MiG-29

This page is about the Soviet jet fighter MiG-29. For the other version, see MiG-29 (Germany).

MiG-29

MiG-23MLD

MiG-29SMT

MiG-29

MiG-23MLD

MiG-29SMT

USSR

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
12.7	12.7	12.7

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:400 000

Purchase:1 080 000

Show in game

Description

The MiG-29 (9-13) (NATO Code: Fulcrum-C; Izdeliye [Product] 9.13) is a rank VIII Soviet jet fighter with a battle rating of 12.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Apex Predators".

The first revision of the famous Strizhi (Swifts; nickname in Russian) family jet fighters, the MiG-29 offers a completely new style of combat, especially when the overall flight performance is vastly superior to the preceding MiG-23s with its light airframe and powerful jet engines, as well as new BVR missiles at its disposal.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 14 000 m2 448 km/h

Turn time20 s

Max altitude16 000 m

Engine2 х Klimov RD-33

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight46 t

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

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear700 km/h

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

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 898 → 4 396

RB8 371 → 12 698

SB9 873 → 14 977

Total cost of modifications309 600

480 000

Talisman cost3 100

Crew training310 000

Experts1 080 000

Aces3 400

Research Aces1 280 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

90 / 320 / 490 %

250 / 250 / 250 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 New boosters Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 510 Wings repair Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 480 Engine Research: 25 000 Cost: 38 000 920	Fuselage repair Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 G-suit Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 510 Airframe Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 510 Cover Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 480 EFS Research: 25 000 Cost: 38 000 920	S-24 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 R-60 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 GSh_301_belt_pack Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 ZB-500 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 Flares/Chaff Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 320 B-8M1 Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 510 OFAB-100 Research: 14 000 Cost: 22 000 510 R-27ER Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 480 R-60M Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 480 GSh_301_new_gun Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 480 FAB-250 Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 480 R-27T Research: 25 000 Cost: 38 000 920 FAB-500 Research: 25 000 Cost: 38 000 920

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)	Lead indicator

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

Suspended armament

The MiG-29 can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

• 1 x 1,500 l drop tank
• 2 x R-60M missiles
• 6 x R-60M missiles
• 6 x R-60 missiles
• 2 x R-27T missiles
• 2 x R-27R missiles
• 2 x R-27ER missiles
• 80 x S-8KO rockets
• 4 x S-24B rockets
• 16 x 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs (1,600 kg total)
• 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M-54 bombs (1,000 kg total)
• 8 x 250 kg FAB-250M-54 bombs (2,000 kg total)
• 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs (1,000 kg total)
• 8 x 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs (2,000 kg total)
• 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (2,000 kg total) across 2 pylons
• 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (2,000 kg total) across 4 pylons
• 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (2,000 kg total) across 2 pylons
• 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (2,000 kg total) across 4 pylons
• 4 x ZB-500 incendiary bombs

Custom loadout options

	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
500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs		1	1, 2		1, 2	1
500 kg FAB-500M-62 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

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 maneuverability 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.

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 cyclis 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 taking 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 its heading. Change the scope scale to 100 Km to be able to see where the flock of enemies are 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 high altitude. Start Flanking that target and getting close to it, once in a range of 15-20 Km: Lock on to the target and fire away your radar missile, The enemy will not have enough time to break the radar lock and will get eliminated by the fast incoming R-27R/ER. If the targets are getting to a below 10Km range, start preparing yourself to swap into HMD PD (within visual range combat radar mode). This will allow you to make use of the Head Mounted Display to lock on to any target you look at. Which will allow you to lock on to jets who not near the ground, and once the missile is fired away the target will have a low chance of evading it. A thing to keep in mind about these missiles: is that when fired below 3 Km the enemies might be able to evade/dodge the missile due to the shear launch speed it has.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• High top speed, with enough engine power to reach that top speed even when near sea level
• 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
• Underperforming IR missiles
• 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.

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 the intensive developments in 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).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the MiG-29 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #336 - Metal Beasts section at 00:27 discusses the MiG-29.

See also

Related development

• MiG-29 (Germany)

External links

• [Devblog] MiG-29 (9-13): the Fulcrum