Mig 21 history of creation. Russian aviation. Double training modifications

04.03.2020

The main aircraft of the Soviet Frontal Aviation for two decades was reliable and durable. While developing this machine, the designers created a number of experimental aircraft, on which the technical solutions of the final project were tested and invaluable scientific information was collected. The result of correct technical research, embodied in the successful conduct of combat operations by this aircraft in different parts of the world, has been proven.

History of creation

According to the terms of reference of the USSR Air Force Research Institute in 1953, the Mikoyan Design Bureau came up with a proposal to develop a light supersonic fighter, unencumbered by avionics, with one turbojet engine, with a small fuel reserve, in which firepower and flight duration were sacrificed for its excellent flight qualities.

The new fighter was required to successfully withstand the US aircraft of the "hundredth" series and their jet bombers.

After reviewing and revising the terms of reference, it became clear that the new machine did not meet these parameters and they decided to create a light fighter, arming it only with guns, so that during the day, together with ground guidance, it would provide local air defense.

Two prototypes were built - one with a delta wing ( E 4), the second with arrow-shaped ( E 2). They were equipped with obsolete engines, the new ones were being tested. Frosty February day 1955 made the first flight E 2, later on June 16 of the same year, broke away from the concrete strip and performed a test flight E 4.

Design Bureau Mikoyan settled on the version with a delta wing, equipping it with a more powerful R-9I engine. Developed a new prototype E 5, which in January 1956 first took to the air. A small series of these prototypes was produced and not submitted for testing due to the creation by that time of a machine with an R-11F-300 engine and received the designation E 6.

In May 1958, this version of the fighter first tried the air and was admitted to state tests. After their successful completion, the production of mass-produced cars began under the index. A little later in 1960 they released MiG 21F 13, on which K-13 missiles were installed.

MiG 21 modifications

Throughout the years of its existence, it has been constantly improved, MiG 21F 13 changed interceptor. Having installed a new radar sight on the car and increased the fuel supply, they released a series with the index, and then a fighter with improved equipment and weapons, with a different cockpit lantern, received the designation MiG 21PFM.

Gradually, there was a departure from the concept of a light fighter - the weight of the vehicle increased, equipment and weapons became more complicated. The second generation of the 21 family in 1964 was equipped with a new Sapphire-21 radar station and a GSh-23L gun, the car was designated as . For the Air Force of the Soviet Union, the aircraft was equipped with a new power plant R-13-300 and it was named.

The best and most perfect modification is represented by the third generation Moment ov. This variant is labeled MiG 21 bis and became the only one in this generation. It was equipped with an improved Sapphire-21M radar, modified sighting equipment, and the armament was reinforced with a new R-13M missile. For the Air Force, the machines were equipped with blind approach equipment - the Flight-OI system, and air defense aircraft received a set of Lazur-M guidance equipment.

Specifications MiG 21 bis in 1972, they were improved by installing a new R-25-300 engine on the machine. The flight parameters of the fighter became comparable to the American F 16, yielding to him in avionics and combat load.

Modernized in 1993, it was designed to accommodate modern missile weapons, a new electrical control system and a powerful onboard Spear radar. These machines were exported and replaced the old ones that were available in many countries abroad.

Many foreign firms, in particular Israeli and Indian ones, offered their services for the completion, installation of the latest equipment and weapons of this legendary aircraft.

Design Description

According to the aerodynamic layout, this is an aircraft with a medium wing arrangement of a triangular shape and a traditional tail unit. In the nose of the machine there is a multi-mode air intake with a central body, inside which an onboard radar station is installed. The radar antenna is closed by a movable cone with a longitudinal stroke. The cone moves with the help of a hydraulic drive and is fixed in three positions: retracted (normal), partially extended (speed 1.5m) and fully extended (speed over 1.9m).

On the most common modification, aerodynamic ridges are installed below the additional air intake flaps, which prevent hot gases from entering the air intakes when firing from a cannon. Under the wing on the fuselage there are niche doors of the main landing gear with wheels with a diameter of 800 mm, allowing the machine to be operated from poorly prepared lanes.

On the lower surface of the fuselage there are three brake flaps that open with the help of hydraulic cylinders forward in flight. The release of the flaps does not affect the balance of the aircraft. In a cylindrical container located under the base of the keel, there is a brake parachute.

It is equipped with a R-25-300 turbojet engine with a new five-stage high-pressure compressor and an afterburner. Refinement had practically no effect on fuel consumption, and the use of titanium alloys instead of steel even reduced the weight of the power plant.

The cockpit of later modifications became more ergonomic, equipped with new avionics, the pilot sat in the KM-1 zero-zero ejection seat. The view to the rear hemisphere has been improved with several rear-view mirrors mounted on the canopy arch.

A radio-transparent fairing on the vertical tail hides the antenna of the radiation warning station, which gives a signal to the pilot if the aircraft is captured by the enemy's radar beam. At the top of the keel, an antenna for the identification system of friend or foe is installed. Above the rudder is a static electricity stacker and an aeronautical light.

Characteristics of the MiG 21 (common for all modifications)

The maneuverable aircraft, the characteristics of which are given below, was produced in huge numbers - 11496 units and adopted by many countries of the world. Mass production significantly reduced the prices of this fighter, for example, the infantry fighting vehicle was more expensive than the .

Wingspan - 7.15 m
Wing area - 22.95 m
Aircraft length - 14.10 m
Engine - turbofan R-25-300
Afterburner thrust - 6850 kgf
Maximum thrust without afterburner - 4100 kgf
Empty weight - 5460 kg
Maximum takeoff weight - 10100 kg
Fuel supply - 2750 kg
The highest speed at altitude - 2230 km / h
Ground speed - 1300 km / h
Cruise flight speed - 1000 km / h
The highest rate of climb - 235 m / s
Practical ceiling - 19000 m
Flight range with PTB - 1470 km
Flight range without PTB - 1225 km
Maximum overload - 8.5 g
Crew - 1 person
Small arms - 23-mm gun GSh-23L
Suspension points - 5
UR "air-to-air" - R-3S, R-3R, R-13M, R-13M1, R-60, R-60M
UR "air-to-surface" - X 66
Unguided rockets - caliber 57 and 240 mm
Bombs - with a total weight of up to 1000 kg

In 1966, Iraqi pilot Munir Redfa colluded with the Israelis and agreed to hijack . The case presented itself on August 15, 1966 at half past seven in the morning, taking off Munir gained altitude, and then dropped sharply and pressed to the ground, rushed over Iraq and the air defense services did not detect him. Over Israel, the Mirage was waiting for the defector and escorted him to the landing airfield.

It is not known how the six-day Arab-Israeli war would have developed if the secrets of the latest Soviet fighter and other military equipment supplied by the Soviet Union to the Arab countries had not been revealed. This operation bore the medical name "Penicellin".

A recent case with deliveries to Croatia from Ukraine. Old spare parts were put on the modernized Soviet aircraft. Ukraine received 13 million euros for the repair of seven and the sale of another five, but, as it turned out, five aircraft were not operational due to poor-quality repairs.

After taking off from an airfield in the province of Hama in Syria, the Syrian Air Force was shot down. According to some sources, the pilot ejected and was shot in the air by militants during a parachute descent. Syrian sources claim that the plane crashed for technical reasons and the pilot landed safely. In any case, this is the first loss of the Syrian Air Force this year.

According to 2004 data, the Indian "Bison" crushed the American aces with a score of 9: 1 on F 15 and F 16 in show fights. Our glorious veteran, having undergone many modifications, not only won demonstration battles, but also took part in many local wars and conflicts, where he proved himself a worthy fighter.

In the winter of 1971, a government decree was issued obliging the Ufa Soyuz Design Bureau to create an R-25-300 engine with a take-off thrust of 7100 kgf, and when flying close to the ground at the speed of sound - 9900 kgf. Thus began work on the MiG-21bis, the last serial modification, the production of which was launched at the plant in Gorky in the same year. In addition to the new turbofan engine, the fuel system was improved, while the reserves found (mainly due to a larger overhead fuel tank) made it possible to increase its volume by almost 230 liters, which compensated for the loss of range due to increased fuel consumption. To the credit of the engine builders, they completed the task. R-25-300 developed thrust in emergency mode - 7100 kgf, and in the first afterburner - 6850 kgf. Having retained the dimensions of its predecessor, the dry weight of the engine increased slightly and did not exceed 1215 kg.

In fact, the traction characteristics of the R-25-300 exceeded the specified ones, which made it possible to increase, for example, the rate of climb of the machine by almost 1.6 times, bringing it to 235 m / s at the ground (at a speed corresponding to the number M = 0.9).

It should be noted that by that time almost all of the airframe's reserves, including its internal volumes, had been exhausted. The level of instrumentation technology and the elemental base of electronic equipment (avionics) did not allow then to significantly improve the parameters of the radar sight of such a small size and expand the combat capabilities of the vehicle. The only exceptions were guided missiles, but even here the choice was small.

In 1968, the R-55 missile with an infrared homing system and a launch range of up to 10 km was adopted. The R-55 was included in the armament of the MiG-21bis, but it never became mass, giving way to the R-60.

Compared to the MiG-21 of previous modifications, the wing was modernized on the Encore, the onboard equipment was improved, and the range of onboard weapons was significantly increased. The aircraft equipment included the Sapphire-21 radar sight; optical sight ASP-PFD-21; flight and navigation complex PNK "Polyot-OI", including the automatic control system SVU-23ESN; short-range navigation and landing system RSBSN-5S and antenna-feedernau "Pion-N". The aircraft retained the Lazur interference-proof communication line, which provides interaction with the Vozdukh-1 ground-based automated control system, the KM-1 or KM-1M ejection seat, and the PVD-18 air pressure receiver.

In 1972, the Gorky Aviation Plant built the first thirty-five MiG-21bis, and in the same year the aircraft was put into service. The MiG-21bis air superiority fighter has better maneuverability and accelerating characteristics, as well as a higher rate of climb compared to aircraft of previous modifications. The maneuverability of the aircraft approaches the corresponding characteristics of foreign fourth-generation fighters F-15, F-16, Mirage-2000. The EPR of the aircraft is close to that of the F-16 fighter.

From 1972 to 1985, 2013 MiG-21bis was produced in three main configurations: product "75" - for the USSR Air Force and Air Defense Aviation, "75A" - for socialist countries and "75B" for capitalist and developing states. But here, too, there were variations. So, for air defense, the vehicles were equipped with the Lazur guidance equipment, others with a blind landing system that allowed approaching the runway when clouds were at least 100 m high and visibility up to 1000 m. 30, developed at NPO Almaz, with the possibility of using R-3R and K-13M missiles) with a target detection range (EPR = 5 m2) of 14 km and auto tracking of 10 km. The aircraft allowed the use of UR R-55 and R-60.

The only country that mastered the production of the MiG-21bis (type "75L") was India. To begin with, six aircraft of this type and 65 sets of units and parts were delivered there for assembly at the HAL Corporation plant in the city of Nasik.

In the middle of 1982, a proposal appeared to include improved homing R-60M melee missiles in the MiG-21bis armament.

On the basis of the MiG-21, many flying laboratories were made for various studies. The MiG-21bis was no exception. It is possible to note the machine intended for research of the air intake device. On the aircraft (serial number 75002198), in addition to standard anti-surge flaps, eight sections of adjustable flaps were installed on the entire generatrix of the air intake shell. What is the practical use of this innovation is unknown, but someone wrote a dissertation - that's for sure. The MiG-21bis is still in service with the air forces of a number of countries.

Modification: MiG-21bis
Wingspan, m: 7.15
Length, m: 14.10
Height, m: 4.71
Wing area, m2: 23.00
Weight, kg
- empty aircraft: 5460
-normal takeoff: 8726
-fuel: 2390
Engine type: 1 x turbofan R-25-300
Thrust, kN
- unforced: 1 x 69.60
- forced: 1 x 97.10
Maximum speed, km/h
-at altitude: 2175
-near ground: 1300
Practical range, km
- with PTB: 1470
- without PTB: 1210
Max. rate of climb, m/min: 13500
Practical ceiling, m: 17800
Max. operating overload: 8.5
Crew, people: 1
Armament: built-in gun 23 mm GSh-23L (200 rounds).
Combat load - up to 1300 kg: up to 4 x UR "air-to-air" K-13M, RS-2US, R-3S, R-3R, R-60, R-60M, as well as NAR caliber and mm and free-fall bombs of various types with a caliber up to 500 kg. It is possible to suspend containers with guns, AFA, electronic intelligence equipment.

MiG-21bis prototype with 2 R-3S and 4 R-60 missiles.

Fighter MiG-21bis.

MiG-21bis serviced in the parking lot.

Group of MiG-21bis is taxiing for takeoff.

MiG-21bis Finnish Air Force.

MiG-21bis on display at the Aviation Museum. Finland. Photo by RU_AVIATION. Airfield.

MiG-21bis Angolan Air Force.

MiG-21bis of the Bulgarian Air Force.

MiG-21bis of the Serbian Air Force.

MiG-21bis Croatian Air Force.

Fighters MiG-21bis Croatian Air Force in the parking lot.

MiG-21bis Air Force of the GDR.

MiG-21(NATO classification: Fishbed) is a Soviet multirole fighter developed by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the mid-1950s. Produced in the USSR from 1959 to 1985. The most massive supersonic aircraft in the world, is considered one of the best combat aircraft of the Cold War and one of its symbols.

History of the MiG-21

In the mid-1950s, the MiG Design Bureau conducted extensive research as part of a program to create a fighter to replace the MiG-19. 2 concepts were considered, according to which 2 prototypes were created: E-2 with a swept wing and E-4 with a triangular one.

The E-2 was the first to fly in 1954. The plane was dispersed to 1700 km / h. E-2A with a new engine was dispersed to 1900 km / h. E-4 with delta wing took off in 1956. Due to lengthy test work and modifications, the aircraft was able to accelerate to 2000 km / h. The developers leaned towards the delta-winged E-4, given that the E-2 was, in fact, a redesigned MiG-19. Further upgrades of the E-4 were brought to the E-6 version, overclocked to 2 MAX, which, as a result, became the MiG-21 fighter.

It is worth noting that at that time the concept of maneuverable combat was considered dead and strategists took speed as the main characteristic of a fighter, and missiles should have been the main weapon. It was under this concept that the MiG-21 was created. In the USA, they also worked on a high-speed car. became the pinnacle of the speed race. Its straight but short wing was so thin that it was believed among the pilots that one could cut oneself on its edges. Indeed, at high speeds, the planes were good, but at low speeds, these machines turned out to be almost uncontrollable. Starfighter was at first called the "flying coffin" because of the huge number of accidents.

MiG-21 design

The MiG-21 was produced in huge quantities for a long time and was subjected to so many modifications that they can be divided into 3 generations.

First generation

MiG-21F produced in 1959-1960 (83 units). The aircraft had two built-in guns and two pylons for the suspension of weapons. The R-11F-300 engine in afterburner gave 5.74 tf of thrust.

MiG-21F-13 produced in 1960-1965. It became possible to hang R-3C air-to-air missiles on pylons. By removing one gun, the fuel tank was enlarged, plus, a fuel tank could be hung under the fuselage. The R-11F2-300 engine in afterburner gave 6.12 tf of thrust

Second generation

MiG-21P- was released in a small batch in 1960. For the first time it was equipped with a radar and equipment for command control of fighter combat. Based on the concept of high-speed missile combat, the aircraft was devoid of guns, however, this concept was destroyed during the Vietnam War.

MiG-21PF - modification of the MiG-21P, produced since 1961. Unlike the "P" version, it was equipped with a more powerful R-11F2-300 engine, a locator and a sight.

MiG-21PFS- modification of the "PF" version, produced in 1961-1965. The military wanted the MiG-21 to be easily operated from unpaved airfields. For this, a number of technical solutions were used. Engines with air extraction from the compressor were finalized. In the extended position, the air taken from the compressor was supplied to the lower surfaces of the flaps. As a result, the run was reduced to 480 m. Two launch boosters could be installed on the aircraft to reduce the takeoff run.

MiG-21FL- export version of the MIG-21PF for India. Equipped with simplified equipment and engine. Delivered in 1964-1968. Also licensed production was established in India.

MiG-21PFM- produced in 1964-1968. The Vietnam War showed that high-speed combat with the exclusive use of missiles did not justify itself. Cannon weapons were returned to the MiG-21PFM. It also became possible to install several types of air-to-air missiles. Onboard equipment has been upgraded.
MiG-21R- reconnaissance version of the MiG-21. Under the fuselage, on a special streamlined holder, interchangeable containers with reconnaissance equipment were installed.

Video of MiG-21: Video of demonstration flights of MiG-21 at airshow in Romania, 2013

third generation

MiG-21S- became the aircraft of the "third generation" modification. The new radar "Sapphire-21" gave him a start, which significantly improved combat performance. But most importantly, it allowed the use of new R-3R (K-13R) missiles with a semi-active radar homing head and an increased launch range. This changed the tactics of using the aircraft: if earlier, having launched the RS-2-US radio missile, the pilot was forced to repeat all the maneuvers of the target in order to guide it with the beam of the RP-21 station until the moment of defeat, now he was only required to “highlight” the target with the help of "Sapphire", leaving the rocket itself to chase the enemy. Also, unlike the old models, the new MiG-21 already had 4 pylons for weapons. The new AP-155 autopilot made it possible not only to maintain the position of the machine relative to three axes, but also to bring it to level flight from any position, followed by stabilization of altitude and heading.

MiG-21SN- a variant of the "C" series, capable of carrying an aviation atomic bomb. Produced since 1965.

MiG-21SM became a further development of the MiG-21S. It was equipped with a more powerful R-13-300 engine with an afterburner thrust of 6.49 tf.

MiG-21M was an export modification of the MiG-21S fighter. It also had 4 underwing pylons and the same R-11F2S-300 engine, but the equipment was simplified.

MiG-21MF- modification of the MiG-21SM for export deliveries and, in practice, did not differ from it.
Moment-21SMT and Moment-21SMT were modifications of the SM and MF fighters with an increased fuel supply and a more powerful R-13F-300 engine.
MiG-21bis- the last and most advanced modification of the entire huge family of "twenty-first" produced in the USSR. The main innovation was the R-25-300 engine, which developed thrust at an emergency afterburner - 7.1 tf. The aircraft was also upgraded on-board equipment. The aircraft was produced in the USSR until 1985.

Combat use of the MiG-21

The MiG-21 received its baptism of fire during the Vietnam War. There, his main opponent was the American F-4 Fantom. The MiG-21 did not meet its direct competitor F-104 Starfighter in combat. However, the fighter proved to be excellent in combat. High speed and maneuverability made the MiG-21 a serious problem for the US Air Force. It was at that time that the concept of non-maneuverable missile combat failed, costing the Americans a large number of aircraft.

In the mid-1960s, the MiG-21 ended up in the arsenals of the Arab states and immediately found itself at the forefront of the Arab-Israeli wars. There, their opponents were fighters and.

In the early 1970s, the MiG-21 of the Indian Air Force took part in the border conflicts of this country with Pakistan. The aircraft again proved to be very effective in the fight against a rather motley Pakistani aviation group, destroying a large number of aircraft.

During the entire period of service, the MiG-21 managed to take part in many other conflicts, including: the Egyptian-Libyan war, the war in Angola, the Ethiopian-Somali war, the border conflicts of the DPRK and South Korea, the war in Afghanistan, the Iran-Iraq war, the Balkan wars , Asian military companies

In service

In total, 11,496 MiG-21s were produced in the USSR, Czechoslovakia and India. The Czechoslovak copy of the MiG-21 was produced under the name S-106. The Chinese copy of the MiG-21 was produced under the name (for the PLA), and its export version F7 continues to be produced at the present time. As of 2012, about 2,500 J-7/F-7s have been produced in China. The MiG-21 is the most massive jet aircraft in the world - due to mass production, it was distinguished by a very low cost: the MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1.

At the moment, the MiG-21 is significantly outdated, but is still in service with a number of states, mainly third world countries.

The placement of the radar on the fighter entailed major changes in the design of the aircraft. This especially affected the nose of the fuselage, the cockpit canopy and the cabin compartment. Having overestimated the capabilities of guided missile weapons, the only 30-mm cannon was removed from the aircraft. But already the first air battles in Vietnam and the Middle East forced us to reconsider the attitude towards cannon armament and forced us to urgently install small arms on aircraft. To restore the combat potential of the aircraft, the designers developed a suspended ventral container GP-9 (Podvesnaya Gondola 9), in which they placed a 23-mm double-barreled gun GSh-23 with an ammunition load of 200 shells. The decision turned out to be so successful that subsequently the MiG-21PF (as well as the PFM), which took part in armed conflicts, no longer entered into battle without the GP-9. True, the installation of the gun excluded the possibility of hanging a ventral external fuel tank (PTB), but this shortcoming was to some extent compensated for by installing a 170-liter fuel tank in the fairing.

Another external difference of the PF aircraft was the transfer of the PVD rod to the upper part of the fuselage. This simplified the towing of the aircraft and reduced the injury rate of the technical staff, who constantly bumped into a bar sticking out just above the waist.

During serial production, changes were made to the design of the aircraft that concerned the tail section of the fuselage. In particular, the shape and area of the keel changed.

In terms of its flight performance, the PF was slightly inferior to the MiG-21F and F-13 fighters, although the installation of a radar station increased the take-off weight of the fighter.

To be completely honest, the radar sometimes simply interfered with the pilots. The fact is that the station indicator was a cathode-ray tube with a small brightness of the glow. The latter forced the designers to put a rubber tube on the indicator - a hood that protected the screen from sun glare. During aiming, the pilot had to lie face down on the cutouts of the hood. At this moment, he lost control of what was happening both in the cockpit and in the surrounding space. In everyday life, the hood was nicknamed “Boot”, for its external resemblance to the shaft.

An intermediate modification of the aircraft, the MiG-21PFS, was produced in a small number. The aircraft was equipped with an R-11F2S-300 engine with flanges for the installation of branch pipes of the ATP system.

The next in the series was the modification of the MiG-21PFM (product 77 and 94). A distinctive feature of the machines is the keel of the increased area. In the course of mass production, it became possible to install two starting powder jet boosters SPRD-99 with a thrust of 2500 kg each on the aircraft.

Since 1965, the MiG-21S fighter (production 95), the next modification of the aircraft, began to enter the combat units. The fighter received a new radar RP-22 "Sapphire" (it was the first letter "C" from the name of the station that entered the designation of the aircraft). In addition, a new autopilot and Lazur-M guidance equipment were installed. "Lazur" remotely controlled two gunners on a flight instrument in the cockpit. One arrow indicated to the pilot the need to change the altitude, and the other - to make a turn in the right direction. Thus, the pilot could fly straight at the target without seeing it. When reducing the distance with a target of up to several kilometers, the pilot took control and used weapons.

The combat capabilities of the MiG-21S fighter have increased due to the placement of two additional hardpoints on the wing. At external nodes, it was possible to suspend standard PTBs with a capacity of 490 liters. Increased on the plane and the capacity of the external overhead fuel tank.

The MiG-21S, for the first time from the entire family, was made a carrier of a nuclear weapon. The RN-28 nuclear bomb was attached under the fuselage with the help of a main and a small additional holder, and a special suspension control unit was installed in the cockpit.

Since 1968, the MiG-21SM (product 15), created on the basis of the “C”, went into the series. The main difference of the new fighter is the R-13-300 engine with an afterburner thrust of 6400 kg and the built-in GSh-23 gun with 200 rounds of ammunition.

The next changes made to the design of the MiG-21 were aimed at increasing the range and duration of the flight. To this end, we decided to go the tried and tested way - to increase the amount of fuel due to the capacity of the overhead fuel tank behind the cab. The total increased volume of tanks was brought up to 3250 liters. It was possible to achieve an increase in flight range by 250 km. At the same time, most of the flight characteristics have decreased. But despite this, the aircraft under the designation MiG-21SMT (product 50) was produced at the Gorky Aviation Plant for two years. The armament and equipment of the aircraft corresponded to the modification of the MiG-21SM.

In 1971, the MiG-21bis (product 75) was tested - the latest modification of the aircraft, which was mass-produced. A new R-25-300 engine with a thrust of 9900 kg was installed on it. Big changes affected the weapon system. The aircraft could not have short-range air-to-air missiles R-55 and R-60. In the case of suspension of twin APU-60-11s on internal holders, the number of simultaneously suspended R-60 missiles reached six pieces. In the course of serial production, the ammunition load of the gun was increased to 250 rounds. The fuel supply was 2390 kg. All this expanded the combat capabilities of the aircraft. The new MiG was produced from 1972 to 1974 and was delivered to many countries of the world, becoming one of the most massive modifications of the fighter (in total, 2030 machines of this type were produced in the USSR).

For the entire time of serial production, the USSR aircraft factories produced 10158 MiG-21s of various modifications. In addition to the Soviet Union, the MiG-21 was mass-produced in China, Czechoslovakia and India.

The most striking combat page in the history of the MiG-21 was the war in Vietnam, where he had to confront almost all types of US combat aircraft, from huge B-52s to “microscopic” Fierbee unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.

In the spring of 1966, MiG-21s of the Vietnamese Air Force made their first sorties. While the MIG pilots did not have sufficient piloting skills, the results of air battles were in favor of the Americans. The first victory was credited to the MiG-21 only in June 1966, when a pair of MiGs managed to shoot down an F-105 fighter-bomber. This was followed by victories over the heavy and clumsy “Phantoms”. The loss of the Americans began to grow and by the end of 1966 reached 47 aircraft, with 12 MIGs shot down (a ratio of 4: 1). This forced the US Air Force command to send their pilots for special retraining. Training in aerobatics and air combat at short distances did them good, and the next year the Americans lost 124 aircraft, with 60 Vietnamese shot down (a ratio of 2: 1).

As an illustration, we can cite the interception of a group of F-105s and F-4s by a pair of MiG-21s, which took place in the autumn of 1967. American planes flew to bombard Hanoi, MiGs took to the air on alarm and approached the target at an altitude of about 6000 m. in maneuverability, went to the tail of the Phantoms.

The leader of the pair of MiGs, Nguyeng Hong Nyi, fired an R-13 rocket, which exploded in the F-4 engine. The Phantom pilots ejected. The pilot, Major Gordon, was rescued, and the operator, Brinniman, was captured.

Wingman - Nguyen Dang Kinh could not immediately attack the second Phantom, the American pilot left the pursuit into the clouds. But the cunning Vietnamese pilot did not fly after him, but remained at his flight level, waiting for the F-4 at the exit from the clouds. When the calmed down American flew into the clear sky, he was instantly caught in the sight and immediately shot down.

MiG-21s also distinguished themselves during attacks on heavy B-52s. The fighters were brought to the bombers by ground guidance stations in such a way that the MiG would be behind the B-52 at a distance of several kilometers. Then the Vietnamese pilot switched to radio silence and accelerated to supersonic speed. Approaching the B-52, he fired 1-2 rockets and immediately went to the side with a decrease. This tactic made it possible to avoid encounters with numerous American escort fighters. Using this technique, on the night of December 27, 1972, the Vietnamese pilot Pham Tuan (Vietnam's first cosmonaut) visually, by the included lights, discovered the B-52 and shot down the Air Fortress with two R-ZS missiles.

As a result of the war, the Americans lost 320 aircraft shot down, and the Vietnamese only 134. This result is largely due to the reliable and efficient MiG-21 fighter.

MiG-21s were delivered and operated in more than 80 countries around the world and took part in many other conflicts. The largest of these were the Arab-Israeli conflicts of 1967 and 1973, the Indo-Pakistani wars, Afghanistan and the Iran-Iraq war.

In the 90s, the Mikoyan Design Bureau presented the latest modification of the MiG-21I aircraft, created for the Indian Air Force. The aircraft was equipped with new on-board equipment borrowed from the MiG-29 fighter. Thanks to this, the MiG-21 received new, previously unattainable capabilities. The radar enabled him to use the latest medium-range air-to-air missiles, guided bombs and anti-radar missiles. The pilot of the new MiG can also use a helmet-mounted aiming system. True, the latter is more of an advertising opportunity than a real help to the pilot in battle. The helmet-mounted visor from the MiG-29 in combat units was nicknamed “Horns”, according to pilots, it is heavy and inconvenient to use. For several years of operation by the authors of the MiG-29 aircraft, the helmet-mounted sight was never used, even during “business trips” to the Mary air base, where live firing and large-scale aviation exercises took place.

The last page in the history of the legendary MiG-21 aircraft has not been written to this day. 64 years after the first flight of the E-2 prototype (February 14, 1955), these fighters remain in service in many countries of the world.

Found a typo? Select the fragment and press Ctrl+Enter.

sp-force-hide ( display: none;).sp-form ( display: block; background: #ffffff; padding: 15px; width: 960px; max-width: 100%; border-radius: 5px; -moz-border -radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; border-color: #dddddd; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; background- repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center; background-size: auto;).sp-form input ( display: inline-block; opacity: 1; visibility: visible;).sp-form .sp-form-fields -wrapper ( margin: 0 auto; width: 930px;).sp-form .sp-form-control ( background: #ffffff; border-color: #cccccc; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font- size: 15px; padding-left: 8.75px; padding-right: 8.75px; border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; height: 35px; width: 100% ;).sp-form .sp-field label ( color: #444444; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;).sp-form .sp-button ( border-radius: 4px ; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; b background-color: #0089bf; color: #ffffff; width: auto; font-weight: 700 font-style: normal font-family: Arial, sans-serif;).sp-form .sp-button-container ( text-align: left;)

MiG-21 is the most famous aircraft in the world. This is the legendary and most widespread supersonic combat aircraft in the world. It was mass-produced in the USSR from 1959 to 1985, as well as in Czechoslovakia, India and China. Due to mass production, it was distinguished by a very low cost: the MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1. In total, a record number of fighters was produced in the USSR, Czechoslovakia and India - 11496 units. The Czechoslovak copy of the MiG-21 was produced under the name S-106. The Chinese copy of the MiG-21 was produced under the name J-7 (for the PLA), and its export version of the F-7 continues to be produced at the present time. As of 2012, about 2,500 J-7/F-7s have been produced in China. He proved himself excellently in almost all conflicts in which he participated. And he participated in all more or less major conflicts that took place in the period after its creation - up to the present day.

The MiG-21 is really the pride of the domestic (Soviet and Russian) aircraft industry. But the story could have turned out differently, and another plane could have taken the place of the MiG-21. Would he be worthy of the glory of the MiG-21, or, on the contrary, would any alternative choice be a losing one?

Competition between aircraft construction design bureaus has always existed, even in the days of the USSR. And the reasons that encourage waging a battle of minds are and have always been banal: first of all, this is the distribution of cash flows from the state. The "winner takes all" rule was also in effect in the days of the "planned economy", and is also valid in the conditions of "market relations".

I rightly consider the starting point of my story to be July 5, 1953, when the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was published, which ordered the "fighter" design bureaus to start developing new types of aircraft designed for high supersonic flight speed (at least 1750 km / h). It was the work within the framework of this Decree that led to the birth of the MiG-21 and its rivals in the competition. And the main catalyst for the struggle of the minds of the leading Soviet aircraft designers was the super-fast, but low-maneuverable fighter Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, designed a little earlier "beyond the Big Puddle".

Time was distinguished by a very dynamic development of military aviation, while the flight speed acquired extremely important importance. Rapid progress in the field of aerodynamics and aircraft engine building opened up such prospects that until recently seemed fantastic. In just 5-6 years, the speed of fighters almost doubled, and in many ways this pursuit of speed was at the expense of maneuverability. Aviation specialists' ideas about air combat were undergoing major changes, which was largely facilitated by the emergence of air-to-air guided missile weapons. And the main criterion for success in battle for specialists was precisely speed, and not maneuverability. It was on the speed that the customers now pressed: the leadership of the USSR Air Force and the MAP (Ministry of the Aviation Industry). Their TTT (tactical and technical requirements) for fighters in matters of speed were replete with numbers exceeding 2000 km / h.

In A. Yakovlev's design bureau, they went their own way. True to the traditions of the team in the culture of weight and thoroughness in working out aerodynamics, the Yak-50, with the same engine, outperformed its contemporary MiG-17 in all flight characteristics. Looking ahead, I will say that these same techniques allowed A.S. Yakovlev to create the Yak-140 1400 kg (!) Lighter than the MiG-21.

The draft design was approved by A.S. Yakovlev already on July 10, 1953. Here is what it said about the development: "The present conceptual design of the Yak-140 front-line fighter with the AM-11 engine is a further development of the idea of a light fighter carried out for a number of years. The proposed fighter successfully combines the parameters of a small-sized light aircraft and provides outstanding flight combat qualities guaranteed by unsurpassed thrust-to-weight ratio ... Flight data: vertical speed near the ground is 20 m / s, and at an altitude of 15,000 m - 30 m / s; the service ceiling exceeds 18,000 m; maximum speed at altitudes of 10,000-15,000 m reaches 1,700 km / h. With a low wing load and high thrust-to-weight ratio, the light fighter has excellent maneuverability in both vertical and horizontal planes."

Thus, the developers of the Yak-140 deliberately sacrificed speed for the sake of good maneuverability. To do this, the wing of the car was made somewhat larger than was customary for high-speed aircraft of this class. At the same time, the maximum speed was reduced by 150-200 km / h, but maneuverability and take-off and landing characteristics were significantly improved. Low values of the specific load on the wing (on takeoff 250 kg/m², and on landing 180 kg/m²) and low wheel pressure on the ground (6.0 kg/cm²) allowed the aircraft to operate from unpaved airfields. In addition, the vertical rate of descent was significantly reduced, thus facilitating the landing of a fighter with a stopped engine, which was considered by the designers as an important element in improving safety and survivability. The Yak-140 was supposed to have a phenomenal thrust-to-weight ratio for its time, which, according to calculations, was a little more than 1 (!), Which corresponds to the performance of modern F-15, F-16, MiG-29 or Su-27 fighters. For comparison: this figure for the MiG-21F (1958) was 0.84, and for the "enemy" F-104A - 0.83. Such a thrust-to-weight ratio, combined with a relatively low specific wing load, would have provided the Yak-140 with an unconditional advantage in maneuverable air combat. Thus, A.S. Yakovlev showed design foresight and created his own fighter in the distant 50s according to the same principles on the basis of which fourth-generation air superiority fighters were created in the 70s and 80s.

When designing the aircraft, great attention was also paid to simplicity and ease of operation - a convenient layout of equipment and weapons, wide hatches in the fuselage, the ability to undock the rear fuselage to replace the engine, an easily removable fuselage tail spinner for free access to the rear engine. The rudder and engine control wiring runs along the top of the fuselage and is covered by a folding fairing (garrot). The electrical wiring is laid in easily accessible places, and a significant part of it is under the fairing. It should be noted that such an approach was not yet generally accepted, and the Su-7, F-102 (106) and others developed in the same years caused well-deserved criticism from the service personnel.

One of the main features of the Yak-140 is its high survivability. The calculated vertical rate of descent during gliding with the engine inoperative does not exceed 12 m/s with landing gear extended and flaps deflected. Therefore, landing with a failed engine is possible. The hydraulic systems for extending the landing gear and flaps, as well as for braking the wheels of the main landing gear, are duplicated by a pneumatic system. The release of the front and main supports is carried out along the flow, which ensures emergency release of the chassis even at low pressure in the pneumatic system. The control of the elevator and ailerons is irreversible, carried out by means of rotating shafts, working in torsion and experiencing a small load. Therefore, shooting through one or more shafts is much less dangerous than shooting through reversible control rods operating under a significant tensile or compression load. The engine is equipped with a fire alarm and extinguishing system. The low pressure fuel filter is protected from icing in flight. An afterburning emergency shutdown system was installed.

The first experimental fighter was built at the end of 1954. In January 1955, its ground tests began: taxiing, jogging up to takeoff speed, etc. Meanwhile, TsAGI (Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after Professor N.E. Zhukovsky) conducted statistical tests of the main version of the Yak-140. It turned out that the wing of the aircraft needed to be strengthened, but this did not in the least interfere with the first stage of flight tests. However, in February 1955, work on the aircraft was stopped literally on the eve of the first flight and was not resumed. A satisfactory explanation for this fact has not yet been found, we can only state that there was no official decision of the MAP to curtail work on the Yak-140. The need to modify the wing cannot be considered as a serious reason for abandoning the aircraft, since such cases have often occurred before. The technical problems that arose in this case were usually resolved quickly and quite successfully. Interesting information shedding light on this story was told in the journal Aviation and Time. According to one of the veterans of the Design Bureau, in response to the question about the fate of the Yak-140, asked by A.S. Yakovlev many years after the events described, he replied that the then Minister of the Aviation Industry of the USSR P.V. Dementyev, without any explanation, informed him of the futility and senselessness of the design bureau's attempts to continue work on the Yak-140, since preference would still be given to another aircraft.

So, barely born into the world, one of the possible competitors of the legendary MiG-21, the Yak-140 light fighter, died. The question "Would the Yak-140 become a replacement for the MiG-21?" does not have a positive response. Even abstracting from the purely technical problems described above, the leaders of the aviation departments paid too close attention to the characteristics of the "foreign" F-104, which easily crossed the 2.0M mark. The basis of the tactics of the upcoming battles was seen as high-altitude and high-speed battles on converging courses. Consequently, the main characteristics that influenced the choice of aircraft were precisely the speed and altitude. And the Yak-140, which was ahead of the whole world in its concept, lost to its competitors in these indicators, and would have become an outsider in the competition. Understanding the fallacy of non-maneuverable combat will come later, after the Vietnam War and the Arab-Israeli conflicts. It was there that the Yak-140 could realize its potential. Real battles showed that the MiG-21 was approximately equal to the Mirage-3 in close air combat, and victory depended solely on the experience of the pilot and the right tactics. If the Yak-140 were in its place, and the rule of the MiG-21 pilots "I saw the Mirage - do not get into a turn" would no longer make sense. Given the outstanding rate of climb and lower wing loading, the Yak-140 should have significantly outperformed the Mirage-3. In a battle with the F-104, the Yak-140 as a whole would be equal to the MiG-21. The Yak-140 also outperformed its competitors in flight range (the main disadvantage of the MiG-21 and Su-7), and the weight reserve made it possible to further increase the gap. But the history of the Yak-140 ended before it began. And the only thing in which he became a milestone was in the work of OKB A.S. Yakovlev, becoming the last single-seat front-line fighter built in this design bureau.

As you know, in 1949 the design bureau of Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi was closed due to his conflict with the Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR N.A. Bulganin. According to the official version, this design bureau was liquidated due to the crash of an experienced Su-15 interceptor and the general "inefficiency" of work: after all, during the existence of the design bureau, only one aircraft, the Su-2, was put into service. Thus, in the fifties, only two firms designing fighters remained in the USSR: A.I. Mikoyan and KB A.S. Yakovlev. It would seem that they should have become the main competitors in the creation of a new type of fighter. But, as mentioned above, Yakovlev was simply squeezed out of the competition. However, the competitive struggle still turned out, and quite intriguing. The main rival of A.I. Mikoyan became the disgraced P.O. Sukhoi, most recently appointed by order of the MOP No. 223 of May 14, 1953, as the Chief Designer of OKB-1 instead of V.V. Kondratiev.

Thus, Sukhoi got, as they say, out of the fire and into the frying pan: while he was taking materiel at the Central Airfield and selecting smart people for the newly created team, the very Decree arrived in time, which ordered the "fighter" design bureau to begin developing new types of aircraft designed for high supersonic flight speed (at least 1750 km / h). According to the level of the given characteristics, it was clear that the aircraft being created was to become not just a new machine, but to provide a significant breakthrough in maximum speed. By the way, let me remind you, it just happened, but by 1953 there were no mass-produced supersonic aircraft in the USSR at all. Despite the novelty and complexity of the task, the newly formed team, headed by P. O. Sukhim, actively began the development of the project. The basis for it was the project Su-17 R (jet), prepared back in 1948.

The work went in two directions. The first is a front-line fighter (it was he who became the main competitor of the MiG-21), and the second is an air defense interceptor. Both aircraft were developed in two versions, differing in wings: one with a traditional swept, the other with a new triangular one. A front-line fighter with a swept wing received the designation S-1 Strelka, and with a triangular one - T-1. Accordingly, the interceptors were also named: S-3 and T-3. Sukhoi wanted to test both types of wing in parallel and put the best option into service.

In order to achieve higher flight speeds than the R project, Pavel Osipovich also decided to use a new turbojet engine (TRD) designed by A.M. Cradles AL-7F with a declared afterburner thrust of 10,000 kgf. True, the engine was not yet ready, and as a temporary measure, an unpowered version of the AL-7, which developed a third less thrust, could be put on the prototype. Theoretical calculations showed that even with such a weak turbojet engine, Project C aircraft would reach supersonic speeds.

The design of the S-1 fighter went pretty quickly, because its design largely repeated the R project (Su-17 R, in the first photo - projections of the fighter of this project). Of course, for its time, the Su-17 was a revolutionary and advanced design, but 5 years have passed since its design, and this is what the design bureau staff sometimes ignored. This led to the fact that by the time the design was completed, the progress of work was disrupted by the head of the general views team E.G. Adler. He wrote about this in his memoirs as follows: “Propelled by the euphoria associated with the Su-17R, which was ruined back in 1948, I passively watched the young members of the draft design team Sizov, Ryumin, Ponomarev and Polyakov diligently repeat the main features this ideal... But as the drawings from the draft design team moved to the main design bureau brigades, a feeling of dissatisfaction gradually grew in me and a different constructive solution suggested itself. guilty head ... "

In his conversation with Sukhoi, Adler suggested that the project be substantially revised. The democratic and calm Sukhoi approved the revolution. Adler presented his thoughts on changing the project to the team a few days later. The main changes affected the location of the main landing gear - they had to be moved from the fuselage to the wing, and the vacated space should be taken by fuel tanks. Adjustable horizontal tail with elevators should be replaced by an all-moving stabilizer. It had to be moved from the keel to the rear of the fuselage, because powerful boosters did not fit in the keel.

But the rearrangement of the chassis required a change in the power set of the wing and the kinematic scheme of the chassis itself. Nuances arose in the control system, etc. The work slowed down. Adler himself spent a lot of time not only on solving the problems that arose, but also on convincing employees that he was right, which, in fact, amassed a lot of ill-wishers. The conflict grew, and E.G. Adler was forced to leave P.O. Sukhoi for the Yakovlev Design Bureau. As a result of this story, Adler wrote: “From a comparative calculation of the weights of the simultaneously designed two variants of the Su-7 design, it was found that the total weight savings in the new version amounted to 665 kg ... I will not hide that it was nice to hear when Pavel Osipovich, who was once stingy with praises, everything at one of the meetings he threw out the phrase: According to Adler's schemes, constructions are easier to obtain.

The completed S-1 Strelka project (photo 2, C-1 airframe projections) had a simple cylindrical fuselage with a large elongation, a frontal air intake with a central cone, a mid-swept swept wing and a single-fin tail. All these design solutions were aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag and achieving high speeds, especially since such a scheme was studied to the maximum by TsAGI. And if the S-1 glider was familiar and even classic for domestic aircraft, then the power plant was unique at that time.

Developing his new AL-7 turbojet engine, Arkhip Mikhailovich Lyulka decided to achieve an increase in thrust by increasing the degree of air compression in the compressor. This problem could be solved by simply adding steps, but at the same time the weight and dimensions of the engine grew. And it was possible to apply the so-called supersonic compressor. In it, thanks to the special profile of the blades, the air flow between the blades moves faster than the speed of sound. It has fewer steps, but more air pressure. Accordingly, less weight and more traction.

Lyulka decided to make only the first stage supersonic. In terms of its effectiveness, it replaced 3-4 subsonic ones. To increase pressure, the diameter of the wheel of the new stage was increased, while the diameter of the old stages remained the same, because of this, a characteristic hump formed in the air path. During the tests, the engine started working and showed the calculated characteristics, but its hump did not give rest to the design team. All their attempts to straighten out the "ugliness" were not crowned with success. Smooth compressor stubbornly did not want to work. In the end, he was left alone, and the unusual shape of the flow path of the AL-7 compressor became his hallmark.

Arkhip Mikhailovich even joked about it. One day, an American delegation from General Electric visited his design bureau. The leading specialist of the company, seeing the compressor of the AL-7 engine, asked Lyulka in surprise: "Why does your engine have a humpbacked compressor?" To which he jokingly replied: "He is like that from birth!"

On June 1, 1955, a flight test station (LIS) of the P.O. Sukhoi Design Bureau was opened at the FRI in Zhukovsky - only a couple of weeks remained before the completion of the S-1 construction. After testing the units and systems, the aircraft on the night of July 15-16, 1955, under covers in compliance with all regime standards and with a police escort on motorcycles, was transported from Moscow to the LIS. The test team was headed by the leading engineer V.P. Baluev.

Since the design bureau did not yet have its own test pilots, A.G. Kochetkov from the State Red Banner Scientific and Testing Institute of the Air Force (GK NII VVS), who had previously tested the first jet aircraft P.O. Sukhoi Su-9. July 27 A.G. Kochetkov on C-1 performed the first taxiing on the concrete of the airfield. This was followed by new runs already with a separation of the nose wheel, but, despite the absence of comments on the car, the date of the first flight was still being postponed. September 6 P.O. Sukhoi sent an application to the MAP for the first flight of the S-1, but the events of the next day made their own adjustments.

On September 7, another taxiing and a small approach were planned (separation of all landing gear from concrete and reverse landing), but as soon as the car left the runway, it suddenly soared 15 meters!!! The length of the landing strip ahead was clearly not enough. The pilot had no choice but to help the car that turned out to be very "flying". Having increased the engine thrust to maximum speed, A.G. Kochetkov continued to take off. Having completed the flight in a circle, the S-1 landed. For saving the experimental machine, the pilot was thanked and given a bonus in the amount of a monthly salary. The mood of Sukhoi himself was not spoiled even by the fact that competitors managed to get ahead of him - their cars took to the wings in 1954. Mikoyan was the first to distinguish himself - his E-2 under the control of E.K. Mosolova took off on February 14, and two and a half weeks later, Johnson's XF-104A fighter broke away from the factory runway.

At this, the first stage of factory testing of the S-1 project, equipped with an afterburning turbojet engine AL-7, was completed. By this time, the car had completed 11 flights and had flown four hours and five minutes. At the same time, it was possible to cross the sound barrier in level flight and determine the main characteristics of the stability and controllability of the aircraft. Meanwhile, engine builders prepared a flight copy of the AL-7F engine with an afterburner. After a slight revision, it was installed on the S-1, and in March 1956, the second stage of testing the machine began. Already in the first flights after turning on the afterburner, the aircraft easily accelerated to a speed of M = 1.3-1.4. One more step, and the barrier of M=1.7 was taken. Now the testers swung at two speeds of sound! In each new flight, to reduce the risk of losing the only experimental machine, the speed was increased by 0.1 Mach. On June 9, the aircraft reached a speed of 2070 km / h (M = 1.96), the achieved speed already exceeded the required TTT (tactical and technical requirements) of the Air Force, which inspired the customer and the MAP leadership, since it promised a sharp increase in maximum speed compared to the most high-speed at that time Soviet fighter MiG-19. However, a little later, the necessary improvements and corrections were made, which allowed Makhalin to accelerate to 2.03M (2170 km / h) and finally take the "second sound".

The sharp increase in maximum speed compared to the previous generation of machines (in particular, the MiG-19) gave rise to a certain euphoria both in the customer - the Air Force, and in the leadership of the MAP. The support was at the highest level, since the interests of the MAP coincided (after all, it needed high performance for reporting), and the customer - the Air Force (who quite reasonably wanted to have a new car in service, which would be a worthy response to the "American challenge" in the person of fighters of the 100th series). But the rivals of Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi, represented by the Design Bureau of A. I. Mikoyan, did not doze off: in the summer of 1955, even before the S-1, the experimental E-4 came out for testing, and at the beginning of 1956, the E-5 with a standard R-11 engine. In the spring of 1956, the machines went literally toe to toe through the stages of the factory test program, gradually increasing their speed in the unspoken "socialist" competition.

As a result, the game went on for some time, one might say, honestly, and the first winner (they, as already mentioned, was the Sukhoi Design Bureau) was given the right to launch the machine into serial production. Soon a government decree was issued, according to which the S-1, under the designation Su-7, was launched into a small series at plant No. 126 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (later - KNAAPO, now - KNAAZ "Sukhoi Concern"). By the events I am describing, the plant was the domain of the Mikoyan Design Bureau: MiG-17s were produced here and MiG-19s were being prepared for production. But, unlike the head plants of MAP No. 21 in Gorky (today - Nizhny Novgorod) and No. 153 (today - NAPO) in Novosibirsk, it was, as it were, not "native": it was located far away, and the production volumes were smaller, and the equipment was worse ... And therefore, the attitude towards the fact that they were going to hand him over to Sukhoi, among the "Mikoyanovites" was quite calm. Well, the "Sukhovites" did not have to choose, and a set of working documentation was transferred to the serial plant on time. In 1957, before the end of the tests, preparations for production began there.

State joint tests of the Su-7 front-line fighter ended on December 28, 1958. The Su-7 had a thrust-to-weight ratio of about one and a wing load of 290 kg/m2. The aircraft developed a maximum speed of 2170 km / h and had a ceiling of 19100 meters, which was the best indicator for domestic cars at that time. In fact, 96 Su-7 aircraft were manufactured in 1959.

What were the Su-7 aircraft armed with?

Serial vehicles carried weapons consisting of two 30-mm HP-30 cannons installed in the root parts of the wing consoles with an ammunition capacity of 65 rounds per barrel (with an allowable cartridge sleeve capacity of 80 rounds). On the ventral beam holders BDZ-56F, two PTBs (additional fuel tanks) of 640 liters each or, in overload, aircraft bombs with a caliber of up to 250 kg could be suspended. Since, due to the “gluttonous” engine, most flights were carried out with PTBs, two more BDZ-56Ks were installed under the wing for bombs of up to 250 kg caliber or ORO-57K blocks with NURSs (unguided rockets). Initially, ORO-57K were developed in OKB A.I. Mikoyan for the MiG-19 fighter, but later found limited use on the Su-7. Each block was equipped with eight 57-mm S-5M NARS with a high-explosive warhead (warhead). The projectile was detonated by a mechanical impact fuse of instantaneous action V-5M. Aiming was carried out using the ASP-5NM aviation rifle sight, and to determine the range to air targets, the aircraft were equipped with an SRD-5M radio range finder installed in the container of the retractable air intake cone.

But what about the competitors?

And competitors represented by OKB A.I. Mikoyan more and more "stepped on the heels." As already mentioned, they were the first to start in the race for the best fighter - on February 14, 1955, test pilot G.K. Mosolov lifted into the air an experimental E-2 with a swept wing and an RD-9B engine with an afterburner thrust of 3250 kgf, previously installed on the MiG-19. This was a temporary solution, since the projected E-1 fighter was supposed to be equipped with a new turbofan A.A. Mikulin AM-11 with an afterburner thrust of 5110 kgf and a delta wing - the latest "squeak" of the aviation fashion of those years. Due to the lack of thrust, the E-2 did not reach the set maximum speed of 1920 km / h and the ceiling of 19000 m. the speed was only 1290 km / h, and the ceiling was 16400 m. Against this background, the results shown by the Sukhovskiy C-1 looked more preferable. The E-5 cocked hat with a modified wing and the AM-11 turbofan engine (in the R11-300 series) did not correct the situation either. The aircraft, due to the still insufficient engine power, did not reach the TTT of the Air Force and was then regarded by the customer as unsuccessful and unpromising. The serial production of the E-5, which received the designation MiG-21 in the series, was quickly curtailed at the Tbilisi aircraft factory No. 31.

Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force Marshal of Aviation K.A. Vershinin on January 9, 1958, in a letter to the Central Committee of the CPSU, indicated that "the Air Force, as a customer, is interested in fine-tuning a large number of prototype aircraft in order to be able to choose ... In terms of flight characteristics, the Su-7 has an advantage over the MiG-21 in speed at 150-200 km / h and the ceiling - 1-1.5 km, while it can be, after making small changes, a fighter-bomber. The Su-7's performance is more encouraging than the MiG-21."

It seemed that the fate of the MiG-21 hung in the balance, but the next day K.A. Vershinin, together with the chairman of the GKAT P.V. Dementiev sends another letter to the same address, but with a request to release 10-15 MiG-21s from the existing backlog. It is very difficult to understand the secrets of the "Madrid court". The last request went unanswered. However, someone "rescued" the MiG-21; it is quite possible that OKB-300 also had its say, arriving in time with a proposal for a forced version of the R11F-300 engine. And already on July 24, 1958, the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 831-398, and nine days later - the order of the GKAT No. 304 on the construction of the MiG-21F aircraft (E-6, product "72" of plant No. 21) with the R11F-300 engine based on the MiG-21. The new R11F-300, whose production began in 1958, had an afterburner thrust of 6120 kgf, acceptable reliability and made it possible to significantly improve almost all the flight characteristics of the fighter. May 20, 1958 V.A. Nefedov took off the ground E6-1, the first prototype of the fighter, which later received the designation MiG-21F. With a forced turbofan engine, a sharp VZ leading edge, a two-jump cone and other improvements, the MiG-21F reached a maximum speed of 2100 km / h, reached an altitude of 20700 m and had a flight range of 1800 km with one PTB.

Meanwhile, the ongoing problems with the AL-7F against the backdrop of a new competitor did not add supporters to the Sukhov machine. From the tables below, it is quite obvious that Sukhoi turned out to be a large fighter. Nevertheless, comparing his and Mikoyan's aircraft, it is clear that the maneuverability characteristics of the Su-7 turned out to be quite good. There is a significant advantage of the Su-7 in the radius of the turn, which is maintained with increasing altitude. But there is a slight lag in climb rate. The Air Force command was satisfied with the new P.O. Sukhoi. However, the military also supported Mikoyan's alternative project, which was better suited as a front-line fighter. Naturally, problems arose with the MiG-21, but the number of these aircraft in the Air Force units grew. In 1959, the aircraft was put into production at the Gorky Aviation Plant No. 21, launching the production of one of the most popular and famous jet fighters "of all times and peoples." And by the beginning of 1960, the factories had already built more than 200 (!) Machines. The concept of a light front-line fighter for air combat was winning. The MiG-21 was distinguished by a simpler power plant to operate, lower fuel consumption, was less noticeable in the air, had better takeoff and landing characteristics, and in order to put it into service, it was not necessary to increase the runways throughout the country, which ultimately predetermined the choice of the military .

The MiG-21 became the "workhorse" of front-line aviation, and the Su-7, as suggested in his letter by the Commander-in-Chief, began to be converted into a bomber. The last "clean" Su-7 12 series left the assembly shop in December 1960. A total of 133 fighters were built, of which 10 were pre-production and the first 20 production aircraft had AP-7F engines. Considering the huge need of the Air Force for such fighters, the number of Su-7s built is simply scanty - they were in service with only two fighter regiments - the 523rd and 821st. Both parts were based in Primorsky Krai, closer to the manufacturer. Part of the aircraft entered the Yeisk VVAUL, where pilot training was launched. Officially, the Su-7 was never accepted into service.

Bibliography:

Adler E.G. Earth and sky. Notes of an aircraft designer.
Markovsky V.Yu., Prikhodchenko I.V. The first supersonic fighter-bomber Su-7B. "Come out of the shadows!"
Aviation and Time // 2011. No. 5. "Aircraft of the era of jet classicism". Avio. Anthology Su-7.
Wings of the Motherland // Adler E.G. How the Su-7 was born.
Tsikhosh E. Supersonic aircraft.
Wings of the Motherland // Ageev V. On the threshold of the "second sound".
Astakhov R. Front-line fighter Su-7.
History of aircraft designs in the USSR 1951-1965.
O. Mikoyan:: A moment of life. Memories of aircraft designer A. I. Mikoyan