27 Facts About MiG-29

Mikoyan MiG-29 is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union.

The MiG-29 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1982.

The MiG-29 has been a popular export aircraft; more than 30 nations either operate or have operated the aircraft to date.

Workload split between TPFI and LPFI became more apparent as the MiG-29 filtered into front line service with the Soviet Air Forces in the mid-1980s.

Unusually, some Soviet pilots found the MiG-29's NATO reporting name, "Fulcrum", to be a flattering description of the aircraft's intended purpose, and it is sometimes unofficially used in Russian service.

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The MiG-29 has a mid-mounted swept wing with blended leading-edge root extensions swept at around 40°; there are swept tailplanes and two vertical fins, mounted on booms outboard of the engines.

MiG-29 has hydraulic controls and a SAU-451 three-axis autopilot but, unlike the Su-27, no fly-by-wire control system.

MiG-29 has two widely spaced Klimov RD-33 turbofan engines, each rated at 50.

Nonetheless, the MiG-29 does have substantially better visibility than most previous Soviet jet fighters, thanks to a high-mounted bubble canopy.

Analysts and Western pilots who flew examples of the MiG-29 thought this likely prevented even very good pilots from harnessing the plane's full combat capability.

MiG-29 was first publicly seen in the West when the Soviet Union displayed the aircraft in Finland on 2 July 1986.

On 20 April 2008, Georgian officials claimed a Russian MiG-29 shot down a Georgian Hermes 450 unmanned aerial vehicle and provided video footage from the ill-fated drone showing an apparent MiG-29 launching an air-to-air missile at it.

Probably due to the limited number of jet fighters available, a MiG-29 belonging to the Ukrainian Falcons display team was spotted armed with a full air-to-air load and performing a low altitude fly by.

The first upgraded MiG-29 was delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force in July 2020.

Antony said the MiG-29 is structurally flawed in that it has a tendency to develop cracks due to corrosion in the tail fin.

An IAF MiG-29 crashed near Jalandhar in Punjab on 8 May 2020 with its pilot ejected safely after the aircraft failed to respond.

One Argentine source claims that a MiG-29 shot down an F-16 on 26 March 1999, but this kill is disputed, as the F-16C in question was said to have crashed in the US that same day.

In spring 2004, news appeared that MiG-29 operations had ceased, because the aircraft could not be maintained, but later the five remaining airframes were sent to Russia for overhaul.

Federation of American Scientists claims the MiG-29 is equal to, or better than the F-15C in short aerial engagements because of the Helmet Mounted Weapons Sight and better maneuverability at slow speeds.

The Luftwaffe's assessment of the MiG-29 was that the Fulcrum was best used as a point defense interceptor over cities and military installations, not for fighter sweeps over hostile airspace.

In 2020 it was reported that MiG-29 aircraft was flown by forces aligned with Khalifa Haftar in Libya.

On 18 December 2017, a MiG-29 crash-landed in a forest near the 23rd Air Base while performing a landing approach.

On 6 July 2018, another MiG-29 crashed near Paslek, with its pilot dying in an ejection attempt.

MiG-29 was killed in action as his parachute did not open after ejecting.

The claim that an Eritrean MiG-29 shot down an Ethiopian Su-25 was later debunked, since the missing Ethiopian Su-25TK was damaged in an accident in May 2000, is actually stored and used for spares at Bishoftu Air Base.

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The MiG-29 was planned to replace the Finnish Air Force's MiG-21 fighters up to 1988, with test flights having been done.

The offer was turned down, as the weapons system and radar of the MiG-29 were assessed as similar to those of the MiG-23MLD already in service with the Libyan Arab Air Force.