JET THAT SCARED THE WEST | MIG-25

 

MIG-25| JET THAT SCARED THE WEST

 

The MIKOYAN-GUREVICH MiG-25, a supersonic interceptor and a reconnaissance aircraft, is among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. It was the last plane designed by Mikhail Gurevich, co-founder of the infamous Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau. The first prototype flew in 1964, and the aircraft entered into service in 1970. It has a top speed of Mach 2.83 (as high as Mach 3.2, but at risk of significant damage to the engines), and features a powerful radar and four air-to-air missiles.

 

During the cold war, the soviets needed something that could protect its vast airspace against America’s reconnaissance aircrafts and strategic bombers carrying freefall nuclear loads. The Americans were also developing several bombers capable of reaching Mach 3. The soviets were in a desperate need of something.

 

Work on a new aircraft started in the mid-1959. Several design layouts were put forward. One had engines stacked side by side, one had engines stacked vertically. Several other interesting ideas were put forward, like variable-sweep wings and a second crew member. There was even a thought of adding vertical lift off capability.

The first prototype, YE-155-R1, a reconnaissance variant, took its first flight on 6^th March 1964. The first interceptor variant, YE-155-P1, touched the sky on 9^th September 1964. On 9 July 1967, the new aircraft was first shown to the public at the Domodedovo airshow, with four prototypes (three

fighters and a reconnaissance aircraft) making a flypast.

 

 

The aircraft immediately set new world records. On 5^th October 1967, test pilot Mikhail M. Komarov averaged 2,981.5 km/h over a 500 km closed circuit. On 25 July 1973, Fedotov reached 35,230 m with 1,000 kg payload and 36,240 m with no load.

In total, 29 records were claimed, seven of which were all time world records for time to height, altitude, etc. Several records are still unbeaten till date.

 

Thy spy satellite images created a panic in the pentagon. The satellite images showed a giant soviet aircraft, probably an interceptor, with intakes as big as small cars. The wings were massive. These were the images of the prototypes of MiG-25. It kept the American SR-71 out of soviet airspace for several years, while the west tried to identify the MiGs capabilities.

 

On 6^th September 1976, Victor Belenko, a soviet air defence pilot, landed in MiG-25P at the Hakodate airport in Japan. The pilot overshot the runway on landing and damaged the front landing gear. Despite Soviet protests, the Japanese invited U.S. Air Force personnel to investigate the aircraft. After 67 days, the aircraft was returned by ship to the Soviets, in pieces.

 Victor Belenko

The Americans mistook Mig-25 as an agile combat fighter. This resulted in the creation of McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.

 

 

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