MiG-31BM/Κ Interceptor/Attack aircraft: News

Arrow wrote:Mig-31BM waiting for the RVV-BD missile not R-37.

RVV-BD is a export version of Russian long range missile (R-37) so Russian MIG-31 will carry R-37(M) and all the rest RVV-BD

Hell yeah:

Viktor wrote:

Arrow wrote:Mig-31BM waiting for the RVV-BD missile not R-37.

RVV-BD is a export version of Russian long range missile (R-37) so Russian MIG-31 will carry R-37(M) and all the rest RVV-BD

The first missile on bort 26, is it an R-33 variation (?!), or a training round? Don't remember seeing something similar on a MiG-31 before. Thanks.

Nice   

Two MiG more. Russian Ministry of Defense transferred after two aircraft modernization

BM looking very fresh:



More R-73 goodness.

http://russianplanes.net/images/to131000/130668.jpg

4.3 Mach MIG-31 successor in the pipeline     - MIG-41   


New MiG should have a speed of 1.5 times the stated test

He commented on the State Duma deputy Alexander message Tarnaeva that in Russia, a new fighter, the MiG-41 on the basis of heavy fighter-interceptor MiG-31, the rate of which was 2.8 Mach. Tarnaev experts said at a meeting of aerospace defense that the Chief of Staff, signed an order of deep modernization of Soviet fighter-interceptor MiG-31.
"This upgrade was to be held even twenty years ago. However, this did not happen, so now demands increased. They are including in the (increasing) speed interceptor to Mach 4-4.3," - said Kvochur.

Looks looks like Russian version of US SR-72

Yup the development is sealed ... ladies and gentleman we have a now beast to follow - MIG-41 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      



from Interfax :

The State Duma Committee on Defense: General Staff decided to create based on the MiG-31 new MiG-41

The decision was made Chief of Staff, he had already signed the document on the research work on the MiG-41", - he said. According to the deputy, the MiG-41 "will be embodied all the virtues of the aircraft."

but of no less importance:  

In addition, several hundred interceptor MiG-31 could soon be back in the Russian Air Force, informed Tarnaev. "The country's leadership decided to return to the system through repair fighter-interceptor MiG-31", - he said. "We are talking about hundreds of cars that will be repaired and returned to the armed forces,"

If true this is great news Mig is back in business with Mig-41   

BTW today I saw VVKO funding was reduced to 2 Trillion roubles ....compared to 3.2 Trillion roubles that was initially mentioned
wonder why they reduced the funding ? 

http://itar-tass.com/politika/1010437

This Mig-41 is sick!!! mach 4.3, thats really something. Even tho it will prolly take a decade before we see prototypes, much less serials this news has me all pumped up  . Also Mig-31 revival is music to my ears too.
Oh and another thing, if the launch platform itself is mach 4.3, how about the missile?   

Couldn't believe when i've read this first, it's not a prank or misinterpretation or something is it? If this will be pursued and the performance of this MiG-41 will be as stated, it will be ...astonishing!!!!

I remember reading about evolved versions of the MiG-25 being planned way back in the 60s and 70s going close to 4000km/h, with surprising little change (more powerful engines, obviously materials with higher heat tolerance), i imagine this MiG-41 being powered by 18 or rather 20 tons Izd. 30 engines with a bigger afterburner (or even something newer, like a variable cycle engine), very high supercruise speed, multiple AESA arrays, hypersonic AAMs... my god!!!!  

Lol, Duma deputat being an idiot like always.

I will wait until something form from someone in the actual industry before getting excited.

Tarnaev might be an idiot, but i wouldn't call Kvochur an idiot (at least, not on aviation matters).

All eyes on Korotkov now.

Same article on arms-tass.su

The structure of the Russian Air Force after repair back several hundred interceptor MiG-31 - Member Tarnaev

This thing has nothing to do with some guy who may not or may be an idiot. This is something Russian scientiests/military experts/economists/high ranking military and political officials

have been vigorously discussing for a years now and I have been writing about it on several occasions in the past telling that this is precisely what might happen.

What do you think Viktor, do they talk about the hundreds of first generation MiG-31s now stored, to be overhauled and upgraded, IN ADDITION to the BMs and BSMs currently contracted (anywhere from 90 to 120)? How well and for how long do you think those MiGs have been stored (mostly in open air if i'm not mistaken)?

Mig-31 is mostly heavy nickel-steel alloy- it shouldnt have deteriorated that much in years.
This new Mig-41 tho would require more advanced materials like Titanium and propulsion tech too.
I think it would be rather bigger than Mig-31, makes more sense to build a bigger more capable aircraft in the onset
,something of a high-low interceptor mix. The Mig-41 would take care of the most dangerous targets like
cruise missile carriers while the Mig-31 would stop leakers.

AFAIK the limiting factor of the Mig-25 and Mig-31 was the engines.

At speeds above about mach 2.4 they were time limited... at mach 2.83 to 5 minutes of flight, mach 2.6 to 20 minutes, mach 2.4 unlimited.

The airframe... while likely not the most efficient aerodynamically (improvements likely possible these days) should be able to handle much higher speeds.

Having engines able to operate with a lot or bypass air working like a ramjet would take a lot of stress and work off the engine and allow much more efficient flight at much higher speeds for much longer periods.

New 5th gen variable cycle high speed Turbofan/ramjet engines would allow much higher speed, though I suspect weapons will likely become internal to reduce drag and improve separation performance etc.

Returning old Mig-31s to service should not be too much problem... most of the electronics will be replaced anyway so its condition after storage wont be too much of an issue. If you can imagine taking a computer box from the mid to early 1980s and replacing all the internal components... motherboard, memory, CPU, power supply, HDD, optical drive etc there wont be much you would keep.

mack8 wrote:What do you think Viktor, do they talk about the hundreds of first generation MiG-31s now stored, to be overhauled and upgraded, IN ADDITION to the BMs and BSMs currently contracted (anywhere from 90 to 120)?

I think yes.

mack8 wrote:How well and for how long do you think those MiGs have been stored (mostly in open air if i'm not mistaken)?

I really dont know but If General Staff thinks those can be reactivated than I guess they are still in good condition.

To be clear this mach 4.3 speed is rather interesting...

at such speeds a ramjet engine would be needed, but that also means new materials and engines need to be developed.

the Mig-25 had 11 ton thrust engines and was very heavy with mostly steel contruction. the Mig-31 introduced a lot of titanium and lighter materials in places that weren't subject to heating. I suspect the Mig-41 will likely add ceramic materials in hot spots and rather more use of heat resistant titanium.

the use of engines that operate as turbo fans at low speed and then use bypass air as ramjets at high speed should result in rather excellent performance... perhaps something like the drawings shown in the past for long range interceptor:



If accurate it sounds like the plan is for the Mig-31 to operate till about 2028 with rather more of the old airframes upgraded while a new model is developed.

If the PAK DA is a subsonic flying wing at least this Mig-41 at mach 4.3 will be exploring high speed in engines and airframes, so along with work on hypersonic missiles there should be a lot of experience by 2030 for perhaps faster aircraft to get the go ahead.

MIG 41 to be based on the MIG 31

http://theaviationist.com/2014/03/05/mig-41-mig-31-replacement/?utm_content=bufferf9d92&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

According to the famous experimental pilot Anatoliy Kvochur, the MiG-41 is to be capable of reaching speeds above Mach 4, even Mach 4,3. That would make the plane faster than the (now retired) American SR-71 Blackbird. Currently, the Foxhound is capable of flying at speeds of Mach 2.8.

Nevertheless, while developing a Mach 4+ replacement for the Foxhound, the Russians will to continue the modernization program of the Foxhounds, overhauling over 100 aircraft.

MiG-31 is an interceptor based on MiG-25 Foxbat, with a combat radius of 720 km. A group of four Foxhounds is able to control an area that is 1000km wide; 190 MiG-31s are currently in service within the Russian Air Force, 100 of those are still flyable.