MiG-23M 'Flogger-B': Starting the Seventh Tier

[lambsauce 150]

The MiG-23 was one of the most important aircraft of the VVS and the PVO during the latter half of the Soviet reign. The 'Flogger' as it was named by NATO, has an unfortunate and often unfair reputation of being a poor aircraft. While not necessarily a fantastic machine, the Flogger's bad record comes from US analysis of severely downgraded, inferior export variants and improper use by third-world air forces lacking sufficient air defence infrastructure to fully exploit the potential of high-speed interceptor-fighters like the MiG-23. Performance-wise, the MiG-23 has always been known for its exceptional acceleration. Considering this, and its relatively poor maneuverability (despite constant attempts to negate this), the MiG-23 is generally meant to be used in high-speed missile attacks.

 

 

 

Aircraft Info

Spoiler

The MiG-23M (Modifitsirovannyy - Modified) was the first variant of the MiG-23 to see a major production run, after the previous MiG-23S had only a limited number of examples built. The airframe was mostly the same as the MiG-23 model 1971, however the leading edge flaps were reintroduced. The MiG-23M was also capable of pulling loads of up to 8 Gs at speeds less than Mach 0.85 with the wings set to 45 degrees of sweep. The most major change to the base aircraft was the powerplant, sporting the new Khatchaturov R29-300. This new engine produced 8,300 kgf dry, and 12,200 kgf wet (12,500 in later batches). The R29 could accelerate from idle to military power in 3-5 seconds, and from idle to full afterburner in 7. Possibly the biggest change in equipment from the MiG-23S was the inclusion of the new Sapfir-23 radar and its associated weapons suite. The Sapfir-23 allowed the MiG-23 to use the R-23 IR/SARH medium range missiles. Also included was an ASP-23 HUD with an analog computer, and a TP-23 FLIR sensor.

 

Aircraft Specifications

Spoiler

Length: 16.71m

Wing Span 16 sweep: 13.965m

Wing Span 72 sweep: 7.779m

Wing area 16 sweep: 37.27m

Wing area 72 sweep: 24.16m

Wheel track: 2.86m

 

Empty Weight: 10,890kg

Internal fuel load: 4,090kg

Takeoff weight: 15,700kg

MTOW: 18,400kg

Maximum warload: 2,000kg

Wing loading (normal takeoff): 460kg /m2

 

Top speed ASL: 1,350kph

Top speed (12,500m): 2,500kph

Unstick speed: 262kph

Landing speed: 235kph

Service ceiling: 17,500m

Rate of climb: 195 m/s

Time to 11,000m: 2.35 min

Ferry range, clean: 1,450 km

Max. G-load (Mach 0.85): 8.0G

Max. G-load (Mach 0.85+): 7.0G

Takeoff run: 800m

Landing run: 825m

 

Powerplant: Khatchaturov R25-300 (dry thrust: 8,300kg, wet thrust: 12,500kg)

Radar: Sapfir-23D-III (detection range, bomber-sized target: 46km, lock range: 25km)

 

Armament: GSh-23L (200 rounds)

2x R-23 air-to-air missiles (usually taken as both IR and SARH),

2x or 4x short-range air-to-air missiles (R-3S, R-3R, R-13M, R-13M1, R-60, R-60K, R-60M)

Kh-66 or Kh-23R guided air-to-surface missiles

S-5, S-8 or S-24 unguided rockets

Up to 4x 500kg bombs

 

 

Extra Images

Spoiler

 

(Incorrectly labelled as ASP-17)

 

 

Sources

1. Famous Russian Aircraft: Mikoyan MiG-23 & MiG-27 by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov

2. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fighter/mig23m.html

Edited December 28, 2019 by lambsauce

[leroyonly 4,311]

Open for discussion. 

[xxtdreaperxx 170]

+1 from me no idea if it would be 11.0 but seems to be a reasonable BR for the first major production variant of the MiG-23 and one of the starting or the starting line for many MiG-23s to come.

Edited January 2, 2020 by xxtdreaperxx
missing word

[Borotovas 4,500]

+1

[Z3r0_ 4,128]

Another source for the MiG-23's reputation probably comes from the MiG-27, its ground attack variant, which had a massive 30 mm gun originally designed as a fixed CWIS gun on warships, and generated so much recoil that the plane would shake itself to pieces.

[leroyonly 4,311]

As the MiG-23M has been implemented with update 2.7 Red Skies,

 

Moved to Implemented Suggestions.