 |
| Here's a MiG 1.44 Flatpack Experimental Fighter Jet That Has Specs as Great as the US F-22 |
International Military - The MiG 1.44 Flatpack fighter jet was created by the Mikoyan Design Bureau in the Multifunctional Fighter Program (MFI) in the late 1990s. The MiG 1.44 is an experimental fifth-generation fighter jet created in response to the presence of the US F-22 Raptor.
The MiG 1.44 Flatpack is designed to have supermanoeuvrability, supersonic non-afterburner cruise, stealthiness, higher precision against ground and air targets. The MiG 1.44 fighter jet, which is Russia's first stealth fighter design, made its first flight in 2000.
Built in five prototypes, the first was the original MiG 1.44, while the other two were upgraded prototype versions of the fighter.
Quoted from the Bulgarian Military website, Tuesday (20/2/2023), Russia said that this aircraft was designed to do everything that the F-22 Raptor could do. Although on paper the MiG 1.44 Flatpack fighter jet is considered to have stealth capabilities and can maneuver nimbly.
It is difficult to dispute the prowess of maneuverability, but stealth is still in doubt and is considered incomparable to the F-22 Raptor. There are at least two reasons to doubt the stealth capabilities of the MiG 1.44 Flatpack fighter jet, namely the wing design and placement of weapons. The use of delta wings and canards (duck bills) under the cockpit is generally unsuitable for stealth designs.
Canards play an important role in maneuvers, but their presence under the cockpit increases the cross-section of the fuselage that can reflect radar signals. Coupled with the placement of several missile pods on the wing of the MiG 1.44 Flatpack, it does not match the characteristics of a stealth aircraft. For example, the F-22 Raptor fighter jet does not use missile pots under its wings. All the advanced weaponry that is owned is stored under the belly of the plane.
After undergoing flight tests in 2000, the Kremlin discontinued development of the MiG 1.44 Flatpack fighter jet. Moreover, during the inaugural flight, a number of performance deficiencies and technical problems were found.
Quoted from the nationalinterest page, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia developed a stealth aircraft through the Sukhoi T-50 project, now known as the Su-57. In fact, if the development of the MiG 1.44 fighter jet is continued by fixing its deficiencies, of course Russia will not be late in building its stealth generation aircraft. Because, MiG 1.44 has specifications as a fierce fighter.
The MiG 1.44, designed using the AL-41F engine, has a speed of around 1,500 km/h and a range of up to 4,500 km. The MiG 1.44 has 12 internal hardpoints and eight external hardpoints, for carrying the AAM R-27, R-33, R-60M, RVV-AE, Vympel K-37, and K-77M missiles. MiG 1.44 is equipped with one 30 mm cannon and nacelles between the engines that cover the rear of the aircraft to fire missiles backwards.