Mikoyan-Gurevich Je-8

Mikoyan-Gurevich Je-8
Type:	Fighter plane
Design country:	Soviet Union
Manufacturer:	Mikoyan-Gurevich
First flight:	April 17, 1962
Number of pieces:	2

The Mikoyan Je-8 ( Russian Микоян-Гуревич Е-8 was) a Soviet fighter plane prototype of 1962. They should the regular follow-up model of the MiG-21 , are the series designation later used for another aircraft 23 MiG was provided . Unsolvable engine problems and the resulting crash of the first prototype led to the program being discontinued.

development

During the serial production of the MiG-21 , the potential of its further developments became apparent. The MiG-21 seemed to be the ideal basis for the implementation of a government decision that required a fighter aircraft for shorter distances that could successfully destroy air targets under all conditions . The planned takeover of extensive assemblies of the MiG-21 should avoid major changes in production.

The machine called Je-8 tried to combine the best features of all MiG-21s with advanced electronics and new aerodynamic knowledge. The Je-8 had the SPS ( Russian сдува пограничного слоя - system for influencing the boundary layer), which at that time was not yet ready for series production, and was supposed to develop the Sapfir-23 (Сапфир-23) fire control complex of the later MiG -23 received. Originally, a basalt type radar was to be installed, but it was also not available in time. In its place, various ground points and telemetry blocks were installed to simulate the installation dimensions. The flight characteristics to improve and to compensate for the inertia that brought the heavy fire control system with it, the Je-8 had by the designers as destabilizing called slats , such as those found in similar form today for modern aircraft. The effectiveness of such slats had already been proven on the third copy of a MiG-21F-13 (Je-6T / 3). These were locked in the neutral position at supersonic speed and caused an increase in lift by a factor of 2 in supersonic flight between Mach 1.5 and Mach 2. This resulted in high maneuverability even in supersonic flight. The stabilization surface ( false keel ) under the stern works in the same way as that of the MiG-23 and when the landing gear is extended it folded away to the right to avoid ground contact. The wings, the cockpit, the main landing gear and the horizontal stabilizer, which was set 13.5 cm lower, came from the MiG-21PF. The Kerosene supply of the Je-8 was with 3200 liters in rigid tanks significantly larger than that of the MiG-21. As with the later F-16 , the air inlet was located under the cockpit, the air throughput was regulated in three stages with a hydraulically controlled wedge. This made it necessary to drastically shorten the nose landing gear compared to the MiG-21. The first copy of the aircraft (Je-8/1) was completed in January 1962 and in March 1962 the test team around the pilots Georgi Mossolow and Alexander Fedotow and the engineers Vano Mikojan and Kotschkin were commissioned with the tests. On April 6, 1962, the design office gave its approval for the flight test and on April 17, 1962 the first flight took place with Georgi Mossolow on board. He completed a total of 16:22 h flight time with the Je-8.

The R-21 F-300 engine, developed under the direction of engineer Mezchwarischwilli , which was more powerful but also heavier than the R-11 F2S-300 , proved to be unreliable. It failed eleven times during testing. It tended to the dreaded pumping of the compressor and caused resonance vibrations throughout the aircraft. During the test flight of the first prototype Je-8/1 on September 11, 1962, the engine then failed at a height of over 15,000 m at Mach 1.7. Investigations showed that the sixth compressor stage exploded at around 11,000–12,000 rpm and that the debris damaged the right wing and disabled the aileron after it had penetrated the outer skin. Mikojan's chief test pilot Mossolow was able to save himself with the ejection seat, but was seriously injured. He was still using the outdated SK ejection seat, as the more modern KM-1 ejection seat that was planned for the first prototype was not available in time. As a result of the spin and the high speed, he collided with parts of the aircraft after exiting and suffered fractures in both arms and one leg. He also suffered severe head injuries. The accident ended Mosolov's previously successful aviation career. Alexander Fedotow, who had tested the second prototype Je-8/2 in 13 test flights by September 4, 1962, became the new chief test pilot at Mikoyan-Gurevich. The test program was not resumed, although the Je-8 was a successful aircraft and the second prototype Je-8/2 no longer had any problems.

Officially, it was essentially the lateral vibrations caused by the engine that led to the project being discontinued. Unofficially, the changed military doctrine, which relied more on nuclear weapons and long-range missiles than on maneuvered air combat, also became the project's undoing. In the meantime, Mikoyan-Gurevich was already working on a swing-wing aircraft, which was originally designated as the MiG-23, which was originally intended for the Je-8 and which was to be manufactured in large series for over a decade. The armament, including the fire control system "Sapfir-23", was built into the MiG-23. The air-to-air missiles R-3S and R-23 T as well as GP-9 gondolas with 23 mm AO-9 cannons ( GScha-23 ) were planned as armament for the Je-8 .

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data
crew	1
span	7.15 m
length	14.90 m without Pitot tube 16.90 m with Pitot tube
Wing area	23.13 m²
Empty mass	6,800 kg
Takeoff mass	maximum 8,200 kg
Top speed	2,230 km / h
Summit height	20,000 m
drive	a Tumanski R-21F-300
power	45 kN without afterburner 70.6 kN with afterburner

Web links

Commons : Mikoyan-Gurevich Ye-8  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

• Микоян, Гуревич Е-8. Retrieved July 8, 2019 (Russian). 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ airspacemag.com: Interview with G. Mossolow. (No longer available online.) January 22, 2009, archived from the original on May 28, 2012 ; accessed on May 9, 2010 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ FliegerRevue December 2009, pp. 54–55, The luckless MiG - MiG-E8
3. ↑ FlugRevue January 2011, pp. 92–95, Unglücksvogel - Mikojan E-8