The American pilot confessed his love for the MiG-23 fighter.
American civilian pilot, one of the best experts on Soviet fighters in the West, Will Ward, dispelled the myths about the MiG-23. During his life, he has flown 60 different types of aircraft, including the MiG-15 and the supersonic MiG-21, as well as the F-104 Starfighter and A-26 Invader. Ward conducted a tour of the Czechoslovak MiG-23ML for The Drive portal.
In the West, the MiG-23 does not have the best reputation. The expert believes that the reason lies in a lack of understanding of how the Soviet jet aircraft were designed and what they were intended for.
The first MiG-23s, indeed, were far from perfect. They entered service as a matter of urgency, they were not equipped with a radar (instead of them there were radio sights-approx. "RG"). However, the next MiG-23ML turned out to be a much more modern aircraft with better handling and maneuverability, as the engine became more powerful and the airframe lighter.
Avionics and weapons were also updated. In the four years that Ward had been flying the MiG-23ML, he had not met a single pilot or member of the maintenance staff who "didn't love this plane."
The MiG-23ML, shown in the video, is equipped with the Saphir-2ZMLA-2 radar. For its own, it was a very modern radar that allows you to hit targets from a bird's-eye view, detect and track low-flying enemy aircraft.
The chassis of the MiG-23ML is "incredibly strong", suitable for taking off from unpaved airfields and for working with ammunition weighing up to 3000 kilograms.
The brakes on all wheels allow for a very short landing, which is also facilitated by the brake parachute in the tail section.
Ward refutes the popular claim that the design of the air intake of the MiG-23ML was stolen from the F-4. Although the shape and function are similar, the Soviet fighter is completely different.
Impressive "dressed" in a turbojet engine P-35, which accelerates the fighter to a maximum speed of Mach 2.35.
Unlike the Western fighters of the same period, which mainly relied on more efficient turbofan engines, the USSR preferred to keep turbojet engines. However, Ward believes that it was probably one of the best turbojet engines ever built. Its advantages are not only in simplicity, but also in faster response when increasing or decreasing thrust.
Ward puts the P-35 in the same category as the American Pratt & Whitney J75, mounted on the F-105 Thunderchief and F-106 Delta Dart, but notes that the Soviet engine produces the same power, being 450 kilograms lighter. The pilot had no problems with the engine, and he also greatly praises the built-in turbo-starter TS-21.
The design of the MiG-23 wing was changed three times. The first generation had a simple straight leading edge. This was followed by a version with a "fang" on the leading edge for better handling at large angles of attack.
Western sources often describe the MiG-23 wing as having three different sweep modes: for takeoff, landing, or cruising at low speed; for cruising speed;and for combat. In fact, Ward explains, the pilot can choose from an unlimited number of wing sweep settings. The process of switching from minimum to maximum sweep takes, according to the pilot, 18 seconds.
The wings also contain a total of six fuel tanks, which in turn feed three tanks in the fuselage.
As a result, Ward makes a very strong case that the MiG-23ML was a "magnificent work of art" among the fighters of the Cold War.
Oleg Koryakin
