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Info Eduard - July 2011
The roots of the MiG-29 can be traced back to
the end of the sixties and beginning of the se-
venties. At that time, information had leaked out
that the United States was working on the F-X
program, from which emerged the F-15 Eagle.
The Soviet Union, obviously, could not be left
behind in the arms race, and the General Staff
formulated requirements for the Perspektivniy
frontovoy istrebitel (PFI - Advanced Frontal Fi-
ghter Aircraft). It was to have the ability to take
off from small, unprepared elds, have a useful
combat radius, excellent turn around time and
be able to carry a varied payload. The speed
of the machine was to be in excess of Mach 2.
Aerodynamic study was passed to TSAGI in co-
-operation with OKB Sukhoi. It became clear that
the best route to take would include two roads.
As a result, the PFI program was expanded to
also include the PLFI (Advanced Light Frontal Fi-
ghter Aircraft), which was to result in the Soviet
answer to the F-16 Fighting Falcon lightweight
ghter. The plans assumed that the Soviet air for-
ce would be composed of one-third PFI aircraft,
and two-thirds PLFI, and as such would nd its
adversary to be mainly the F-16 and the YF-17
(which evolved into the F/A-18). The PFI program
with Sukhoi led to the Su-27. The PLFI was entrus-
ted to the Mikoyan bureau. Work on the latter
type, under the factory designation ‘Izdelye’ 9
began in 1974, and three years later, on Octo-
ber 6, 1977, the aircraft rst took to the air. The
program suffered setbacks thanks to the loss of
two prototypes, due to problems traced back to
the engines. In 1984, air force tests were conclu-
ded, and thanks to positive results, the rst pro-
MiG-29A
duction machines began to reach Soviet frontal
ghter units. These new aircraft began to repla-
ce the MiG-23. In keeping with the requirements,
the aircraft could lift off from unprepared strips.
Auxiliary air intakes on top of the blended fuse-
lage/wing structure provided air on the ground,
allowing the regular intakes to close and prevent
FOD. The existence of the new ghter was dis-
covered by NATO very early after the program
began, and the ASCC allocated the name Ful-
crum ‘A’. Besides the base version of the MiG-29
(Izdelyie 9-12), there was also the MiG-29B, an
export version intended for countries outside of
the Warsaw Pact. Training was carried out on a
two-seat version, the MiG-29UB (Izdelyie 9-51),
Main text and proles description by Martin Ferkl,
photo description by Eduard marketing department
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Info Eduard - July 2011
which carried the NATO codename Fulcrum ‘B’.
Further development and production was impac-
ted by the fall of the communist block, and the
inevitable economic collapse of the Soviet Union
and its consequent splitting up of state assets
with varying degrees of dependence on Russia.
Production also came for the MiG-29K and MiG-
-29SMT (both coded Fulcrum ‘D’). The MiG-29K
is a navalized variant and besides with the coun-
try of origin, it also ies with the Indian Navy.
The intended role is that of carrier ghter for
the ‘Vikramaditya’ (formerly the Soviet carrier
‘Admiral Gorshkov’). The SMT is a modernized
variant of the MiG-29.
(Photo: Karel Krejčí)
(Foto: Karel Krejčí)