View Full Version : Indian MiG 25s
G-CPTN
9th Apr 2006, 05:12
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced it will retire its fleet of MiG 25s, Cold War-era spyplanes, previously shrouded in secrecy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4892524.stm
Conan the Librarian
9th Apr 2006, 11:56
The MiGs, capable of flying at over three times the speed of sound, were bought from the USSR in 1981.
"It will be a nostalgic event and a flypast will be held," Air Vice Marshal S Mukherjee said.
No doubt in exxcess of 65,000 ft and Mach 2.8....
Conan
I have always doubted that this barge could do M3.0 and I still wait to be convinced.
Quoting from the article: 'The Pentagon's misplaced belief that the MiG was a highly-agile dogfighter spurred the development of the US F-15 and F-16 fighters.'
Misplaced belief, eh? Contrived figures, more likely. The Pentagon were masters of manipulating and enhancing Soviet aircraft performance figures to bolster their own various programmes long before the Soviet aircraft had even flown, and fair play to them for that. Just look, for example, at how the performance assessments for the Backfire were progressively reduced. But at least this has meant that they have been able to keep their Air Force up-to-date.
Maple 01
9th Apr 2006, 14:46
I've seen it on the scope doing 2.8+ o sceptical one!
Conan the Librarian
9th Apr 2006, 17:17
From what I have read, 2.8 was a good, average and preferred speed for the clean Foxy. It was clocked at over 3.2 in recon guise, (Over Sinai, Yom Kippur days) though it was found later that the engines had been effectively wrecked in getting there. Allegedly....
Conan
BombayDuck
10th Apr 2006, 04:38
There must be some reason that the IAF squad operating the 'bat was called the Trisonics, right? :)
And I've read frequently enough that thought they could exceed Mach 3, they only did so when they had no other choice because at the end of the flight, the engines had to be removed and completely overhauled because the RAM effect on the turbine...
Still, I love the Foxbat... a very "raw" design. Sad to see them go.
Oh well, bring in the boring satellites.... :rolleyes:
Fair enough .....perhaps I'm getting convinced.
Ewan Whosearmy
10th Apr 2006, 09:45
Spoke recently to an Eagle pilot who'd CAPd the KAL 747 shot down north of Japan in 1984. He said that they had tracked a Foxbat at 3.2, and that they believed it was carrying a war loadout of missiles at the time.
dalek
10th Apr 2006, 12:51
There was a book ( Mig Pilot) supposedly written by Lt Victor Belenko, who defected to Japan around 1975. He stated that the safe maximum was 2.8. Anything faster you riked engine meltdown.
Like This - Do That
11th Apr 2006, 00:03
MiG PILOT by John Barron. McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-003850-3
Looking at my copy as I write this.
I know a bloke who knows Victor .... I believe he lives in Alaska, and he's on the level. He isn't a creation of the CIA Military-Industrial complex imperialist running dog enemies of the Rodina.
FormerFlake
11th Apr 2006, 05:53
It would have been great to see the Mig 25 up against the Mk 3 Arrow. If only.........