FAMOUS RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT ile] W Nye)‘Mikoyan MiG-29 (© 2006 Yetim Gordon (Original translation by Dmitry Komissarov ISBN (10) 1 85780 291 4 ISBN (19) 978 1 85780 201 8 Published by Midland Publishing 4 Watling Drve, Hinckley, LE10 3EY, England Tel: 01455:254 490 Fax 01455 2 mai: milandbook=@compus Midland Publishing is an imprint of fan Alan Pubishing Lis Workéwide strbution (except North Americ) ‘Midland Counties Publations 4 Wating Drive, Hinckley, LE10 3EY, England Telephone: 01455 254 450, Fax: 01455 233 787 mai milanbooks@compuserve.com nn miclandcountiessuperstre.com North American rade astributon: Specialty ross Publishers & Wholosaers Inc 39966 Grand Avenue, Noh Branch, MN 55056 Tel €51 277 1400 Fax: 651 277 1203 Tol ree telephone: 800 895 4585 wo speciatyress.com This book is iustratod with photos by ASK MIG, Ll, Yetim Gordon, Victor Drushiyakov, Sergey vchikov, DmityPichoogin, Sergey Popsuyevich, ‘Aled Matusewch, Sergey Sorgoyey, Arthur Sarkisyan, Maksim Bryanskiy Anton Pavlov, Sergey Balakleyev, Pavel Novikov, Sergey Skrynikov, Nikolay Valuyev, Alexandr Vasilyev, Valery Kolodka, acheslav Martyeiuk, Dmitriy Seden, Dmity Grinyuk, Nikolay Nikolay, Sergey Kuznetsov, Mika Niko skiy, Diy Komissarov, ‘Sergey Burin, Vyacheslav Moiseyev, Alexandr Rac, Matin Baumann, Ryszard Jaxa- Malachowski, Wactw Holy, Andrzej Roguci Norbert Czajkowskl, Calo Kut, Marinus D. Tabak, Chis Lotng, Guido Buchmann, Marcus Fiber, Thomas Ge, Simon Watson, Rober J. Rule, Mirosiav Gyurosi, as wol as from the archives of Yefim Gordon, ITAR-TASS, the USAF, Lutwafo, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Bangladesh Ai Force, ‘A Forces Monthy, World Ai Power Journal, ir Fleet, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Fight Intemational, Scale Arrat Modeling, Avatsiva rorya, Krasnaya Zvezda, M-Hobty, Kommersant and the sian Aviation Research Trust Une drawings by Andrey Yurgenson and ASK MiG Colour artwork by Yury Tepsurkayev, Mikhal Bykov and Valentin Vettsiy. ‘lights reserved. No part of his publication may be reproduced, stored in a rotieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, ‘mechanical or photo-copied, recorded or otherwise, without the wtlen permission ofthe publishers, Printed in England by lan Allan Printing Lic Fiverdene Business Park, Molesey Road, Horsham, Suey, T1248 Vist the lan Allan Publishing website a: ‘wv ianatanpubishing.com Contents Introduction................. 3 Part‘ TAKING SHAPE ..... 5 Part 2 LEARNING TO FLY «85 Part 3 THE FAMILY STARTS GROWING. . 51 Part 4 THE NEW GENERATION 9 Part 5 PUSHING FOR THE NAVY....... 109 Part NEW LORDS, NEW UPGRADES. . 149 Part 7 THE 24ST CENTURY GENERATION... 169 Part 8 THE MIG-29 IN ACTION.........221 Part 9 THE MIG-NIFICENT DISPLAYS .. 277 Part 10 THE MIG-29 IN DETAIL.........313 Part 11 THE MIG-29 vs THE COMPETITION. .. 419 Part 12 THE OPERATORS. Appendix PRODUCTION LIST Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank fist of all the employees of RSK MiG (notably Engineering Centre Director Viadimir |. Barkovskiy, MiG-29K/MiG-29M2/MiG-280VT programme Chief Nikolay N. Boontin, MiG-29 programme chief Arkadiy B. Slobodskoy, Chief Test Plot and Flight Test Facility Director Pavel N. Viasov, former MiG-29 Chief Designer Valeriy V. Novikov and former Deputy Chief Designer Vano A. Mikoyan). Thanks go also to Anton Pavlov who ‘co-authored Chapter 8, Dmitriy S. Komissarov who dig the transiation and co-authored Chapter 12. Thanks are also ‘due to Peter G, Davison, Chris Loting (who furnished ‘excellent shots ofthe Peruvian MiG-285), the research {group of Scramble Magazine, and the Russian Aviation Research Trust. This book relies on unclassified sources (books and ‘magazines published in Russia, the UK and the USA).