Takeoff rotation

[Fox One]

https://youtu.be/fDjElbv3TNM?t=36

The video has poor resolution, but is interesting to me because shortly after the beginning of the takeoff run the pilot pulls the stick fully aft.

7.5 sec after the beginning of the takeoff run the nose wheel lifts; 3 sec later the aircraft lifts off. In the real flight manual the takeoff speed with full AB is given as 230-250 Km/h. An elementary calculation shows that in the video at nose wheel liftoff the speed is easily north of 150 Km/h, and that’s a very conservative estimation. An element clearly visible – during rotation the stick is quickly brought to a position close to neutral (stabilator close to neutral) then just 1.5 sec after nose wheel liftoff the “second stick pull” is clearly observed – meaning the speed has exceeded 200 Km/h, the axial air intakes have opened producing a nose-down pitch moment so a stick pull is necessary to maintain pitch angle. This strongly suggest a nose wheel liftoff speed in the 170-180 Km/h range.

 

The fact that is a two seater doesn’t matter. The two seater has an empty weigth 85 Kg less than a 9-12 single seater, that’s completely negligible.

 

In track “takeoff MiG-29-2” I try to recreate the takeoff from the video. The nose wheel lifts at a comical speed: 80Km/h. Then despite the small speed the aircraft has so much ”desire” to rotate that, to avoid scraping the nozzles on the runway I have to actually push the stick to not allow the pitch rate to increase too much. I even reach a FULL PUSH and I still overshoot slightly my target pitch angle of 10deg. From the beginning of the takeoff run until the nose wheel lifts there’s just 4 seconds …

 

So here is the most direct comparison: at 123 Km/h I am almost at the end of rotation with stick FULLY PUSHED, while the real aircraft with full aft stick only lifts off nose wheel at more than 150 Km/h, and during rotation there is definitely no stick push observed …

 

If you believe that in simulator that’s just a very specific weirdness that only manifests if the stick is pulled fully aft at takeoff, then you’re wrong. In track “takeoff MiG-29-1” at the beginning of the takeoff run I pull the stick just about 1/3 of its total travel. The nose wheel lifts at about 120 Km/h, still much slower than the speed at which the nose wheel lifts off in the real aircraft with stick fully aft!

 

In conclusion, in simulator it is possible to lift the nose wheel at completely unrealistic speeds.

takeoff MiG-29-2.trk takeoff MiG-29-1.trk

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

1 hour ago, Fox One said:

The fact that is a two seater doesn’t matter.

With two-seaters the airflow over the nose is vastly different, and the centre of gravity is likely also to be different.
Especially MiG-29UB is reported to be very tricky to fly.

[draconus]

1 hour ago, Fox One said:

In conclusion, in simulator it is possible to lift the nose wheel at completely unrealistic speeds.

That depends on your throttle and brakes operation and it looks like it's not unrealistic, just operator mistake.