- Yes
- No
NATO: AA-2(E?) Atoll
Depiction of R-14. No images are known to exist.
Background
The idea for the R-14, known in development as the K-14, began as a joint decision between the industry and the Air Force as they were looking for prospective armaments for the then under development MiG-29 and Su-27. Vympel proposed a new missile based on the K-13 to replace the R-13M and R-13M1, then coming into service, on the new aircraft. At this time, however, the K-13 series was in the shadow of the R-60/R-60M, considered a “cheap” alternative to such dogfighting missiles. The plan going forward was to replace the R-13M and R-13M1 with the R-14, and the R-60 and R-60M with the new R-73.
During the development of the new missile, it was found that by increasing the mass of the R-73 it could become fully all-aspect instead of partially all-aspect as the R-60M was, and this new development threatened the future of the R-14. Despite this, work continued.
One of the advantages of the R-73 over the R-14 was its length. The R-14 was elongated compared to the R-73, and although it had reduced aerodynamic drag, it had a far greater moment of inertia, therefore needing more energy to perform the same maneuvers as the R-73. The new “duck” control scheme adopted by the R-14 limited the deflection angles of the rudders, because at high deflection angles, effectiveness would be lost due to flow separation - stalling. A solution to this could have been to use aerodynamic rudders on a feathering base to reduce the effective angle of attack. With this scheme, it would have instead been determined by the rudder deflection angle, and not that angle in addition to the angle of the missile body. However, this proposal from GosNIIAS, along with the recommendation to abandon the “pilotless” control scheme, were not accepted by the designers at Vympel. The designers instead opted to use flow-straightening destabilizers, to increase the efficiency of the rudders at high angles of attack.
Preliminary designs were completed by 1976. In 1978, one of the first MiG-23ML test aircraft, MiG-23ML ‘123 Blue’, was re-equipped for test launches, and five test launches of the R-14 would be completed.
Similar Test Airframe
However, these would be the only tests. Despite the advantages in production efficiency made possible by sharing the basic frame of a missile already in production, it was decided to focus on the more promising R-73. The R-14 was characteristically similar to the R-73, but lacked perceived improvement potential, and so on the 14th of June, 1979, the project was officially terminated.
Depiction of K-13 variants, K-13M1 and K-14 (R-13M1 and R-14).
Specifications
| R-14 | - | R-13M1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Approximate Figures | - | As Comparison | |
| Starting Mass | ?kg | - | 90.6kg | |
| Length | ~3.1m (~122.05in) | - | 2.876m (113.3in) | |
| Wingspan | 0.528m (22in) | - | 0.528m (22in) | Assumed no change |
| Diameter | 127mm (5in) | - | 127mm (5in) | Assumed no change |
| Guidance | Passive IR | - | Passive IR | |
| Seeker | ? | - | INEY-1M | Possibly Modified INEY-1M |
| Tracking Rate | ?°/s | - | 18°/s | |
| FoV (Lock) | 4° | - | 4° | |
| FoV (Launch) | 40° | - | 40° | Gimbal Limit(?) |
| Off-Boresight | Yes | - | Yes | |
| Aspect | All | - | Rear | |
| Lock Range (Rear-Asp) | ~+6km | - | 6km | Assumed Higher, by unknown amount |
| Lock Range (Front-Asp) | ?km | - | <1km | Unknown, R-13M1 range tested against A/B F-4EJ (game) |
| IRCCM | No | - | No | |
| ECCM | No | - | No | |
| Fuse | Contact and 5m Proximity | - | Contact and 5m Proximity | Assumed same fuse |
| Launch G Limit | ?G | - | 4G | |
| Target G Limit | ?G | - | 8G | |
| G Limit | ~21G(?) | - | 20G | R-13M1 from game stats |
| Warhead | 11.3kg TNT Fragmenting | - | 11.3kg TNT Fragmenting | Assumed same warhead |
| Motor | DWP-240 single stage (6,000kgf) | - | DWP-240 single stage (6,000kgf) | Assumed same motor |
| Burn Time | 3.3s(?) | - | 3.3s(?) | |
| Speed | 1,980kph (M 1.6) | - | 1,980kph (M 1.6) | |
| Range | 0.3-15km | - | 0.3-15km | |
| Battery Time | ~60s(?) | - | 60s | Assumed same or longer |
| Launch Platforms | - | - | - | - |
| MiG-21 | - | MiG-21 | ||
| MiG-23 | - | MiG-23 | ||
| Su-17/20/22 | - | Su-17/20/22 | ||
| MiG-29 | - | - | Intended | |
| Su-27 | - | - | Intended |
Conclusion
The R-14 is a missile I want to see in the game, if nothing else just to shine some light on this obscure project. However, the fact that many assumptions had to be made about capabilities are not the best. In my mind it would be roughly analogous to the AIM-9L. Maybe not an exact replica, with some pros and cons, but in broad terms an equal. If the stats are to be believed, the AIM-9L can do much harder turns than the R-14, although the R-14’s true G limit is unknown. Nonetheless it would give PACT aircraft an equal to the AIM-9L in between the ranges of the R-60M and whatever more advanced missile they may possess, and can increase combat viability for specific aircraft such as the MiG-23MLA/MLD, or MiG-21bis. It could also be put onto the MiG-29 and Su-27 as a “stock” or “early” missile, as it was intended for those platforms. In the MiG-29’s case, it would be better than an R-60M but worse than an R-73, which may be the sweet spot that the MiG-29 is currently intended to fill. For the Su-27, it can provide a capable, but not as good, missile for stock aircraft, particularly because the Su-27 was rarely, if ever, fitted with R-60s.
Unfortunately very limited information is available online concerning the R-14. If anyone has additional information, please let me know.
Sources
Wikipedia - K-13
Ruslet.Webnode - R-13M
Ruslet.Webnode - R-13M1
Ruslet.Webnode - R-3S
Valka - K-13
Valka - R-13M
MilitaryRussia - K-13
SecretProjects - R-13M1 and R-14
SecretProjects - R-60
AviaMuseum - K-13M
AviaMuseum - K-13M1
AviaMuseum - K-14
Namu - K-13
Old-Forum War Thunder - History of Soviet AAMs