Soviet computer lab, which performed wind tunnel simulations for both design houses. Both planes have exceptional aerodynamic characteristics, even though the MiG-29 is not fly-by-wire.

In most cases, Soviet pilots were not especially enamored with the reporting names assigned to their aircraft by NATO, such as "Frogfoot" or "Backfire." However, due to the literal meaning of the word "fulcrum" in English, the Soviets were pleased with the assignment of a name which they saw as complementary, to an aircraft which vastly increased their ability to compete air warfare.

Due to the fear of proliferation of advanced ex-Soviet models, the U.S. Air Force has acquired many used MiG-29s, in blocks as large as squadron-size, from former Soviet bloc countries such as Moldova. These purchases tended to be very inexpensive (from a U.S. standpoint), while denying such aircraft to potentially hostile third-world nations. This led to speculation that USAF intended to use the aircraft for aggressor squadrons, such as Top Gun, but this turned out to be unfounded, when the aircraft were subsequently turned into scrap metal. The USAF hires MiG-29 jets and pilots from Germany, whenever comparative dog-fight tests are deemed necessary.

The MiG-29 has been featured at numerous airshows around the world. Its specialty stunt is the "bearded taucher" or "kolokol" (bell) maneuver. It is often more commonly referred to as "Pugachev's Cobra," after Viktor Pugachev, who developed the technique. In this case the aircraft is flying up vertically until the pilot reduces the thrust to idle and the plane executes a tail-slide. Level flight is resumed by re-applying throttles. Some airshow pilots activate the on-board infra-trap launchers during tail-slide to produce a firework-like effect and further amuse the spectators.

Most Western fighters are incapable of this stunt, because their engines would flame-out during the tail-slide and their airframes are unstable under negative velocity airflow conditions. The experimental F-16 MATV and the production F/A-22 Raptor and pre-production F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are, however, capable of this move. Whether the "kolokol" is useful in actual air combat is a matter being hotly debated. Some say it could be used to fool air-borne doppler radars, thus denying lock-on to attackers.

Later, more advanced models of the MiG-29 have been marketed as the MiG-33 and MiG-35.

Characteristics

• Cost: about 1998USD 27 m
• Users: Russia, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czech Republic, Eritrea, Germany (from East Germany), Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Moldova, North Korea, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen

See also:

• Comparison of 2000s fighter aircraft

de:Mikojan-Gurewitsch MiG-29 fr:Mikoyan Gurevitch Mig-29 Fulcrum ja:MiG-29 (戦闘機) fi:MiG-29