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The MIG 29
The MiG-29 entered service
with the Soviet air force in the mid-1980s as a tactical air superiority fighter. In
addition to high-altitude air combat capability, it was the first Soviet fighter to be
equipped with sophisticated electronics for "look down, shoot down" capability
to counter terrain-hugging intruders. The MiG-29 can carry as many as six air-to-air
missiles and is also equipped with a 30mm cannon. Its phenomenal turning capability gives
it a particular edge in old-fashioned close-in dogfighting. The latest model
of the MiG-29, which Sasha Garnaev just completed testing at Zhukovski, is a radically
updated version equipped with "fly-by-wire" flight controls and the latest glass
cockpit technology.
Powerplant:
(2) Klimov RD-33 turbofans
Maximum thrust:
36,600 pounds
Takeoff weight:
33,590 pounds
Maximum allowable Mach number:
Mach 2.30
Maximum g 's:
9 g 's
Sea level climb rate:
65,000 feet per minute
Range (with auxiliary tank):
1,300 nautical miles
Service ceiling:
56,000 feet