MiG-29
| This page is about the Soviet jet fighter MiG-29. For other versions, see MiG-29 (Family). |
Contents
Description
In the late 1960s, both the US and USSR witnessed the doctrinal advantages of supposedly "outdated" lightweight, highly agile fighters over the skies of Vietnam, and learned the harsh lesson that large missile trucks were not the future of air combat as they had anticipated. As such, the US and USSR quickly raced to develop new lightweight, high manoeuvrability air superiority fighters to replace their F-4 Phantom II and MiG-23 "missile trucks". With both designs being initially very similar for a frontline lightweight fighter, Mikoyan OKB would implement multiple new features in their Perspektivnyy Lyogkiy Frontovoy Istrebitel (LPFI, or "Advanced Lightweight Tactical Fighter") program over the American F-16, such as a second engine for redundancy and more thrust, a far more powerful radar and long range BVR missiles, and most famously, the "Kill-on-sight" doctrine involving the R-73 "High Off-Boresight" dogfight missile and the Shchel-3UM/Zsh-5 helmet-mounted targeting system, giving the MiG-29 an unparalleled advantage in close range dogfighting over any of its adversaries of the time. The aircraft's development would be plagued with problems, and would undergo multiple design changing decisions, such as accomodation of the R-73 missile after the R-14M1 was cancelled, and the cost saving measures required to field the Fulcrum at a 2:1 ratio over its heavier brother, the Sukhoi Su-27. In the end, the initial pre-production variant of the Fulcrum as we know it (titled the MiG-29A) would first take to the skies on October 6th, 1977, marking the beginning of a new era of military aviation in the Eastern world.
The MiG-29 (9-13) (NATO Code: Fulcrum-C; Izdeliye [Product] 9.13) was introduced in Update "Apex Predators" as the first 4th generation fighter for the Soviet tech tree at the time. Being the first revision of the venerable Fulcrum family, updated to have a slightly larger internal fuel tank over its sister model, the 9.12, the differences are very minimal and the two aircraft are basically the same. The MiG-29 builds on techniques the player learned from both the preceding MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft in the tech tree, such as engagement prioritization of the MiG-21s and weapon system management of the MiG-23. The MiG-29 also brings into the mix tools and weapons not previously found on Soviet aircraft of that lineage, such as a proper Pulse-Doppler radar system (in contrast to the "pseudo-PD" radars with MTI mode found on the MiG-23 family) and the incredible R-27ER, one of the strongest SARH missiles in-game. The MiG-29 also offers an HMD (Helmet Mounted Display) targeting system, allowing the MiG-29 to aim its all-aspect R-60M and R-27T missiles off-boresight in ways previously impossible to other aircraft, opening the door to many new engagement options and opportunities. All in all, the MiG-29 is a powerful machine which offers a lot of tools to its pilots, truly worthy of starting the new era of 4th generation fighters in the Soviet tech tree.
General info
Flight performance
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at 14,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 2,360 | 2,314 | 16000 | 20.3 | 20.5 | 272.2 | 258.6 | 750 |
| Upgraded | 2,544 | 2,448 | 19.2 | 19.7 | 367.7 | 318.0 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1,575 | 700 | - | 532 | 463 | ~10 | ~4 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 680 | < 750 | < 700 | - |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Klimov RD-33 | 2 | 10,895 kg | ___ kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 28m fuel | ||
| 1,050 kg | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan | 11,901 kg | 13,241 kg | 14,248 kg | 18,408 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 28m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | 3,920 kgf | 6,816 kgf | 1.15 | 1.03 | 0.96 | 0.74 |
| Optimal | 5,430 kgf (1,575 km/h) |
12,445 kgf (1,575 km/h) |
2.09 | 1.88 | 1.75 | 1.35 |
Survivability and armour
Aside from the airframe and the alloy skin themselves, the MiG-29 offers no extra protection to pilots or vital components; although the size is not the biggest among jets of its tier. Hits from cannon or missiles will very likely damage the jet beyond repair or taking down the pilot straight away. In case of a fire onboard, the Engine Fire System can save the jet and leave some thrust for a retreat or revenge kill.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) | Lead indicator |
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Offensive armament
The MiG-29 is armed with:
- A choice between two presets:
- 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon, cheek-mounted (150 rpg)
- 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon + 60 x countermeasures
The MiG-29 has a single-barrelled 30 mm autocannon, which performs quite differently from the twin-barrel 23 mm cannons seen on the MiG-23 and later MiG-21s. In some sense, it is a return to form to the 30 mm cannons of the MiG-19PT and MiG-21F-13, but it's superior to the NR-30 with a higher muzzle velocity, an 80% faster rate of fire, and a more generous ammunition supply. It can deal great damage to air targets but requires precise aim and its ammo can be depleted in no time, so in dogfights it's helpful to take advantage of the MiG-29's lead computing system.
Suspended armament
The MiG-29 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| 250 kg FAB-250M-54 bombs | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
| 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
| 250 kg OFAB-250Sh bombs | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
| 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | ||||
| 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | ||||
| 500 kg FAB-500Sh bombs | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | ||||
| ZB-500 incendiary bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| S-8KO rockets | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | ||||
| S-24B rockets | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| R-27ER missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| R-27R missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| R-27T missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| R-60 missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| R-60M missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1,500 l drop tanks | 1 | |||||||
| Maximum permissible loadout weight: 3,050 kg Maximum permissible wing load: 1,525 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,200 kg | ||||||||
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
The MiG-29's air-to-air arsenal consists of two families of missiles: the familiar R-60 short-range missiles, and the new R-27 medium-range missile that succeeds the R-23/R-24 used by the MiG-23. The R-60s are rather dated at the MiG-29's battle rating, having low range and flare resistance, and are generally inferior to the NATO AIM-9L Sidewinder. The R-27 come in three flavors: the R-27T with IR guidance, the R-27R with radar guidance, and the radar-guided R-27ER with extended range. The basic R-27R is largely comparable to the MiG-23MLD's R-24R with better overload (35G), but outclassed by the NATO AIM-7F/M Sparrows in launch range and speed. The R-27T is good for sneak attacks and has IRCCM to better resist flares after it is fired at a target. The real highlight is the R-27ER, whose improved rocket motor doubles the launch range and propels it to a blistering Mach 5.8 top speed. With the R-27ER equipped, the MiG-29 can engage in BVR jousts with NATO planes and often win. Unfortunately, the Fulcrum can only carry two R-27ERs, and the rest of the air-to-air loadout can only be rounded out with R-60Ms. The MiG-29 does have a helmet-mounted sight, which allows it to take advantage of the Aphids' small minimum range for trick shots when dogfighting.
Although the MiG-29 is intended for air superiority, it can carry bombs and rockets for a limited ground attack capability, befitting its frontline role. The outboard pylons are reserved for R-60s, but the remaining wing pylons can carry various flavors of unguided bombs (standard, high-drag, incendiary) and rockets (S-8KO HEAT rockets in pods, S-24B HE rockets singly). In terms of options and payload, it's inferior to even the basic Su-25, not having S-13OF podded HE rockets or enormous S-25O bunker-busters, but it still has a full-fledged ballistic computer. The MiG-29's excellent flight performance allows it to zip in and out of the battlefield very quickly compared to the lumbering Frogfoot, so if no other aircraft are available the MiG-29 can still perform basic CAS in Ground RB.
Although it is technically not a weapon, a very important part of the MiG-29's arsenal is the drop tank carried on the center pylon reserved for it. The MiG-29's engines are very thirsty on afterburner and can burn through the internal fuel capacity in no time. The drop tank can be used during takeoff and climb, and only dropped when maximum agility is needed such as an intense dogfight. In Ground RB, it is less necessary due to the small map size and shorter duration of air-to-air combat, but as it costs no spawn points, there's no real harm in taking it.
Usage in battles
The MiG-29 has a unique flight character, its engines consume a lot of fuel thus the external fuel tank, getting rid of the external fuel tank will reduce drag and improve the performance of the aircraft, this is mostly done before engaging a target. But the engines also provide excellent thrust at a very wide range of speeds giving you enough power to engage in long-lasting dogfights. The aircraft is not equipped with variable wing sweep, which is not very noticeable. Only when flying at high speeds at lower altitudes will you begin to notice that the wings produce much lift. The MiG-29 has decent manoeuvrability at high and low speeds, the energy retention is not something to complain about either. The 30 mm guns have a high velocity, making it easy to aim at targets, and are much better than earlier Soviet aircraft. The missiles which are the most effective are the R-60M and R-27ER. The R-60M are very easy to flare off, and at its BR many people will dodge these missiles in a head-on fairly easily. But the R-27ER has some very effective performance, with an improved radar system this missile will rock the battlefield.
Air combat
At the start of a match, take all the fuel you can and make sure your custom loadout has drop tank equipped in it. Equip air target belts, 4 R-60Ms and 2 R-27ER/R or 2 R-27T (depending on what you prefer). Take off and start going into a flank position, your goal here is to pick off alone flying jets. The MiG-29 excels at solo fighting and performs the best when engaging single targets. Make sure to stick near the ground until you have found yourself a target. Once you got yourself a target, start engaging it and keep your speed up. If the target is high altitude or long distance, make use of your R-27 missiles to take care of it from a distance. But when players decided to hunt down enemy jets with SARH missiles, the enemies will do the same and here comes a flaw to the electronics of the jet: the SPO-15 RWR; although claimed to be all-aspect, the system is in fact divided into 8 smaller sectors at the front-aspect while having only 2 sectors at the rear-aspect, this can be a major problem when multiple targets have a lock on MiG-29 - the pilots have to make a guess on where exactly the source comes from, especially when enemy jets is chasing MiG-29. This can be a major problem in SB battles with only cockpit view. When in close range make use of your R-60M, but beware of enemy targets that might join the fight. It should be noted to stay away from flock of enemies, the MiG-29 performs poor when under pressure from multiple targets and will become a easy elimination to the enemy. The suggested radar modes for basic users to use are: SRC PD and HMD PD (for close range). During close range dog fighting the MiG-29 can make use of both the radar and IRST to get a lead indicator when locked on target, which is extremely useful and makes eliminating by gun easier. Lastly: keep a eye on your fuel, because this Jet consumes it so fast that in important dog fights you might run out of fuel mid-battle.
Guide on R-27R/ER
To use the radar variants of the R-27 to the fullest make sure to firstly enable "Use rectangular radar indicator", disable "Target cycles switching of aircraft radar" in the settings and set up keybinds for "Horizontal Radar/IRST target cue control axis" and "Vertical Radar/IRST target cue control axis". By doing all of this you have now full control over your radar which will allow you to maximize your potential. Once taken off, make sure to either have TWS or TWS HDN as selected radar mode, this will allow you to see in third person where the selected (not radar locked) target is and where it is heading. Change the scope scale to 100 km to be able to see where the flock of enemies is going, and with that information adjust your trajectory into a flank. Your goal here is to pick off individual high-flying targets, so with use of your horizontal and vertical cue control go over incoming radar pings and sort out which target is most likely to remain at high altitude. Start flanking the target and getting closer to it. When at a range of 15-20 km, lock on to the target and fire away your radar-guided missile. The enemy will not have enough time to break the radar lock and will get destroyed by the fast incoming R-27R/ER. If the targets are getting below 10 km range, prepare yourself to swap into HMD PD (within visual range combat radar mode). This will allow you to make use of the helmet-mounted display to lock on to any target you look at. This will allow you to lock on to jets who are not near the ground, and once the missile is fired away the target will have little chance evading it. When fired below 3 km, the enemies might be able to evade/dodge the missile due to the sheer launch speed it has.
CAS
The MiG-29 can be used as a fast interceptor of enemy targets in Ground Realistic. Equip your MiG-29 with 6 x FAB-500SH, add 2 R-60Ms optionally. Start heading to the battle area and go for a behind approach of the enemy spawn, this will allow you to take care of SPAAs or any other targets with a surprise. Once you found yourself a target, prepare to slow down to near Mach 1 and align your CCIP with the target, drop all or half of all the retarded bombs with a 0 second fuse (the bombs slowly fall on the target, allowing you to escape the blast while also instantly eliminating the target). Once the bombs have been dropped, either start speeding off back to the airfield for more bombs, or make use of your R-60Ms to take care of any enemy air targets. Furthermore, make sure to swap your radar into IRST mode, as you do not carry any radar missiles and it will make you more stealthy to face off enemy jets. It is suggested to also take a mixed countermeasures loadout, it can help you dodge surface-to-air missiles and break their lock on.
Enemies worth noting
F-16 series : The F-16s are considered the top opponent against the MiG-29, having a equal amount of power and ability to combat you. Singularly you might have a upper hand in skill and abilities thanks to the R-27 and R-60 missiles, but beware. The moment a F-16 teams up with one another, they become a formidable and dangerous group. The more F-16s are flying as a flock the more dangerous they become. In comparison with the MiG-29: the F-16 performs better in groups, and it is that what you have to look out for. It's best to avoid engaging into a flock of F-16s, but to rather engage it from a distance (with use of R-27 missiles) or wait for the flock to fall apart. This will give you again a upper hand over the F-16 and give you the ability to combat it 1 on 1. Further than that make sure to keep a eye out for their missiles, they have a excellent medium range and can retain a IR lock very well.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High top speed, with enough engine power to reach that top speed when near sea level
- Very good acceleration at all altitudes
- Good manoeuvrability at low to medium speed
- Effective gun with suitable ammunition load and lethal effect on air targets
- Good radar system able to use Pulse-Doppler and Track-While-Scan to search for targets
- Good radar-guided missiles, particularly the R-27ER
- Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) sights allows more flexibility with both radar and IRST to target enemy planes off the MiG-29's nose
- Has IRST to search and track enemies, as well as slave IR weaponry, without alerting their Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)
Cons:
- Manoeuvrability drops at higher speed due to pilot pulling more G's, which can make it difficult to turn quickly without G-LOCing the pilot, such as evading a radar missile fired at close range
- The SPO-15 RWR is pseudo-all-aspect where the detections are divided into different sectors instead of showing the exact direction
- Lacklustre short-range missiles (R-60Ms) compared to NATO counterparts
- Radar mechanics may have larger margin of error against very long-range (greater than 30 km) and very low altitude planes, even if enemy are within radar missile's weapon envelope
- Very limited supply of ammo (150 rounds)
History
As proxy wars between the Soviet Union and the USA went on in different battlefields where the latest jets of the era could have been shot down by first generation jets like the MiG-17 (J-5) or the MiG-19 (J-6) in Vietnam, the USAF started their development on the new F-X program to ensure the air superiority in future combats (resulting in the F-15 Eagle). To counter the possible superiority of the new jet, the Soviet Union also started their Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel (lit. "Advanced Frontline Fighter"), a program for an equivalent to the F-X in 1969. But after some development between Soviet firms TsAGI and Sukhoi, since the need for another lightweight jet to counter USAF's Lightweight Fighter program and its resulting product F-16 Fighting Falcon in 1971 arose, VVS also called for an Perspektivnyy Lyogkiy Frontovoy Istrebitel (lit. "Advanced Lightweight Frontline Fighter") where the new jets would become the cornerstones at a 1:2 ratio. After intensive developments in the 1970s, Sukhoi came up with the famous Su-27 Flanker while Mikoyan came with the other famous jet in Warsaw Pact service: the MiG-29 Fulcrum.
Compared to its Sukhoi rival, the MiG-29 traded the advanced flight control system and range of Flankers (until the introduction of the MiG-29S and MiG-29SMT with additional fuel tanks) with its infamous agility over NATO jets. When they were first publicly shown in different occasions through the 1980s, they had already become the new export fighter of choice for Warsaw Pact countries and allied customers over most continents of this planet such as Peru, Libya, Eritrea, India etc. Most of the MiG-29s didn't join conflicts during the Cold War aside from Iraqi ones, where they had to fight Iranian jet fighters, then later the coalition of NATO forces. These jets were then seen in many conflicts up to this date, sometimes even facing other Soviet jets, including the MiG-29's "higher-end" rival: the Su-27 (Eritrea vs. Ethiopia).
Unfortunately for the MiG-29, like most Soviet aircraft, it would gain a tarnished reputation in the hands of inexperienced pilots of its export customers flying downgraded export models, namely Iraq and Eritrea, who lost quite a few air-to-air engagements using this aircraft. The Western world would not get their hands on a true taste of the MiG-29's power until 1994, when a dissimilar air combat training exercise between USAF F-16As of the 510th Fighter Squadron and Luftwaffe MiG-29s took place at a NATO airbase in Aviano, Italy. After an overwhelming victory from the German MiG-29s, utilizing the R-73 and their helmet-cued targeting, the USA and the rest of the NATO countries realized that they had severely underestimated the MiG-29's performance, instantly kickstarting the production of equivalent aircraft and the upgrades of older models into new standards to match (F-16C, Rafale C, etc.) and developing comparable missile systems (AIM-9X, ASRAAM, IRIS-T) to the R-73 for NATO countries.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
External links
| Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (Микоя́н и Гуре́вич Опытное конструкторское бюро) | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | MiG-3-15 · MiG-3-15 (BK) · MiG-3-34 |
| I-225 | |
| Jet fighters | MiG-9 · MiG-9 (l) |
| MiG-15 · MiG-15bis · MiG-15bis ISH | |
| MiG-17 | |
| MiG-19PT | |
| MiG-21F-13 · MiG-21PFM · MiG-21S (R-13-300) · MiG-21SMT · MiG-21bis | |
| MiG-23M · MiG-23ML · MiG-23MLD | |
| MiG-27M · MiG-27K | |
| MiG-29 · MiG-29SMT | |
| Export/Licensed | ␗MiG-9 · ␗MiG-9 (l) |
| ◊MiG-15bis · ◔MiG-15bis · J-2* | |
| MiG-17AS · ◔MiG-17PF · J-4* · Shenyang F-5* | |
| ◊MiG-19S · J-6A* | |
| ◄MiG-21 SPS-K · ◊MiG-21MF · ◔MiG-21MF · ▄MiG-21bis · ◔MiG-21bis-SAU · ◊MiG-21bis-SAU · ◊MiG-21 "Lazur-M" · J-7II** | |
| ◊MiG-23BN · ◊MiG-23MF · ◔MiG-23MF · ◊MiG-23MLA | |
| ◔MiG-29 · ◊MiG-29 · ◄MiG-29G | |
| *Licensed and domesticated with Chinese designations. | |
| **Unlicensed, reverse-engineered and domesticated with Chinese designations. | |
| See Also | Shenyang · Chengdu |
| USSR jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Bereznyak-Isayev | BI |
| Yakovlev | Yak-15 · Yak-15P · Yak-17 · Yak-23 · Yak-28B · Yak-30D · Yak-38 · Yak-38M · Yak-141 |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich | MiG-9 · MiG-9 (l) · MiG-15 · MiG-15bis · MiG-15bis ISH · MiG-17 · MiG-17AS · MiG-19PT |
| MiG-21F-13 · MiG-21PFM · MiG-21S (R-13-300) · MiG-21SMT · MiG-21bis | |
| MiG-23M · MiG-23ML · MiG-23MLD · MiG-27M · MiG-27K | |
| MiG-29 · MiG-29SMT | |
| Lavochkin | La-174 · La-15 · La-200 |
| Sukhoi | Su-9 · Su-11 |
| Su-7B · Su-7BKL · Su-7BMK · Su-17M2 · Su-17M4 · Su-22M3 | |
| Su-25 · Su-25BM · Su-25K · Su-25T · Su-25SM3 · Su-39 | |
| Su-27 | |
| Ilyushin | IL-28 · IL-28Sh |
| Tupolev | Tu-14T |
