[News]MiG-29KUB started flight tests

[Groove]

I know we have Mig-29 fans here, so maybe someone is intersted.

 

For polish readers:

 

http://www.magnum-x.pl/pol/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=420&Itemid=74

 

I translated the article for our non-polish friends. Pls dont laugh about my crazy english^^

 

Here we go:

 

On Saturday the 20th of January 2007 the first pre-series MiG-29 KUB started from the Institute for Flight Test (LII) Airbase in Zukowski. The Pilots were Michail Bielajew ( head testing pilot for the MiG-29K program) and Pawel Wlasow ( chief of the testing pilots at RSK MiG). Two days later, 22 January, the jet was presented to a delegation of the Indian Navy which attended to the second flight of the jet. At this time the MiG RSK announced that the building of a second airframe is almost complete, but this time it will be a single-seater MiG29K. Bot pre-series frames will be used for certification test, they are the property of MiG RSK and will stay in Russia. Sixteens airframes are currently in different production stages, while the first one is in the final construction process. The assembly of the MiG-29K/KUB is done in Luchowice, in Europes biggest hangar for building jets. Involved in the production process is also the company Sokol from Nizhni Novgorod which manufactures the wielded steel elements used in the wings and fuselage, the undercarriage / gear is done by Hydromasz from Niznhi Novgorod.

 

In his toast on the celebration of the beginning of the test flights of the MiG-29K the Indian Navy attache in Moscow, S.S. Jamwal congratulated the MiG company and they cooperators their achievment, and especally „done in time“.Two years ago MiG announced that the first MiG-29KUB will takeoff at the beginning of 2006. So why „in time“? Inofficial sources said that the intern dates set by RSK MiG where much shorter than the official dates which were set up in the contract with the Indians. Its also possible that in the following negotiations the date for giving the Indian Navy the first airframe was set to a new date. Well, despite all the informations floating around the RSK MiG still insists that they will ship all 16 frames to India by end of 2008. The first MiG-29KUB started (even totally unplanned) exactly three years after the contract which was made by the Indian Defence Minister Baratiya Nau Sena. 20th January 2004, while the russian Minister Of Defence by then, Mr. Iwanow visited russia, Russia and India signed a contract which would give the Indians a Russian carrier, project 11434, Admiral Gorszkow. Besides the basic contract there were several additional contracts. Some of them were about the repair and modernization in the russian naval sipyard Siewmasz in Siewierdwinsk, and also the buying of new equipment, armament and coastal infrastructure. One of the most important of the additional contracts were about the terms of buying 16 fighters MiG 29-K/KUB and Mi-28 and Mi-31 helicopters. The contract is worth about 1,5-1,6 bln dollars, with all the options – 2,5-3 bln. Dollars. The ship will be transfered into Indian hands in the year 2008. Admiral Gorszkow, which will be named INS Vikramaditya will replace the 50 years old aircraft carrier Viraat ( ex british Hermes ). He will fill the gap until the Indian Navy will release their own buid Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC).

 

 

The wings of the Mig-29K/KUB has two-gap nose flaps and rear-flaps with a big area. Please notice also the „krueger flap“ (?) on the wings. It stabilize the jet on low-speed landing approches. Photo: Piotr Butkowski.

 

 

The wings of the MiG-29K can be folded to save space on the carrier.Photo: Piotr Butkowski.

 

The first considerations about buying a russian aircraft carrier by the Indian Navy were written down in the agreement about cooperating on the defence-technology sector in 1994. 21 december 1998 the first contract was signed about giving the Indian Navy Admiral Gorszkow for free, but only after a modernization and repair of the ship in a russian shipyard at Indians costs. The following five years were needed to get all the agreements about the technical configuration, ship equipment and also the costs disputes. The part of the contract about the MiG-29K`s is worth 740 million dollars and sees the delivery of the airframes in one year and a half. Strating will be in Juli 2007, twelve one-seaters MiG-29Ks and four battle-trainers MiG-29KUBs. Besides this MiG will train the Indian pilots and the ground crews, will build simulators, will deliver a complet set of spare parts and they will also organize the jet service in the Indian Naval Airbases. The contract also includes an option for 30 additional airframes with their delivery until 2015. In 2005 a additional contract was made about the delivery of weapons for the indian MiG-29K`s.

In the beginning of 2005 Bharatiya Nau Sena created a working task force „Project Overseeing Team“ which is based in Moscow for continous monitoring the further developement of the building process. They work not only with MiG but also with nine other companys which produce main components for the jets. Regarding to S.S. Jamwala: „this team could be annoying for you (MiG) but that was their task. I think a demanding client is also good for the MiG company.“ „Thank you for this fantastic fighter“ - Jamwal added.

The history of the MiG-29 started long, long before.The first drawings about a naval version of the MiG-29 were made in Mikojans offices in 1978 ( We remember that at this time there were just three flying MiG-29 prototypes). In the summer of 1981 the government of the UDSSR officially ordered the MiG-29K (izdelije 9-31) for the first russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsow ( called Tibilisi at this time).

 

More in the Nowa Technika Wojskowa Mag, pages 52-59.

[Force_Feedback]

Kreuger flaps on a mig-29, what's next, 3x3 seat arrangement, 4 toilets and no eyebrow windows? ;)

[Jascha]

You can find more photos here:

 

http://pilot.strizhi.info/2007/01/23/1918

 

:music_whistling: