Or then again, not. Thats a design from the T-4MS program, specifically layout 2 from 1970.

Soviet turbofans existed in the right timeframe but were too heavy and complex for consideration for use on a fighter.

The turbofan confusion stems from cold war era publications which often assumed the R-29 to be a turbofan.

In fact it was a cheap, reliable derivative of existing R-13-300 technology.

Sections of Yefim’s books are lifted verbatim from his “sources”. E.g. the MiG-31 book’s section about MiG-31 versus F-14 is a straight steal from E. Fedosov’s book “AIR DEFENSE AVIATION OF RUSSIA AND SCIENTIFIC TECHNICAL PROGRESS” and actually contradicts some information presented in other parts of the book.

To follow a fighter doing 8 G at 800 km/h, the three times faster AAM has to pull six times the G. Simple physics. That is a 48 G capability at 2400 km/h. When limited to 12 G at 2400 km/h, the related target has do not more than 2 Gs, when that is something even bombers and transports can match. 😎

Right. But modern missiles can easily pull in excess of 50g. R-77 isn’t designed to pull 12g, its designed in engage targets pulling up to 12g. Big difference.

Air International was a real tour de force in the 1970s and 1980s under William Green and Gordon Swanborough, IMHO. They were the glory days of AI for me.

After they left, it remained a pretty good magazine through the 1990s.

Al-21F-3 was widely exported, just check all Su-22M-4 and Su-24MK operators.

Actually you are correct: AL-21 was exported in the Su-20s that were sent to Egypt and Syria in 1973, before Soviet service entry even, but this was something of an aberration. All subsequent export versions had R-29B until the SU-22M4 from 1984 onward. The use of J-79 technology in AL-21F-3 is from Russian research, not Western assumptions. Early AL-21F-1/2 were disappointing and AL-21F-3 was a major redesign using some ideas and technologies from the J-79 which dramatically improved thrust and SFC. The AL-21F-3 used significant amounts of titanium and was a premium product compared to the R-29 series.

Talk about how every bit of Soviet design was copied and/or inspired by something western has been repeated to death until it became a sort of universal truth. In my books authors swear on Klimov RD-33 being heavily inspired by Turbo-Union RB.199 and that N019EA radar is a direct copy of Hornet’s APG-65 and similar nonsense – funny enough at the time of the book release there hardly was more than a dozen of pics of the new MiG-29 available but yes, the western authors knew these fine details about the construction of the engines and radar already… 😀 Nothing but pathetic claims, if you ask me..

Western intelligence perhaps knew somewhat of the 3 spool Tumansky R67-300 which was indeed heavily inspired by the RB.199, it was initially favoured for the MiG-29 but somwhat unexpectedly supplanted by the Isotov (Klimov) RD-33 after detailed technical analysis of the two designs. Western sources persisted in assuming the MiG-29 would have a Tumansky engine until the truth came out in 1988. Western intelligence were also correct that APG-65 info had been stolen, but it was stolen too late to influence the NO-19 and ended up feeding into the N010 Zhuk instead.

Undisputed examples of copying are Sidewinder/K-13, Sparrow/K-25.

p.120

I believe *this* is P.120. Note the fixed intakes.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,169.msg24634.html#msg24634

Jackonicko, you must register with the forum to see pictures. Otherwise the whole forum will be extremely boring for you!

I am sure you would find it interesting generally. There’s a NASA pic of P.112 that you can probably get a high res scan of easily enough – NASA are pretty helpful usually.

Tony Buttler or Mike Pryce may have some pictures. I can ask if you like.