Would you like to see MiG 1.44 in-game?
- Yes, as a Tech-Tree Vehicle
- Yes, as a Premium Vehicle
- Yes, as a Squadron Vehicle
- Yes, as an Event Vehicle
- No, I don’t want to see MiG 1.44 in-game.
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MiG 1.44
The MiG 1.44, also known as Project 1.42 or MFI (Multifunctional Frontline Fighter), was one of Russia’s boldest attempts to enter the fifth-generation fighter era. The concept was born in the early 1980s when the Soviet Union realized that new Western fighters, particularly the U.S. Advanced Tactical Fighter program that would produce the F-22 Raptor, were moving beyond anything the Soviets had in service. In response, Mikoyan’s design bureau set out to create an advanced stealth-capable, supermaneuverable fighter with the latest avionics and a drastically reduced radar cross-section.
Design work progressed rapidly during the mid to late 1980s, and by 1987, the initial configuration received official approval. Engineers developed a delta wing with large canard foreplanes and twin canted vertical stabilizers, aiming to provide superb agility and lift. By 1991, the first prototype was nearly ready. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union that same year changed everything. Funding for cutting-edge defense projects evaporated as Russia entered an era of severe economic instability.
Throughout the 1990s, the nearly finished prototype underwent only limited ground tests and taxi trials due to a lack of money for a full flight test program. In 1997, the Russian government formally cancelled plans for serial production, citing costs that were impossible to sustain under the circumstances. Still determined to prove its concept, Mikoyan finished the aircraft with leftover resources. The prototype was presented to the press in 1999 and finally made its first flight on February 29, 2000, almost a decade later than intended. It flew once more that April. Without sustained funding or clear military backing, the project quietly ended soon after.
In 2002, Russia launched a new competition for a fifth-generation fighter, which Sukhoi won. That program ultimately produced the Su-57, now Russia’s operational stealth fighter. Meanwhile, the only MiG 1.44 prototype was stored at the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky, near Moscow. It remained hidden from public view until it was displayed at the MAKS 2015 airshow, confirming that this unique aircraft had survived despite its short life.
Design and Technical Details
Airframe and Layout
Spoiler
The MiG 1.44 measured approximately 21.7 m in length, 17 m wingspan, and stood about 4.5 m tall (some sources have different measurements). Its canard–delta layout mirrored advanced fighters like the Eurofighter Typhoon and Rafale, with canards positioned just behind the cockpit. The wings had a 52° leading edge sweep and full-span flaps, while the canards swept 58° and featured dogtooth leading edges. It also sported ventral strakes and twin canted vertical stabilizers. The intake arrangement was ventral and split into two ramps with adjustable lips, favoring smooth airflow during high-angle-of-attack maneuvering. Construction relied heavily on composites (≈30%), aluminum-lithium alloys (≈35%), and titanium/steel (≈30%), with the rest in other materials. Many surfaces were treated with radar-absorbent coating, although features like the canards and complex exposed shapes may have limited low-observable performance.
Cockpit and Avionics
Spoiler
The MFI was designed with a modern glass cockpit, multiple multifunction displays, a wide-angle head-up display, and full HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick) controls. A helmet-mounted sighting system was also part of the planned suite for high off-boresight missile targeting. The aircraft used a fully digital fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system to manage its unstable aerodynamic layout, allowing safe flight at extreme angles of attack and rapid response during complex maneuvers. Test pilots reported that this system worked smoothly in its limited test flights. The final production version would have had a new-generation fire control system, integrated navigation using INS and satellite updates, and secure datalink communications for networked combat operations.
One of the standout features was its planned Phazotron N014 radar, a sophisticated passive electronically scanned array (PESA) system. This radar could detect and track multiple air targets at very long distances, with estimates suggesting it could spot a typical fighter-sized target up to 400 kilometers away under favorable conditions. It could reportedly track up to 40 targets at once and engage around 20 simultaneously. Complementing the radar was an infrared search and track (IRST) system for passive detection without emitting radar signals, enhancing stealth and situational awareness.
Apologies for the image quality — this frame was captured from a video and is likely one of the very few, if not the only, publicly available photos of the MiG 1.44’s cockpit. It could also have been a modified version of a MiG-29 cockpit from the same era.
Warning: In reality, the single flyable MiG 1.44 prototype likely did not carry the intended radar or any radar at all. If any radar hardware was installed, it was purely for weight and balance purposes, most likely an available unit (or a simple ballast) was used to replicate the intended mass and maintain the aircraft’s center of gravity during flight tests.
Additional Cockpit Images:
Power Plant and Performance
Spoiler
Power came from two Lyulka-Saturn AL-41F afterburning turbofan engines, each producing more than 17,000 kilograms of thrust with afterburner. These engines were designed for supercruise, allowing the aircraft to fly supersonically without needing afterburner, saving fuel and reducing heat signature. Additionally, the AL-41F engines featured thrust-vectoring nozzles, which could direct the engine’s exhaust to enhance maneuverability. This gave the MiG 1.44 superb agility, allowing it to perform tight turns and sudden maneuvers that would be impossible for conventional jets. These engines were technologically ahead of their time and laid the groundwork for future Russian fighter engines, with derivatives powering aircraft like the Su-35 and early Su-57s.
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“Two air intakes were installed under the aircraft’s fuselage to supply the engines with airflow. A distinctive feature of this design was that the air intakes were adjustable. The intake openings had side ramps as well as a central wedge positioned vertically.”
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“The designers included an in-flight refueling system for the aircraft.”
The MiG 1.44’s projected maximum speed exceeded Mach 2.2 at high altitude. It was designed to supercruise at speeds around Mach 1.5 without afterburner. Its operational ceiling was over 17 kilometers, and it had an estimated ferry range near 4,000 kilometers, giving it good endurance for long-range missions. With its advanced engines, light but strong structure, and thrust-to-weight ratio of about 1.1:1, it promised excellent acceleration, climb rate, and dogfighting capability.
“According to experts, this aircraft had the potential to become a fully operational combat asset within the Russian Air Force and compete with the F-22. Its fifth-generation fighter characteristics were considered superior in some respects, and the concept of a multifunctional combat aircraft was impressively realized in this design.”
Armament and Payload
Spoiler
Planned Payload
A key feature of the MiG 1.44 was its planned internal weapons bays, which allowed it to carry missiles while keeping its radar cross-section as low as possible. Inside these bays, it could carry up to eight air-to-air missiles. The standard load would have included medium- and long-range R-77 (RVV-AE) missiles for beyond-visual-range combat and short-range R-73 (AA-11 Archer) missiles for close-range dogfighting. For missions where stealth was less critical, the aircraft could also use external pylons under the wings to carry more missiles, bombs, or other ordnance. Fully loaded for non-stealth missions, the MiG 1.44 was estimated to carry up to 10–12 missiles or a mixed payload of missiles and air-to-ground munitions, with an estimated total ordnance capacity of up to12 tons. It should have also been fitted with a single 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon, giving it a reliable close-in weapon for dogfighting or strafing ground targets.
Actual Prototype Payload
It is highly likely that, apart from Pylons 2 and 10, most of the pylons shown in the image above were not actually installed on the MiG 1.44 prototype. Furthermore, Pylons 3 and 9 are likely not pylons at all.
Since the MiG 1.44 prototype likely did not have an operational radar or infrared search and track (IRST) system installed, its realistic combat capability would have been extremely limited. In theory, it could still use short-range infrared-guided missiles like the R-73, because these missiles have their own heat-seeking sensors and do not rely on the aircraft’s radar. The pilot could lock the missile onto a target visually, either by maneuvering the aircraft to point the missile seeker directly at the target or by using a helmet-mounted sight to cue the seeker off-boresight. However, there is no evidence that the prototype was fitted with a working helmet sight or a complete missile launch system, and it never carried live missiles during its brief test flights. Medium- and long-range missiles like the R-77 would have been unusable without a radar or datalink to provide mid-course guidance. In practice, the prototype was flown purely to test the airframe, engines, and flight controls, and it never demonstrated any actual weapons use in flight.
As for air-to-ground armament, in theory, the MiG 1.44 prototype could have carried and deployed unguided bombs and standard unguided rockets that were available at the time. These types of weapons do not require advanced targeting systems like radar or laser designators; they can be aimed manually. However, the prototype never tested or demonstrated this capability, and it likely did not come equipped with specialized bombing computers or targeting pods. In practice, any air-to-ground use would have been very basic and entirely manual.
It is confirmed that the MiG 1.44 prototype had at least two underwing pylons that could be used to carry missiles or ground-attack ordnance. However, there is no clear evidence that it was actually capable of firing any missiles, since its fire-control and targeting systems were never fully finished or probably never even installed. Additionally, the location and operational status of the internal cannon are uncertain, as it is difficult to spot in available photos and documentation. It is also unknown whether this specific prototype had a functional internal weapons bay at all, as the airframe appears to lack visible bay doors. As a result, the only confirmed armament configuration is whatever could be mounted externally on those two pylons.
The aircraft appears to be fitted with radar warning receivers and possibly even integrated jamming equipment, but I have not been able to identify any visible flare or chaff dispensers on the prototype.
Apologies for the image quality — this is the only 3D schematic that I found.
- “The internal weapons bay of the 1.42 was designed to accommodate a wide range of existing air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles mounted on ejector racks, as well as new fifth-generation air combat missiles developed specifically for the MFI program.”
Legacy
Spoiler
In the end, only one flying prototype was ever completed and tested. The economic collapse that followed the end of the Soviet Union made full-scale production impossible, and Russia instead shifted its focus to a new, more cost-effective stealth fighter program that would ultimately produce the Sukhoi Su-57.
However, the MiG 1.44 was far from a dead end. Its technology, especially the engines, fly-by-wire systems, and stealth experience, directly fed into Russia’s future aircraft. The AL-41F engine, for example, evolved into the powerplant used by modern Flanker variants and early Su-57 airframes. Lessons learned from its design and cancellation helped Russian aerospace engineers plan more realistic timelines and budgets for future stealth fighters. Today, the MiG 1.44 remains a rare and intriguing piece of aviation history: a glimpse of what Russia’s answer to the F-22 might have looked like had circumstances allowed it to reach its full potential. It stands as a symbol of an era of ambitious engineering constrained by the harsh economic reality of a country in transition.
MiG 1.44 — Full Specifications
Disclaimer: These specifications and details are based solely on the best publicly available information and expert analyses. They may not be fully accurate or complete, as much about the MiG 1.44 project remains classified or unpublished to this day.
Spoiler
General Dimensions
- Length: Approximately 19.00 meters or 21.7 meters
- Wingspan: About 15.00 meters or 17 meters
- Height: About 4.5 meters or 6.00 meters
- Wing Area: Around 32 square meters, plus about 6 square meters contributed by the large canards.
Warning: Different sources report slightly different figures for these parameters.
Weights
- Empty Weight: Around 15000 kg or 18,000 kg
- Typical Loaded Weight: Around 23,500 kg or 28,600 kg
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: Estimated at up to 35,000–37,000 kg for a fully loaded, full-fuel combat configuration.
Warning: Different sources report slightly different figures for these parameters.
Powerplant
The MiG 1.44 was powered by two Lyulka-Saturn AL-41F afterburning turbofan engines. These next-generation engines were designed to deliver:
- Dry Thrust: Roughly 11,000 kgf per engine
- Thrust with Afterburner: Approximately 14,000–18,000 kgf each
- Thrust Vectoring: Yes — 2D or 3D nozzles primarily used for pitch control, allowing extreme maneuverability and post-stall flight.
In practice, the prototype likely used slightly lower-thrust versions of the AL-31 family, because the full AL-41F development was delayed.
Warning: Different sources report slightly different figures for these parameters.
Performance (Design Targets)
- Maximum Speed: About Mach 2.3 to Mach 2.35 (up to 2,480 km/h at altitude)
- Supercruise Speed: Designed for about Mach 1.5 without afterburner
- Service Ceiling: About 20,000 meters (65,600 feet)
- Ferry Range: Approximately 4,000–4,500 km on internal fuel
- Estimated Combat Radius: Roughly 1,300–1,500 km depending on payload and flight profile
- Rate of Climb: Expected to be over 300 meters per second (comparable to modern supermaneuverable fighters)
- g-Limits: +9 g maneuvering capability
Warning: These numbers represent design targets; the actual prototype flights were strictly limited to low speeds and altitudes for safety and test data collection.
Armament
Warning: It is confirmed visually that the MiG 1.44 was equipped with at least two underwing pylons that could be used to mount missiles or ground-attack ordnance. Therefore, the only confirmed armament configuration is whatever external stores could physically be carried on those two pylons.
They are likely called BD3-60-23 and they need further adapters for the following weapons:
- Options include:
- 2x R-73 (APU-73)
- 2x or 4x R-60 (APU-60-2)
- 2x R-27T (Likely Reduced Lock Range => No confirmed IRST)(APU-470)
- Unguided Bombs (BDZ-57KU, BDZ-57KR, BDZ-57U)
- Unguided Rockets (BDZ-57U)
- Gun Pods (UPK-23)(BDZ-57 or AKU-58)
Warning: The location and operational status of the internal cannon are uncertain. Likely not equipped.
Counter Measures
- Likely equipped with RWR
- Likely equipped with Integrated Jamming Equipment
- No visible Chaff/Flare Dispensers
Video
Sources
View
What is there, under the wing of the MiG-29?
МиГ-1.44 | Пикабу
MiG 1.44 MFI: 5-generation fighter 2000 of the year
https://www.icas.org/icas_archive/ICAS2018/data/papers/ICAS2018_0199_paper.pdf
Уголок неба ¦ АНПК МиГ МФИ
1.44 (Flatpack) :: Ruslet
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM: Il MiG 1.44/1.42 (Микояна и Гуревича МиГ 1.44, codice NATO: Flatpack) noto anche come Object 1.44 o più raramente 1.42
Mikoyan Project 1.44 - Wikipedia
