In the current payroll of the Russian Aerospace Forces, there are more than 2000 jet aircraft of all types. However, this force only uses two-engine fighters, does not own any single-engine fighters. One of the main reasons is that most of the fighters in the current Russian Aerospace Forces, most of which are fighters developed from the previous Su-27 series, use two jet engine. However, part of the reason why Russia did not use single-engine fighters in service, came from the lack of it in the final stage when the Soviet Union was about to disintegrate. Specifically with the MiG-29 fighter. This type of fighter, when developed, was aimed at a single-engine fighter design, to compete with the US-made F-16 fighter. However, this design encountered a very difficult obstacle, that is, the Soviet Union at that time did not have a jet engine strong and light enough to be applied to the design of the MiG-29 at that time. . Designer Mikoyan then had to revise the drawings of the MiG-29, forcing it to use two jet engines instead of one as originally envisioned. Basically, at the last stage when the Soviet Union was about to disintegrate, it was very difficult to spend money on research and manufacturing of new generation jet engines. The fighter designers were then forced to use all that was available to them, and the idea of ​​a single-engined Moscow fighter jet ended since. However, it can still be considered that twin-engine fighters have more advantages than single-engine fighters. The US itself at the present time has also stopped producing single-engine fighter aircraft, the F-16 version, although very popular, has only received further upgrades so far, the new production line has been closed. Doors from 2017 to 2019 are allowed to reopen, but only for export. Compared with single-engine fighters, dual-engine combat is considered to be more stable in operation. In the event of one engine failure, at least one remaining engine is enough to bring the plane to a safe landing. Two engines, which means that the aircraft will have two independent power supplies to power the computer system, and also the hydraulic systems on the plane. With single-engine fighters, once the engine stops working, the aircraft will immediately fall into a state of loss of control. Especially with today’s modern aircraft, which use fly-by-wire electronic steering, as soon as the engine is turned off, the computer will also turn off and the steering system will be useless immediately. The American F-16 fighter itself also uses special fuel, along with an electrical energy storage system, allowing the aircraft to operate for an additional 10 minutes after the engine is turned off. At the end of 10 minutes, the energy reserves will run out and the aircraft will also be uncontrollable. In the opposite direction, a single-engine fighter has the advantage of being more compact, lighter, and more fuel-efficient when compared to a twin-engine fighter with the same output thrust. Even the US F-16 fighters, capable of carrying weapons up to 7.7 tons, are only 300 kg inferior to the Russian twin-engine Su-30 aircraft. In the future, Russia is looking to replace its MiG-29 fighters with a single-engine fighter. However, up to now, the design of the new Russian single-engine fighter is likely still on paper. The first thing Moscow needed was a jet engine powerful enough to carry the fighter. Image source: Pinterest. Russia’s MiG-29 fighter is still considered the most “light” fighter that Moscow owns. Source: Mikoyan.

The MiG-35 is an upgraded product of the MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2, which is currently undergoing final testing. “The MiG-35 is in the state-level general testing stage and has already obtained preliminary certification to obtain the certification,” said Musheg Baloyan, Director of the MiG-29M and MiG-35 Aircraft Program at the MiG Aircraft Corporation. can be put into pilot production. Pilots love these planes because they are easy to operate and offer many advantages.” MiG-35 . fighter The MiG-35 is the 4++ generation of aircraft. They are equipped with a series of modern technology, but the fate is extremely bleak. Since its announcement in 2007, the development of the MiG-35 has been relatively slow. Only in 2013, the Russian Air Force announced plans to buy a total of 37 of these aircraft. Up to now, a total of 14 MiG-35s have been produced, of which 6 are in the process of testing and 8 are in the mass standard. Russia remains the sole operator and operator of the MiG-35. MiG-35 . fighter The Russian media must also admit that, although there have been many changes, it is the appearance that is almost unchanged compared to the MiG-29 that makes them lose their attractiveness, besides, despite having an engine with a thrust direction. multi-dimensional, but this RD-33MK engine is really just an improvement from the RD-33 that was born in the early 1970s. On the other hand, the RD-33 was never considered an excellent engine, They are quite fuel efficient and often emit black smoke trails. Previously, even the Russian Ministry of Defense also refused to order this fighter line, many sources also said that Russia was forced to buy MiG-35 to leverage the promotion and export of this aircraft. and most importantly, to save the plane maker Mikoyan from bankruptcy. Perhaps Mikoyan has to do more for the MiG-35 – because this is their only salvation at the moment – for this aircraft to become a ‘hot’ item similar to the Su-35, first of all. is the trust of the Russian air force itself, then the air forces of countries that have traditionally used Russian aircraft.

Russian aircraft maker Mikoyan recently said it is developing a new generation of intelligent target recognition system for MiG-series fighters, including the MiG-35. The new system will be able to target not only when the object is completely discovered, but even a small amount of exposure. “Work is underway to create an automated landing assistance system, along with an accurate target recognition complex thanks to neural circuit-based artificial intelligence,” said the company representative. . Mikoyan has repeatedly talked about the possibility that the MiG-35 will receive a steering assistance system with artificial intelligence elements. The MiG-35 is Russia’s latest generation 4 ++ multipurpose fighter, it is an upgrade from the MiG-29 with the integration of many applied technologies on the 5th generation fighter. The aircraft has an empty weight of about 24,500 kg, the largest weapon payload is 6.5 tons. The speed of 2,100 km / h, the maximum thrust of the engine reaches 18,000 kgf. Actual ceiling is announced about 16,000 m, a range of 3,000 km. MiG-35 has 9 external suspension points and a 30 mm cannon integrated in the body, armament includes air-to-air missiles at various ranges, air-to-ground missiles, guided aviation bombs, Uncontrolled rockets and free-fall bombs. Currently, the Russian Air Force has officially received six MiG-35S fighters belonging to the first mass production batch. Under the state procurement program of weapons, by 2027, the manufacturer will hand over a total of 24 MiG-35S fighters. The official operation of the MiG-35S by the Russian Aerospace Forces will open up export opportunities for this fighter, because many customers, though showing interest, are not ready to order because reliability concerns have not been verified. After integrating additional artificial intelligence, MiG-35 can make customers more bold in “opening the purse” when its reliability has increased significantly. But in the opposite direction, there are also many comments that Russia’s claim is very suspicious, because this technology is still foreign to them, and Moscow is also significantly behind the US and the West. MiG-35, Su-57 or many other Russian weapons, although advertised very “monumental”, but in fact so far they have not perfected the features as designed, or have not been proved in operation. . In addition, Russia is also known for its “way” to sell weapons with incomplete features to “ask” for a perfect partner, which is reflected in the fact that the MiG-35 has been sold in India for decades now on. Therefore, perhaps the manufacturer must deploy new technologies on the aircraft serving the Russian Air Force and have a good performance on the battlefield, for example in Syria, the export prospects of MiG- 35 is really bright

On this commemorative milestone, Mr. Boris Volynov, Soviet cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, the last living astronaut from the first astronaut team, who made two flights into space. , shared with Sputnik about the selection of astronauts at the time, about his relationship with Gagarin and about the cause of the death of astronaut No. 1. – How was he selected in the space pilot team? – Boris Volynov: In 1955 I graduated from the training school and became a pilot of the Moscow air defense force, serving in Yaroslavl. The work is very complicated and difficult. There is practically no day off. One day, I received an order to the command of the regiment. Before entering the office, I was invited to another room, where the KGB National Security Agency representative asked me to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Entering the office, there were no regimental commanders, but strangers instead. T I was asked to do the life-risky job of flying at higher speeds and higher altitudes than our fighters, although we are still proud of the fact that we fly at high speeds and contemporary highest altitude. I agreed to accept a new assignment, then after a short time I received an order to make a business trip to Moscow. We go through a selection of pressure chambers, on centrifuges, on special swings to test the vestibular apparatus. The total challenge time is 40 days and nights. Out of the five regimental pilots who were called to the Army Hospital, only I was the one who passed the test with a “Match” result. After a while, he received orders to return to Moscow. There are 12 people, the next day to add a 13th person. In the aviation profession, this is a number that people are very afraid of. Not a single aircraft in our air force unit has the tail number 13, no apartments in the military town are numbered 13. Such details remain bold in memory. Soviet Hero Yuri Gagarin. – Do you remember your acquaintance with Gagarin? – Boris Volynov: We get to know him better through skydiving. He thought I was good at dancing and came to consult. We arrange parachutes together. Yura had made no mistake. Right after the 17th dance, at the request of the team leader, I was assigned to be a guide and help you. We communicate not just about work. We also play volleyball together. – It was not immediately clear then that Yuri Gagarin would become the first astronaut. When do you know who will fly April 12? – Boris Volynov: Until the very last moment, we still don’t know who will fly, Yuri Gagarin or the German Titov. For example, in space travel, human weight is very important. Being overweight always wastes the fuel of the boosters. German is lighter than Yura. It is only at the meeting of the State Committee for the Universe that it is decided who flies first. We weren’t there, but only knew of this choice during flight, when we heard Gagarin’s “Kedr” (Snow Pine) signal during radio communications with Earth. On the other hand, it wasn’t long before German flew into space as well. If Gagarin did a spin around the Earth and couldn’t feel all the “pleasure” of weightlessness, then German would be the first person in the world to experience everything on his own in a day long flight. Your night. At that time, no one knew and no one could explain how weightlessness would affect the vestibular apparatus, where the head was filled with blood. Astronaut Gagarin in the compartment “Vostok-1”. – How and where did he welcome on April 12, 1961? – Boris Volynov: That day I was in Khabarovsk at the radio broadcasting station. It is my duty to make sure to get in touch with Yura. As he passed us, he began to report: “I am entering the shadow of the Earth”. We all wonder, “How is that?”. At that time no one knew about this. So what’s more, in 1961. Why is the darkness of the Earth? We did not understand until later. Yura landed, our job done, it was time to return to Moscow. In the city, we saw a jubilant scene. It was a weekday working day, but a lot of people were gleefully pouring out into the street so I can only compare this event with the Victory Day celebration. – Why do you think Gagarin himself was chosen? Due to his inherent human qualities? – Boris Volynov : Yura is always willing to help others. Even in difficult times, he knows how to unravel the situation. He went through many hardships, but I have never seen him offend anyone. Yura is always ready to support and share. He has the qualifications, skills, intelligence to find a common voice with everyone. Once we went with him to a repair workshop. He understood everything, spoke the same language as the craftsmen. And after the flight, he talked to the members of the Academy of Sciences. Yura is “me” everywhere and at all times. – Were you involved in the investigation of Gagarin’s death? – Boris Volynov: Have. – Alexei Leonov has his own hypothesis about what happened to the jet that passed by Gagarin’s plane. And what do you think about this? – Boris Volynov: His assumptions are unreasonable. Once central television invited me, Alexei Leonov, Viktor Gorbatko, the test pilot Stepan Mikoyan, who said that the whole assumption was bullshit. And Leonov said that he did not give the full name of the faulty test pilot, who was 90 years old at the time, to avoid ruining his life. And Mikoyan knew all about the test pilots. There was only one 90-year-old man who could not pass near Gagarin in supersonic mode, because he specialized in testing transport planes. Mikoyan even did the test: he took the MiG-15UTI, and then asked to arrange two test pilots, flying at the same altitude and at the same speed as the modern supersonic plane flies by side. next to them in different directions, below, above, at different angles. The MiG-15UTI swung up and down, but no emergency situation occurred. That is the perspective of a professional test pilot. Soviet space pilot Yuri Gagarin and aerospace pilot Alexei Leonov after flight aboard the MIG-15 fighter plane – In your opinion, is this a tragic accidental scene? – Boris Volynov: Hard to say. I do not understand anything. There are many theories, of which what is the truth cannot be known. One of the assumptions was that a soldier launched a meteorological balloon. This is a device weighing about 1 kg. If the plane collided with it in the light of its headlights at high speed, it wouldn’t be a small deal. At the same time, it was impossible to see the ball early while flying at high speed. – His active period coincided with a period of competition between the Soviet Union and the United States. Now people talk more about cooperation. In your view, should competition or cooperation be better? – Boris Volynov: Competition is not bad either. In 1969 we and the Americans attended the international convention in Delhi. Due to his outstanding achievements in space exploration, astronaut Neil Armstrong received the highest award from the International Space Federation for the world’s first landing on the lunar surface, while also commanding spacecraft Boris Volynov and astronaut researcher Evgeny Khrunov receive the award for the first time in the world to pair two spacecraft and go from ship to ship in open space. At this international conference, Neil Armstrong and I shook hands. I talked to him, he is a normal person and has learned a lot in my life. When he was a little boy, he wanted to fly in airplanes. They also have the same Flight Clubs we have in the Soviet Union, except the Americans have to pay and we are free. To earn money to pay for school, Neil Armstrong did the cleaning. As a result, we both flew into outer space. 108 minutes to change the world In the early 60s, Yuri Gagarin was fortunate to be among the first 20 astronauts in Soviet history, selected by the government from 3,000 of the best military students, thereby training them for missions without Any country in the world thinks: Fly into space! Regardless of the government’s expectations, Yuri Gagarin has made history after completing a 108-minute mission around the Earth on the Orient 1 spacecraft (Vostok 1). This event helped the Soviet Union become the first country in human history to get people out of the Earth’s gravity, spread their wings out into large space. At that time, Gagarin was only 27 years old. His trophies brought the Soviet Union to become the number 1 power in space conquest. On March 27, 1968, Yuri Gagarin returned to the flight route with the task of training a test pilot on the first generation MiG-15 jet fighter. Minutes after taking off from Chkalovsky airbase near Moscow, Gagarin suddenly notified ground control that they would return to the base. However, shortly thereafter, all communications with Gagarin’s plane were lost. After the plane disappeared from radar screens, authorities sent a search team consisting of hard-wing aircraft and helicopters. Four hours later, the body of the crashed plane was found near the city of Kirzhach, 133km from Moscow. Seven years after his historic mission, Yuri Gagarin farewell to the world in tears, when he was still too young at the age of 34.