TITLE:

MIKOYAN MiG-23 'Flogger B'

NATO reporting names: 'Flogger-A, B, C, E, F, G, H and K'

TYPE:

Single-seat variable-geometry air combat fighter and

two-seat operational trainer.

PROGRAMME: Development began 1964; 23-11/1 prototype first flew 10 June 1967 and was displayed during Aviation Day flypast, Domodyedovo Airport, Moscow, 9 July 1967; pre-series aircraft delivered to Soviet air forces 1970; initial series production interceptors delivered 1973; with MiG-27, superseded MiG-21 as primary equipment Soviet tactical air forces and aviatsiya PVO home defence interceptor force; production in USSR ended mid-1980s, but continues in India; replacement of early variants with MiG-29s and Su-27s continues.

DESIGN FEATURES:

Shoulder-wing variable-geometry configuration; sweep variable manually in flight or on ground to 16o, 45o or 72o (values given in manuals and on pilot's panel; true values 18o 40', 47o 40' and 74o 40' respectively); two hydraulic wing sweep motors driven separately by main and control booster systems.

LANDING GEAR:

Hydraulically retractable tricycle type; single wheel on each main unit and steerable twin-wheel nose unit.

POWER PLANT:

One Soyuz/Khachaturov R-35-300 turbojet, rated at up to 127.5 kN (28660 lb st) with max afterburning. Water injection system, capacity 28 litres (7.4 US gallons; 6.15 Imp gallons). Three fuel tanks in fuselage, aft of cockpit, and six in wings; internal fuel capacity 4250 litres (1122 US gallons; 935 Imp gallons). Variable geometry air intakes and variable nozzle.

ACCOMMODATION:

Pilot only, on KM-1 or KM-1M (zero height/70-675 knots; 130-1250 km/h; 80-775 mph) ejection seat in air-conditioned and pressurised cockpit, under small hydraulically actuated rearward hinged canopy. Bulletproof windscreen.

AVIONICS:

Modernised SAU-23AM automatic flight control system, coupled to Polyot short-range navigation and flight system. Sapfir-23ML J-band multi-mode radar (NATO 'High Lark 2': search range 38 nm; 70 km; 43 miles, tracking range 29 nm; 55 km; 34 miles) behind dielectric nosecone; no radar scope; instead, picture is projected onto head-up display. RSBN-6S short-range radio nav system.

ARMAMENT:

One 23 mm GSh-23L twin-barrel gun in fuselage belly pack; large flash eliminator around muzzles; 200 rds. Two pylons in tandem under centre-fuselage, one under each engine air intake duct, and one under each fixed inboard wing panel, for radar guided R-23R (K-23R; NATO AA-7 'Apex'), infra-red R-23T (K-23T; AA-7 'Apex') and/or infra-red R-60T (AA-8 'Aphid') air-to-air missiles, B-8 packs of twenty 80 mm S-8 air-to-surface rockets, UB-32-57 packs of thirty-two 57 mm S-5 rockets, S-24 240 mm rockets, bombs, container weapons, UPK-23-250 pods containing a GSh-23L gun, various sensor and equipment pods or other external stores. Use of twin launchers under air intake ducts permits carriage of four R-60 missiles, plus two R-23 on underwing pylons.

DIMENSIONS: EXTERNAL:

Wing span: fully spread: 13.965 m (45 ft 10 in)

fully swept: 7.779 m (25 ft 6{1/4} in)

Length overall: incl nose probe: 16.71 m (54 ft 10 in)

Height overall: 4.82 m (15 ft 9{3/4} in)

AREAS:

Wings, gross: spread: 37.35 m{2} (402.0 sq ft)

swept: 34.16 m{2} (367.7 sq ft)

WEIGHTS: AND LOADINGS:

Weight empty: 10200 kg (22485 lb)

Max external weapon load: 3000 kg (6615 lb)

T-O weight: 14700-17800 kg (32405-39250 lb)

PERFORMANCE:

Max level speed: at height, 72o sweep:

Mach 2.35 (1350 knots; 2500 km/h; 1553 mph)

Landing speed: 140-151 knots

(260-280 km/h; 162-174 mph)

Max rate of climb at S/L: 14400 m (47250 ft)/min

Service ceiling: 18500 m (60700 ft)

g limit: below Mach 0.85: +8.5

above Mach 0.85: +7.5

LENGTH (m): 16.71

HEIGHT (m): 4.82

WING SPAN (m): 13.96

MAX T-O WEIGHT (kg): 17800

MAX WING LOAD (kg/m{2}): 476.60

MAX LEVEL SPEED (knots): 728

MAX RANGE (nm): 1520

T-O RUN (m): 500

LANDING RUN (m): 750

MAX RATE CLIMB (m/min): 14400

SERVICE CEILING (m): 18500