Swing Wings: Yea or Neah?

M *@*.* wrote in message ...
"breyfogle"

MiG-23 is an interesting case. It's a relatively light
fighter with swing wings. Any comments on why MiG chose
such a design? Hardly just for STOL, although the Soviets
valued rough&short strip ability much more than the US
(MiG-29 perhaps as a prime exampole). Btw, 23 is very
fast on the deck, fastest of them all, I think.

Fast AND agile. Syrian 23M and ML models were better to fo fight or chase
with F-16 at the deck. Medium sweep gave good 16 degrees/sec sustained (ML
excellent 18 degrees, MLD has a lower medium sweep and can go to 19 with
less buffeting) turn rate with missiles onboard- remember R-23/24 are HUGE
missiles, and R-60 M(?) are carried in quartet on ML! If it turned against
them, they would sweep back the wings, increase wing loading and went to a
low-level smooth high-speed ride, while Israeli pilots (F-16A, F-15A) were
banging their helmets on canopies due to gusts of Golan. MiG-23 has no
ailerons, it uses wing spoilers and stabilators for roll that is quite
snappy-just like one of Tornado.

I'd suspect that the design considerations behind MiG-23/27
could have been rather similar to those of the somewhat
heavier interceptor/strike Tornado.

Well, Tornado -looks- heavier, but it actually of the simmilar size. It has
higher wing loading and less powerful engine(s), especially when compared to
MiG-23 MLD with Tumanskii R-35 engine (modified, lightened,
dorabu'tanyj-"reworked"). Tornado has also quite poor T/W ratio for a
dogfigter-remember picture of Tornado escorting Tu-95 Bear at altitude with
wings swept forward and one burner lit!

MiG-23ML is a good fighter. It has just been piloted by poor airmen. It can
also takeoff and land with full sweep and is used in Russian "Aggressor"
squadron (MLA/MLD, the first one being interceptor) simulating various US
adversaries like Kfir C1 with clipped canards (US "F-21") had emulated
MiG-23S (export version, MiG-21 avionics). MLD at medium sweep sometimes
emulates F-15 in dogfigts, having simmilar horizontal performance (cut
strakes and reduced sweep did the trick)! MiG-29U emulates F-16A.


--

Nele

NULLA ROSA SINE SPINA