MiG-25 'Foxbat' and MiG-31 'Fox Hound'

[DaFROG]

I built the lindberg MiG 31 when i was a young JMN.

As i recall it had raised panel lines, which i was too tired to do anything about after scratch building a cockpit with open canopies and making mods to the landing gear which gave it much longer arms but made it incapable of drinking coffee* (or supporting the model)

I then came up with a terrifying whiff plan that would have resulted in something resembling a unfortunate liason between a YF-22 and an Su-27 I may have pics at home unfortunately I will not be home (or have access to the 'net) till next weekend. I didn't actually build it and unfortunately everything except the cockpit has been consigned to the bin.


* first person to guess where that rather paraphrased phrase comes from gets nowt except their on smug sense of self satisfaction

[Taiidantomcat]

TaiidanTomcat,

Give us PICS!!



is this what you meant KJ?

Yup, that's the basic design, however, I would want to add some MiG-31 characteristics to the design.  For example, I think it would look better with a twin-tail set-up, and narrower inlets to be more like the actual MiG-31 design. 


KJ Lesnick

agreed. even i think those intakes are too big, and i oversize stuff on my builds all the time. love twin tails and twin pits as well.

[dy031101]

How about a Chinese copy?

Reading through my recently-purchased Soviet Secret Project, it showed the model pictures of a couple of reconnaissance-purpose concepts with a navigator's station (with a small rectangular window on each side) in the nose ahead of the pilot cockpit.

Which one is more difficult to develop?  An automated navigation system or a high-thrust engine?

Maybe a PRC copy of Recee/SEAD Foxbat with downgraded navigation system that requires a navigator to operate?

(Like the pic below but of course without the liftjets.)

[dy031101]

I read on several books and the Air Vectors website that a couple of MiG-25s were re-engined with the D-30F turbofans used by the MiG-31.

Interesting.  I want to type a fictional story on something like that but then run into a couple of questions (since I don't want to leave too many details to my uneducated guesses):

1. How long would it take to do the modification (re-engining)?  How much would it cost per plane?

2. What if, say, a supersonic airliner derivative is to undergo the same re-engining process?  Would the aerodynamic differences between the SST and its military siblings enough to warrant its own set of test in order to optimise the re-engined SST?

3. Lastly, how do I spell "supersonic transport" in Anglicized Russian?

[Sauragnmon]

155MP - your wing area is probably too small with flogger wings, I'd advise a Fencer.  The bigger wings off a Fencer (IIRC) would probably be more fitting for the design, and you could probably blend the dorsal tail fairing into the Hound's spine as well, remembering to keep the drogue chute from the end tail.  The tandem-seat would be a likely option for this, or else cover over the second seat, ostensibly for fuel in place of the VG gear to retain flight range.

158 - I'm not sure what delta wing you could find that would have the outer angle you see there - if the root extension on it's an ogival root, you might ostensibly look into a Draken, which might have enough wing area, potentially with a splice in the cord at the fullest length, or a splice on the extension - you could also go a step up and blend the intakes over with a fairing for your root ogive, using a fat LERX like a later fulcrum, loaded full of fuel.  The draken might also give you the big dorsal single tail.

155MF - You could take the cockpit section off your Fencer for the 155MP for this project, replacing the wings on that fuselage with your 155MP's fixed wings.  The benefit to your aid in this project is the sectionalized architecture of the Revell Foxhound (I have one here) which gives you the whole nose section in one piece, seperate of the fuselage and intakes, though it does mount the diverters that separate the nose and intakes on that piece.  I don't recall the architecture on the Fencer by comparison, and that might well require a little surgery.


Tandem-seat fixed wing Fencer - That would be quite an interesting design to see as well.

[Shasper]

Was keeping this sorta under wraps, but I've had a "MiG-31E" strike Fox in the works for the last 5 months or so using the old Revell Foxhound kit from the '80s. . . scratched the CFTs from the kits massive droptanks so we'll see how this turns out.

Give us PICS!!

Since you insisted:








Eventually I'm gonna add some weapon pylons or attachment points.


Shas

[Sauragnmon]

Interesting looking CFT - besides, it's the old Revell kit, aka the Tsukuda kit, and is about as accurate as a tree trunk with wings, so it's just bash fodder anyways.

[chrisonord]

I have just been watching aircraft stories on Discovery, and it was about Russian fighter planes. I had to do a double take at a Mig-25 taxing along the runway, with freefall bombs under the fuselage. I have never heard of this configuration before, or seen and pictures of this either.
Anyone else seen this before??
Cheers,
Chris.

[dy031101]

I have just been watching aircraft stories on Discovery, and it was about Russian fighter planes. I had to do a double take at a Mig-25 taxing along the runway, with freefall bombs under the fuselage. I have never heard of this configuration before, or seen and pictures of this either.
Anyone else seen this before??

I personally have not, but reconnaissance MiG-25s can carry bombs to attack geographically-known targets.

[redstar72]

About bombs: Only the first MiG-25R built in 1968-69 were "pure" reconnaisance aircrafts, all the next versions (RB, RBK, RBS, RBV, etc...) could carry bombs - initially under 4000, later under 5000 kg; this ability was indicated by the letter "B" in the index. There were two bomb crutches under the wings and two under the fuselage. Also, all previously built MiG-25R were upgraded to the RB standard and also got the bomb weapon.
http://www.testpilot.ru/russia/mikoyan/mig/25/rb/mig25rb_e.htm
http://www.airforce.ru/aircraft/mikoyan/mig-25rb/page_04.htm

[Sauragnmon]

I myself was unaware of the fuselage crutches, but I knew the RB's could carry bombs in addition to their recce package for a high speed strike option.  Always good to learn new things.

[ChernayaAkula]

Wyrm's and EB's talk of a delta-winged Foxbat got me thinking....

Wings re-arranged to a canard lay-out:



Canard lay-out with cranked-delta main wing:



Cranked delta:



True delta:



Personally, I like the canard/cranked-delta lay-out best.

[Taiidantomcat]

Thanks Moritz! 

[Sauragnmon]

Very interesting work, Moritz - plenty of food for thought there.  I'm with Overkiller - I like the Cranked delta - though mine's going to be a swept dogtooth delta, which should look pretty interesting too.

[ElectrikBlue]

Canard lay-out with cranked-delta main wing:
...
Personally, I like the canard/cranked-delta lay-out best.

Seconded!