Forum: Military Aircraft of the Cold War

It should be interesting to take into account that the East German Luftstreitkrafte der NVA was the only Warsaw Pact air force outside Russia to acquire Soviet-spec aircraft? All other clients of Soviet military hardware received the downgraded export variants, as in downgraded avionics, i.e. lack of 3UM HMDs on export MiG-29 Fulcrums.

darkvarkguy wrote:

Those Flankers dwarf the -111s I worked!! They're HUUUGE!

Yes, all Flanker variants are huge in size, slightly so than the Eagles and Raptors.

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Su-27 ---- Wing span 48 ft --- length 72 ft --- max TO wt 62000

F-111 ---- Wing span 63 ft --- length 73 ft --- max TO wt 100000 lb

johnwill wrote:

Su-27 ---- Wing span 48 ft --- length 72 ft --- max TO wt 62000

F-111 ---- Wing span 63 ft --- length 73 ft --- max TO wt 100000 lb

Well they look pretty huge with people standing around, maybe it's because of their height.

Quote:

if the US has Fulcrum, why not use them for DACT?

Quote:

I had been told that the ex-Moldovian MiG-29's were in very poor condition when they arrived in the US. They'd basically been 'left out to rot' with no maintenance of preservation due to their government's financial status and priorities.

I would assume that they wouldn't be used as aggressor aircraft due to costs, both operationally and maintenance wise and, truthfully, because the aircraft that they would be fighting should outperform them in almost every way.

During the 80's the Soviet's (at that time) brought MiG-29's to the US on a couple of occasions - during one I had a good oppotrunity to talk to the MiG factory pilot who was flying it (I was an AF F-16 Crew Chief at the time, and yes, I did report the 'contact to OSI). He told me that as an airshow aircraft the MiG-29 was probably the best in the world (this was before the Su-27 started showing up) but that he didn't think it was much of a combat aircraft. Poor visibility, poor avionics, too much smoke , but worst of all he said that by the time he reached the runway for takeoff 'my fuel light was ready to come on'.

The Klimov RD-33 turbofans were problematic in the sense of smoke emissions.

But the Fulcrum is still a capable dogfighter.

i have to disagree with the statment on the migs condition, they are currently in perfect condition along with the 300 missiles that were purchased with them.

Interesting insight, serov... and welcome to F16.net Smile

And from looking at the quote in question, I'd also have to add that this reported encounter with the MiG company pilot in the day could clearly be down-played in the sense of carefully 'coached' info being shared. Of course, the imperative at the time might have been to down-play actual combat worthiness which would sound reasonable - i.e., disclosing perhaps somewhat over-simplified talking points which they probably knew US intel already had on their scopes (e.g., poor visibility, poor avionics, smoke, short range). Yet in actual situations, those things can sometimes become less an impact on the overall outcome as might be assumed.. imo. Thumb

Where is the Fulctrum gone? I took a look via google earth, the place is empty!

parrothead wrote:

Jensen -

Thanks for the reply Smile

I had no idea about any of that. I grew up around NAS (now MCAS) Miramar and the Navy. I learn something new here everyday.

Jensen wrote:

TC wrote:

However, if you go to Wright Pat, you can see one on display.

A Fulcrum on display at Nellis near the "Warrior Inn" should be a former Moldawian too. But they painted it in former East German colors.

I'd wondered about that jet. It's still strange as a "child of the Cold War" to drive around Nellis and see MiGs and Sukhois just laying around.

There is one at the Nellis AFB "Petting Zoo" - http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/ ... index.html

Also one sitting outdoors at Wright-Patterson AFB (39.801440, -84.049222) and another on display in the Museum of the USAF - http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... sp?id=8672

So yes, the USAF has a few, even if they are 'done' with them Shrug

TEG

I ment this one, it´s gone............

Hello!
My name is Alex. Excuse my English. I do not speak and I use the electronic translator. I have a valid pilot of the MiG-29. I fly the upgraded MiG. Now aircraft are equipped with new RD-33 engines. They do not smoke as the old versions.

Welcome to the forums Alex. What country do you fly for? Always nice to have people who worth with jets on the boards.

sprstdlyscottsmn wrote:

Welcome to the forums Alex. What country do you fly for? Always nice to have people who worth with jets on the boards.

My first guess would have been India since they're the one's who tend to give their MIG-29s the most TLC. But Alex sounds like a Russian or Ukrainian name.

Forum: Military Aircraft of the Cold War

USAF-Operated MiG-29 Fulcrums