MiG-AT news

MiG Trainer for Future Aces

At a briefing devoted to the results of the work of the Russian Aircraft Building Corporation MiG in 2001, the General Director - General Designer of the corporation, Nikolay Nikitin, noted that one of the priority programs of the firm for 2002 will be the completion of tests and the moving into the domestic and export markets of the new generation MiG-AT training airplane. In particular, a resolution has been adopted regarding joint certification tests of this airplane with the Russian Federation air force and Rosaviakosmos and accepting it for experimental service. What about this aircraft which has no analogue among airplanes of a similar class?

The MiG-AT trainer was created at RSK MiG for the training of airmen at the beginning, primary and higher stages of preparation with elements of combat use, and also for the support of piloting skills in the line units. The chief designer of the airplane is Vasiliy Shtykalo.

The MiG-AT was developed at once as an international project in which now the French companies Snecma, Turbomeca /power plant/ and Thales Avionics /avionics/ are taking part, which, in the opinion of the participants of this program, really broadens the market potential of the airplane. From the Russian side, the largest Russian aviation enterprises and research centers are participating in the project, including the State Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Systems /the integration of the on-board equipment and the software/, the Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute /the aerodynamic refinement of the project/, MNPK Avionika /control system/, Zvezda /the K-93 ejection seat/, and the M. Gromov Flight Research Institute /flight tests/.

The MiG-AT trainer is equipped with digital fly-by-wire control /EhDSU/ of domestic development for the first time in Russia. Before this, all the domestic EhDSU used on airplanes were based on the use of analogue computers, which limit the capabilities and use. Equipping of the trainer with a digital EhDSU is an advanced solution even for the worldwide practice of of aircraft construction.

This new system, developed by the Moscow Avionika Scientific and Production Complex, is a principally important program element of the creation of a modern training flight complex. It allows changing the characteristics of the airplane`s control, imitating the behavior in the air both of a highly maneuverable fighter as well as a heavy transport airliner. In that way, one and the same type trainer can be used for the training of airmen of a different class, which allows really lowering the cost of training programs of both military airmen and civil aviation pilots.

The new control system possesses another distinguishing peculiarity - it allows the on-board computer to control the airplane`s flight regime and not allow it to get into potentially dangerous critical regimes, while improving flight safety in the event of mistaken actions by the airman.

The MiG-AT also is the first airplane equipped with the unique light-weight K-93 ejection seat. The capability of bailing out of the airplane at zero speed and altitude, from inverted flight, and also the provision of ejection through the canopy are features of the K-93 ejection system developed by AO Zvezda.

The airplane is equipped with two by-pass turbojet modular LARZAC 04R20 engines /with 1,430 kg of thrust/ produced by the French firms of Snecma and Turbomeca. The use of the RD-1700 engine developed by the Tushino Soyuz Motor Design Bureau is being proposed as the power plant for equipping the Russian air force. This engine is undergoing bench tests at the present time.

The MiG-AT can be outfitted both with a Russian avionics complex as well as French produced by the Thales Avionics company. The information display system in the cockpit was built on the basis of lighted liquid crystal indicators. The airplane control element was created with the use of the principle of HOTAS /hands on throttle and stick/, which allows the airman to execute the basic operations while not removing his hands from the handles for control of the airplane and control of the engines.

The MiG-AT has a wing span of 10.16 m, the maximum takeoff weight is 8,150 kg, and the maximum speed is 850 km/hr The flight range is up to 3,000 km.

Besides the basic specialized training airplane, a whole family of MiG-AT is being developed at the MiG firm which will include a combat trainer, a light-weight single seat tactical fighter, a ship-based airplane and a patrol airplane.

It remains to add, that after the completion of the certification tests, the Russian Aircraft Building Corporation will transfer 12 MiG-AT trainers to the air force for experimental use.

Source: 14.01.02, Krasnaya Zvezda, Aleksandr Manushkin

Translated by Roy Cochrun /http://www.toad.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/royfc/today/acft_news.html/

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