Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29M (9-15) - what the fulcrum would have been

[Giovanex05]

@Aurelian_ROW

The cherry picking of potentially good soviet/rus planes continues…

This plane doesn’t really have anything magically advanced thought, the avionics are the same of the SMT (worse if we consider the early prototypes), and the flight performance would put it on par with other 4th gen aircraft.

Also it’s not some magical unifinished prototype, the 155 and 156 aircraft were completely finished in terms of:
Having all the avionics (radar, rwr, irst etc.)
Having fired in tests all the weapons it had…
Having countermeasures installed

And in the case of the 156 (the prototype in suggestion)
It had the final finished cockpit (basically same cockpit of the SMT)
and especially production tools were ready to mass produce completely identica copies of it.

This aircraft basically is neither overpowered (at least unless they give it a bs flight model),
nor a prototype where we have to guess some of the things it could use and some of the things it could carry.

[Giovanex05]

@AlvisWisla

This F-15C equivalent fighter can come at any time.
Definitely worth the wait.

Though I’d prefer the Mig-29K due to it being lighter, both are part of peak Mig-29.

Both MiG-29Ks (9-31 and 9-41) are not lighter

[Mytho-GR1]

@AlvisWisla

Though I’d prefer the Mig-29K due to it being lighter, both are part of peak Mig-29.

Not lighter but lacks the hump and has better engines with two extra pylons

[jjnmr]

nicee

[Giovanex05]

This article also claims the L-150 pastel for the later prototypes MiG-29M (Fulcrum E) :: Ruslet .

Yefim Gordon’s book also claims that:

[IFirekeeper]

Lately I’ve been trying to find footage of an air show/display of the MiG-29 showing how much more maneuverable it would be, especially at low speed.

TBF it’s been a struggle to find videos of the aircraft flying.
Until is stumbled upon a French documentary including why seems to be the 9.15 in the part corresponding to the presentation talking about it. Time code is 45:05 to 48:40.

Le MiG-29: chasseur russe mélangeant vitesse, manoeuvrabilité et histoire de suprématie aérienne

I do think it’s the 9.15 due to better display of maneuverability and camo being the same as the 156, down to the flag + dogtooth elevator.
Correct me if I’m wrong, I think it has its place in the thread ;)

[BasherBenDawg8]

Did a light skim over the comments but haven’t seen anyone ask this yet:
Why can it only carry 2 R-27ER/ET missiles but 4 R-27R/T missiles?

Regardless, major +1, as it would actually make for a highly competitive Flight Model MiG-29 (and they tend to be quite lackluster in my experience)

[warthogboy09]

@BasherBenDawg8

Why can it only carry 2 R-27ER/ET missiles but 4 R-27R/T missiles?

Generally because of a weight restriction on certain pylons

[TuxedoBird]

I wanna like this suggestion so bad, but it’s already at 29 likes. It’s perfect!

[Giovanex05]

Beautiful video! Yes it’s definitely a MiG-29M 9-15!

[Giovanex05]

@TuxedoBird

I wanna like this suggestion so bad, but it’s already at 29 likes. It’s perfect!

Other 2 people liked it, now you can like it too :D

[TuxedoBird]

Yay! Perhaps I’ll wait to be number 33 wink wink

Edit:

[dragonflaine71]

I love how successful this suggestion is, 94% acceptance is no joke. I’ve seen multiple ppl that aren’t even Russia mains getting excited with the possible addition of this plane.

We’ll get it soon 🙏

[dragonflaine71]

34 now, +1 and it’s 35 :)

[csla1972]

36 now )))

[Panther2995]

Come on Gaijin make it happen.

I want strong proper Mig-29 that can handle F-16’s, not some fatass SMT.

[Giovanex05]

@Panther2995

I want strong proper Mig-29 that can handle F-16’s, not some fatass SMT.

Not to set expectations too high but the instability alone, doing a quick calculation by making the lift done by the elevator positive instead of negative, at around 450kph at SEA level it should get ~0.3G extra normal overload in a sustained turn (weight increase included).

Considering it also has refined aerodynamics (especially for higher AoAs), stronger engines and improved intakes that should massively reduce the very high thrust loss it currently has at low speed…. This thing seems to be really a monster in flight performance, probably better than even the gripen.

No wonder the MiG-29K looks absolutely insane in airshows while weighting 1 ton more

[Panther2995]

[Giovanex05]

@Giovanex05

Edit: Suggestion was made some months ago before Fox-3s were introduced. Looking now at the state of top tier I’d say the addition of this plane (or something similar to it) would be pretty beneficial for the soviet tech tree: It combines a good radar (which only the MiG-29SMT has right now at top tier in the soviet tech tree) with good-excellent flight performance (that neither the Su-27SM and MiG-29SMT have right now) and with a good number of missiles.
The playstyle for the aircraft, given the shorter range the R-77 has right now compared to the AiM120 and the fact that it has 4 datalink channels (can’t fire all 8 fox 3 and guide all of them at the same time) would probably be very similar to the Jas39 or the Mirage 2000, which is to survive early aim120 onslaught and then get closer to exploit the better close range performance of the R-77 and the superior flight performance of the plane.

Suggestion part edited to account for Fox-3 introduction

[Gale_Cleven]

I just love grinding new vehicles, Idy why it’s so satisfying to grind vehicles