VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW
Potential deals in Malaysia and India could give RSK a single baseline for its fighters
RSK MiG has abandoned plans to produce the MiG-29M, and is instead launching the MiG-29M1/M2. The aircraft is also being called the MRCA in its bid to meet a Malaysian air force "multirole combat aircraft" requirement.
The single-seat M1 and two-seat M2 have 90% parts commonality, with differences confined to the cockpit area. The MRCA will also have significant commonality with the aircraft carrier-compatible MiG-29K/KUB offered to the Indian navy, differences include a lighter undercarriage and a brake parachute instead of an arrestor hook. The wing remains the same, including the folding mechanism.
Nikolai Buntin, MiG-29K/MRCA chief designer, says earlier plans to produce 8-10% of the MiG-29M/K's airframe components using aluminium-lithium alloy have been dropped, as the weight saving was only 100-120 kg (220-260lb), while production cost would have increased significantly.
The K/MRCA avionics system is based around the the Phazotron-NIIR Zhuk-M radar, integrated with a Ts-90 central processor, and an improved optical sensor and helmet-mounted sight - all linked with a 1553 standard databus.
The cockpit includes two 150x200mm (6x8in) displays produced jointly by Thales Avionics and Elektroavtomatika. The pair are also co-operating on the MiG-21-93 upgrade and MiG-AT.
Internal fuel on the K/M1 has been increased to 5,100kg compared with 4,400kg in the original MIG-29K, due to "better use of existing volumes", says Buntin.
The aircraft will be powered by Klimov RD-33M Series 3 engines with 1,000h between overhauls, and a 2,000h life. Maximum thrust per engine is increased from 18,300lb (81.3kN) to 19,400lb, with plans to boost this to 20,900lb. An initial MiG-29M1 prototype appeared at last month's MAKS 2001 air show and is due to make its first flight this month.
Also on display was the MiG-29OVT with KLIVTthrust-vectoring nozzles, which is being prepared for first flight later this year. Head of RSK Mikoyan engineering Vladimir Barkovsky says it is equipped with a digital flight control system developed by MNPK Avionika that uses thrust-vectoring for pitch, roll and yaw control.
Malaysia already operates standard MiG-29s, having split acombat aircraft purchase withthe USA, which supplied BoeingF/A-18Ds. A competition for additional aircraft is under way, pitting the MiG-29MRCA against theF-18F and Sukhoi Su-30.
Source: Flight International
