Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 1.44
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 1.44 | |
|---|---|
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| Type: | Air superiority fighter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
February 29, 2000 |
| Commissioning: |
- |
| Production time: |
- |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Mikoyan Project 1.44 ( Russian Микоян-Гуревич МиГ 1:44 , NATO reporting name : Flatpack ) was a prototype of an air superiority fighter in the framework of the Russian MFI project ( M nogofunkzionalny F rontowoi I strebitel, Russian многофункциональный фронтовой истребитель ; German "multipurpose front fighter " , Also" Project 1.42 "). It was not developed until it was ready for series production.
history
Beginnings
The Mikojan-Gurewitsch MiG 1.44 has its origin in the early 1980s when the US Air Force started the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) project in 1981. The USSR immediately diverted research and development funds into a new fighter aircraft in the next five-year plan. Efforts were divided into three platforms: Istrebitel-90 (I-90, Hunter 90) should be a fighter, Shturmovik-90 (Sch-90 attack aircraft-90), a ground-attack aircraft , and Bombardirowschtschik-90 (B-90 bomber -90) a bomber . According to the naming, the new generation of combat aircraft was to be put into service with the Soviet Union's air forces in 1990 . The Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense (ZNII-30 and ZNII-2) set the general requirements for the I-90. The ZAGI compared the design of different aircraft designs and their respective advantages and disadvantages. The Central Institute for Aircraft Engines (ZIAM) was supposed to develop advanced engines, air inlets and nozzles and the State Research Institute for Aviation Systems (GosNII) led the development of avionics such as radar, jamming systems etc. Conceptually, the I-90 required:
- Extreme maneuverability, it should be possible to fly at angles of attack of at least 60 ° continuously.
- Supercruise , the afterburners should only be ignited briefly to gain a tactical advantage in combat or when intercepting.
- Small radar and infrared signature through stealth technology .
The aircraft should get a new avionics architecture with artificial intelligence and new weapons. Maintainability and handling under field conditions should also be improved. The machine should be able to fight multiple targets out of sight . In a curve fight, targets should be able to be fought in all directions, even if they were not visible to the pilot. The main challenge in developing the I-90 was therefore avionics. Targets should be visualized in three dimensions, and a 3D audio system was also planned. The activity of allied forces should also be displayed, for example to avoid multiple fire.
In order to reduce costs, a single-engine fighter aircraft was developed, which should match the twin-engine as closely as possible. The Jäger-90 was announced as a competition between the design offices of Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi and Yakovlev . The Sukhoi design office originally did not want to take part, as it was already busy developing and testing the T-10 , but under pressure from the Minister of Aviation Industry Ivan Silayev, it finally did and developed the later Su-47 with forward-swept wings, the was still controllable even at a 90 ° angle of attack. Yakovlev took part with a single-engine delta canard design that looked very similar to a McDonnell Douglas X-36 with two outwardly inclined vertical stabilizers. Mikoyan-Gurevich finally won the national tender.
development
The delta canard design had advantages in the supersonic area, but could not keep up with the later Su-47 in the transonic range. The Mikoyan-Gurevich experimental design office was chosen as the winner mainly because it was considered a typical fighter plane office, while Sukhoi also had experience with other types of aircraft. The design office worked at the same time on the large MFI (Mnogofunkzionalny Frontowoi Istrebitel, "multi-purpose front fighter") and the small LFI (Lyogki Frontowoi Istrebitel, "light front fighter"). The MFI was referred to as Project 512 or Product (Isdelije) 5.12, the LFI as Project 412 or Product 4.12. Both should share as many components as possible. In 1983 the activities were bundled nationwide and the air defense , the air forces of the Soviet Union and various research institutions were coordinated at a higher level. In 1983 the MiG MFI was included in the five-year plan.
After a series of wind tunnel tests, ZAGI Mikojan-Gurewitsch recommended choosing a delta canard design in order to get a statically unstable aircraft with the desired maneuverability. The aircraft should have delta wings with a 40–45 ° sweep and a weapon bay or at least fuselage-compliant weapon mounts. The air intake has been optimized for high angles of attack and supersonic speeds. The aircraft should be given thrust vector control to increase maneuverability and reduce the take-off and landing distance. The radar reflecting surface was determined on models. A common air inlet and a common 2D thrust vector nozzle for both engines was investigated. The optimal angle of the ejection seat in flight was determined, as this should change when maneuvering in order to be able to fly higher g-loads . The possibility of movable on-board cannons was also examined.
Finally, in 1986, the dimensions of the aircraft, the geometry of the inlets and tail units and the radar-absorbing material to be used were determined. In 1987, Mikoyan-Gurevich and the organizations involved sent their documents for a review, where the green light was given. Since the development of two types of combat aircraft proved to be too costly, the LFI was canceled and only the MFI was pursued. The MFI was then renamed Project 1.42. The main focus of the work remained the development of avionics and the connection of the integrated modular avionics to the numerous data buses. With the cancellation of the LFI program, the MFI had to be able to carry out air-to-ground tasks without losing air-to-air capabilities.
To test the aerodynamics, radio-controlled models, which were equipped with telemetry and cameras, were brought to great heights by helicopter and disconnected. While the model slid to the ground, the angle of attack, flight stability and the recovery of spins were explored. To protect against spy satellites , the flights were carried out between the satellite passages and the models were painted in a green and yellow camouflage scheme. The ground crew was required to recover the models within minutes after landing and to bring them out of sight. The model tests confirmed that the MFI was still able to fly in a controlled manner at an angle of attack of 60 °, which was previously not considered possible with an unstable aircraft.
NPO Saturn and the ZIAM also made progress in developing the Saturn AL-41 . The Central Committee of the CPSU decided in 1986 that a new engine had to be developed. The engine should have better compressor performance and fully digital engine control . The engine should allow the MFI to fly permanently in the supersonic range. The afterburner should only be switched on for power-intensive maneuvers and strong acceleration . The engine was planned with thrust vector control from the start; originally, a square 2D model like the F-15S / MTD was planned. In 1989 a prototype of the AL-41F was installed in a Su-27UB (Blue 08 ). Due to the excess length of the engine, a wedge-shaped structure was mounted on the tail, which contained the 2D thrust vector nozzle. The standard engine was retained on the starboard side. The AL-41F worked as expected, but it turned out that the heat distribution via the angular 2D nozzle was unfavorable. As a result, it was decided to switch to an axially symmetrical 3-D nozzle. Construction work on the AL-41F was completed in 1991.
End of the Soviet Union
After the end of the Soviet Union, the MFI program continued unabated for the time being. In 1993, the Mikhail Gromov College for Flight Research carried out test flights with the AL-41F in a Tu-16LL . The engine was built into the fuselage and could be lowered from the bomb bay during the flight. Later the AL-41F (dry thrust approx. 2 × ~ 120 kN) was installed in a MiG-25PD (afterburner thrust 2 × 112 kN). The aircraft (Blue 306 ) was hardly controllable due to the AL-41F afterburner thrust of 177 kN, but could easily surpass Mach 2. The engine start was also tested during the flight. At the same time, Mikojan-Gurewitsch developed test stands to test the electrics, avionics, hydraulics and life support systems on the ground. This enabled pilots to “fly” the MiG MFI without having to fly with it. Air inlets, control surfaces and weapon mounts have been redesigned. Of six possible configurations, four were tested as a model by the Scientific Research Institute of the Air Force ( NII WWS ), while the GosNIPAS ejection seat was tested in a model of the front fuselage on a rocket sled.
Since the financing became more and more difficult after 1992, the completion of the prototype "Product 1.44" began to falter. Nevertheless, it was decided to build at least a 1.44 for static tests. Together with subcontractors, the “Blue 01 ” prototype was finally completed at the beginning of 1994 and brought by truck from Mikoyan-Gurevich to the Michail-Gromow University for Flight Research (LII). The official rollout followed in the summer of that year . The prototype remained mothballed in the hall until the end of the year, and the floor test program began at the end of 1994 with rolling tests. After that, the program had to pause due to lack of money.
Sukhoi had developed a sufficient financial basis through the export successes of the Su-27 series and was therefore able to start flight testing of the Su-47 on September 25, 1997 before the MiG MFI. Mikoyan-Gurevich asked the Russian Air Force several times for financial support, which was never granted. Several announcements during the MAKS air show about a first flight of the machine could therefore not be kept. In 1999, the product 1.44 was prepared for flight tests and finally presented to the public on December 12, 1999 in the presence of leading politicians. On February 23, 2000, the last flight preparations and take-off attempts were carried out with the bow raised. On February 29, a first 18-minute flight was carried out by test pilot Vladimir Gorbojonow. A second, 22 minutes long, followed on April 27th.
After that, the MiG MFI fell silent and the program was discontinued. On April 26, 2002 Sukhoi was given priority for the development of a new fighter aircraft (program I-21). In addition to Yakovlev , Mikoyan-Gurevich is also involved in the resulting Sukhoi Su-57 . It can be assumed that experiences with the MiG 1.44 play a role in this.
technology
The 1.44 differs from the originally planned series version 1.42. For example, the 1.44 had no radar and no weapons bay. The following section refers to 1.42.
aerodynamics
The MiG MFI is a delta canard fighter aircraft with a short lever arm, which means that the canards are located directly in front of and above the wing. Aluminum-lithium alloys make up 35% of the empty mass , steel and titanium 30%, composites 30% and the rest 5%. A wedge-shaped air inlet with movable inlet ramps and a lower lip is located under the buoyancy-generating hull under the boundary layer separator. During flight, the air from the boundary layer separator is directed onto the wings at an angle of attack. To reduce the radar cross-section , the inlet tunnel to the engines is S-shaped. The canards have a sweep of 58 ° on the leading edge and 23 ° on the trailing edge and each have a saw tooth on the leading edge in order to strengthen the vortex field above the wings. The wings have a sweep of 52 ° at the front and 0 ° at the rear edge. The roots of the vertical stabilizers are integrated into the wings, which is also where the rearward-facing ESM / ECM antennas are housed. The wing tips consist of radomes; ESM / ECM antennas are also integrated here. The two vertical stabilizers are inclined outwards by 14 °, officially to reduce the radar cross-section, but probably more for aerodynamic reasons. The vertical stabilizers have integrated control surfaces and radomes for antennas at the tip. All components visible from the front are coated with radar-absorbing material.
cockpit
The cockpit canopy is in two parts, with the front part protecting against bird strikes. The rear part first moves up to open and then tilts backwards. The machine is controlled by a redundant fly-by-wire system. The helmet visor should be coupled with the IRST system ( infrared aiming system ) so that the pilot can aim at the target by turning his head in the appropriate direction. A system called KSL should monitor the physical condition of the pilot and warn him if g-forces are too high and automatically bring the machine into a horizontal flight position if this may result in unconsciousness . In order to prevent such unconsciousness from occurring in the first place, the ejection seat from NPP Zvezda can adjust its tilt angle to the g-load.
Avionics
The identical computation modules and algorithms of the IMA were developed in Zelenograd . At the Weapon Control System one should phased array -Radar of type N-014 can be connected. This should pursue 20 targets and fight six of them simultaneously with air-to-air missiles . An undefined infrared aiming system (IRST) with a laser range finder was also considered. The ESM / ECM antennas should cover 360 ° around the aircraft. The ESM system should also be used for fire control at close range, for example to combat targets in the rear hemisphere.
Engines
The aircraft has two AL-41F engines with an afterburner thrust of 177 kN and a variable bypass ratio. The nozzles are axially symmetrical, convergent-divergent adjustable and enable 3D thrust vector control . The inside of the nozzle is covered with heat-resistant ceramic. The engine mass is around 1600 kg, which results in a thrust-to-weight ratio of 11: 1. The system is controlled by a fully digital engine control ( FADEC ). Compared to the previous generation Saturn AL-31 , the number of parts has been significantly reduced and operating costs by 25%. However, due to the high performance and the complicated construction, the operating time until the first inspection is only 1000 hours, whereby the nozzle is only designed for an operating time of 250 hours.
Armament
The aircraft is equipped with a 30 mm GSch-30-1 automatic cannon . In addition, there are three external load stations for external weapons under each wing. The weapon bay, which should be located behind the air inlet, would have ejected the weapons hydraulically. For a short time it was considered to place the weapons bay on the back and throw the weapons upwards. For the MiG MFI a variant of the air-to-air missile R-77M with folding rudders for the weapon bays was developed. In the long term, the ramjet-powered variant R-77M-PD was considered. The improved R-73M was designed to target close-range combat. All air-to-air guided missiles should also be capable of firing at targets in the rear hemisphere in order to combat pursuers.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Type | Prototype of an air superiority fighter |
| crew | 1 |
| g limits | N / A 1 |
| length | 20 m |
| span | 15 m |
| height | 5.60 m |
| Wing area | ~ 100 m² 2 |
| Wing extension | 2.25 |
| Crowds |
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| Wing loading |
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| Summit height | 18,945 m |
| Gun load |
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| Range | 4000 km (with additional tanks) |
| Engines | two turbofan engines Saturn / Ljulka AL-41F |
| Thrust |
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| Marching speed | Mach 1.8-1.9 |
| Top speed | Mach 2.6 |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio |
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literature
- Ефим Гордон (Jefim Gordon): Sukhoi S-37 and Mikoyan MFI . Russian fifth-generation fighter technology demonstrators. In: Red star . tape 1 . Midland Pub., Hinckley 2001, ISBN 1-85780-120-2 (English, Google Books [accessed on September 28, 2015] Russian: Российские экспериментальные истребители нового поколения МФИ Свотоколения МФИ . 37 ).
See also
Web links
- Sergei Babain's "True Supersonics" MFI Page ( Memento from July 31, 2001 in the Internet Archive )
- Mikoyan MiG 1.42 / 1.44 / MFI - Technology Demonstrator (1999). In: militaryfactory.com. February 7, 2014, accessed September 28, 2015 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ a b c d Type plate, seen at the first public presentation at the MAKS 2015.
- ↑ a b c d e Alex Stoll: Mikoyan Project 1.44 / MiG 1.42 MFI. In: fighter-planes.com. Retrieved December 13, 2016 .
- ^ Carlo Kopp: Supercruising Flankers? In: ausairpower.net. January 27, 2014, accessed September 28, 2015 .