Overview of the development of the MiG-29K / KUB deck fighter program
It all started 1984 year, when the MMP them. A.I. Mikoyan under the direction of General Designer R.A.Belyakov started the design of the MiG-29K (ed. 9-31). For four years there was intense work on the design of the new aircraft. The construction of two prototypes was carried out jointly by experimental production of the design bureau and the Znamena Truda serial production plant (MAPO na PV Dementieva). 19 April 1988, the first vehicle that received the onboard 311 (i.e., the 9-31 / 1 aircraft) was transferred to the airfield, and after a ground test of all 23 systems and equipment on June 1988, the test pilot them. A.I. Mikoyan TO.O.Aubakirov raised her into the air.
The test flights of the MiG-29K on the "Thread" in September-October 1989 confirmed the compliance of the take-off and landing characteristics of the vehicle with the calculated ones and made it possible to proceed with the study of the suitability of the MiG-29K for basing onboard the TAVKR. 1 November 1989, first VG Pugachev on Su-27K (Т10К-2), future Su-33, and then T.O. Aubakirov on MiG-29K "311" for the first time in stories domestic aviation and the Navy put their cars on the deck of an aircraft-carrying cruiser. On the same day in the evening, Aubakirov on the MiG-29K made its first take-off from the Tbilisi springboard (the future Admiral fleet Soviet Union Kuznetsov ”), Pugachev left the ship on the Su-27K the next day. Thus, parity was achieved between the two competing design bureaus - Sukhoi was the first to land, and the MiG was the first to take off.
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 later received the name Su-33 and began to enter service. A total of 26 machines were built.
Aircraft MiG-29K repeatedly participated in various exhibitions of aviation technology. In February 1992, the second copy of the fighter (“312”) was demonstrated 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 car did not fly for four years: the last one before the preservation, the 106 flight on the MiG-29 312 took place on 28 August 1992. However, in the summer of 1996, the 312 was again prepared for test flights and in September of the same year arrived in Gelendzhik, where the first in Russia international exhibition of hydroaviation took place. MiG-29K "311" was shown in August 1997, parked at the air show MAKS-97.
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 on the deck.
Cabin. For those times 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 1990-s could not count on a government order, it proactively promoted the KB for its money.
The program received a second life after signing 20 on January 2004 of the year by the Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (RSK) MiG of the contract for the supply of the Indian Navy multi-purpose ship-based fighters. It provided for the supply of 12 single MiG-29K and 4 twin MiG-29KUB aircraft, as well as training of pilots and technical personnel of the customer, delivery of simulators, spare parts and organization of aircraft after-sales service. An option is also provided for another 30 aircraft with a delivery date of up to 2015. In 2005, in accordance with this option, a contract was signed for the supply of weapons for the MiG-29К / KUB.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Indian Navy took the most active part in determining the appearance of the MiG-XNUMKUB. For a number of positions, they set requirements that exceed the world level.
Flight tests of individual systems and units of the MiG-29K / KUB are conducted from 2002 g. For this purpose 8 MiG-29 airplanes of various modifications are involved, on which in 2002-2006. performed around 700 flights.
Single MiG-29K - a multi-purpose ship-based fighter, designed to solve the problems of air defense ship formations, winning air superiority, defeat surface and ground targets controlled by high-precision and conventional weapons day and night in all weather conditions.
His combat training version of the MiG-29KUB is designed to:
- training and acquiring (improving) the skills of piloting and piloting;
- testing elements of combat use;
- solving all combat missions identical to MiG-29K.
When creating the airframe, power plant and onboard equipment MiG-29KUB used the most modern technology. The proportion of composite materials in the airframe reached 15%. The aircraft is equipped with new engines RD-33MK with increased thrust and resource.
The on-board radio-electronic equipment (avionics) of the MiG-29K / KUB is built on the principle of open architecture, which facilitates the modernization of the aircraft and building up its arsenal. In accordance with the wishes of the customer, the MiG-29KUB airborne assault radio station is international. In addition to Russian companies, Indian, French and Israeli companies participate in its creation.
On the MiG-29KUB installed modern multifunctional pulse-Doppler radar "Zhuk-ME" and the latest optical-electronic systems.
A distinctive feature of the aircraft is a high level of unification. Despite the modification (single or double), the planes have the same glider. In the single-seater on the place of the second pilot is placed a fuel tank. This reduced the costs of both production and operation.
The first prototype of the MiG-29KUB deck fighter made its first flight 20 January 2007 from the airfield LII them. M.M.Gromova (Zhukovsky). The plane lifted into the air a crew of Mikhail Belyaev and Pavel Vlasov.
18 March 2008 year saw the sky already serial MiG-29CUB. The aircraft performed the traditional taxiing and jogging at the airfield of the RSK MiG flight test complex in Lukhovitsy near Moscow, and then made a flight lasting 42 minutes in the modes worked out by the test aircraft. During the flight, all the flight-technical characteristics of the serial MiG-29-Cub were confirmed.
But the carrier-based fighter, of course, must fly from the deck. :)
At the very end of September 2009, the Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation MiG successfully conducted flight tests of the new multipurpose MiG-29K / KUB shipboard made by the Indian Navy on the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. The first landing on the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR located in the Barents Sea carried out the 28 of September on an experimental MiG-29K aircraft with onboard No.941 flight director of RSK MiG Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation Hero of Russia Pavel Vlasov.
It was followed by test pilots of RAC “MiG” Nikolai Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyaev on the serial “splash” of the MiG-29KUB, which was already painted in the colors of the customer.
In just two days, several deck landings and takeoffs of both aircraft were made, which practically confirmed the possibility of the safe operation of new fighters on aircraft carriers. It is noteworthy that the flights of the MiG-29К / KUB on the Kuznetsov were held literally on the eve of the 20-anniversary of the first ship landings of the domestic fourth-generation supersonic fighters and became a sort of return of the MiGs to the deck.
After the new aircraft showed its full consistency, the training of Indian flight and technical personnel began. The most difficult element in which, undoubtedly, was the development of refueling in the air.
Especially for training on piloting a new deck fighter in the engineering center of MiG created a mobile simulator with a laser imaging system. It is worth noting that this is the country's first training complex of this level.
The serial production of the MiG-29K / KUB was launched at the RSK MiG Aviation Plant in Lukhovitsy. The wing is made directly in Lukhovitsy, composite elements and aircraft are assembled. The fuselage is made in Moscow.
At the end of 2009, the first fighters flew to India. Indian pilots praised the flight qualities of the machines.
Because of this, in connection with the construction of new aircraft carriers, India ordered another 29 aircraft worth 1,2 billion dollars, in addition to the 2004 contract of the year on 16 machines. As of August 2011, India received 11 MiG-29K from the first contract for 16 aircraft
But there were sad moments. 23 June 2011 of the year during the test flight in the Astrakhan region crashed MiG-29KUB fighter. Pilots Oleg Spichka and Alexander Kruzhalin died. The flight mission was so difficult, practically on the verge of an airplane's capabilities, that only the best could perform it ... - such aces like Oleg Spichka and Alexander Kruzhalin ...
The commission found that the aircraft did not collapse and was operational until the collision. The pilots acted according to the flight task and did everything to get out of the most difficult situation.
But, despite the heavy losses, the program is developing. More recently (http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/12906/) it became known that in early February 2012, the Ministry of Defense of Russia will sign a contract for 28 deck fighters MiG-29К / КУБ with a delivery time of up to 2020 with RSK MiG 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, perhaps, will find new foreign customers.
Information