“Hit it, Sacha! It’s time to go to work!” Raskov is confident, projecting calm, the voice of experience. Obeying, I firewall the throttle, and 45 Red leaps forward! Nothing accelerates like a MiG-21 in full reheat, even today. Fighters now are much larger and heavier, and though they are as maneuverable and sometimes, even faster, they do not have that instantaneous power that the Twenty One has!
Only in flying the F-16 at your Nellis Air Force Base did I have that same exhilarating feeling that I myself was flying, that the Twenty One conveys to its pilots. My American friend “Sugar” Deitz would say ‘what a rush!’ 45 Red literally claws for the sky, its desire to be in its element almost palpable. Though its range is only about 1100 kilometers, its flight performance is in many ways comparable to today’s fighters, and the Israeli conversions of the MiG-21 PFM and –bis to MiG-21-2000 and “Lancer” configurations, along with MiG’s own 21/93, are proof that the design yet has life.
And our target is just over the border. We will have fuel to spare.
I switch my RP-21 radar on, and set it to stand by, no emissions. The RP-21 is like a flashlight in a dark room-its beam extends forward from the jet, and moves up and down with the nose. There is no raster-bar search like our modern aircraft have, and the MiG consequently does not have look-down/shoot down capability. It is short-ranged as well. Better to rely on GCI, because if we must fight another aircraft it will be at gun range if their missiles do not get us first.
Related Posts:
Related posts:
After Action Report: Operation Persian Freedom Phase 3 Mission 17: Munitions Factory at Aghar Jan 11.14.04 Page 9
Sacha’s First Mission
Sacha’s First Mission Page 2
Total Air War: Training Mission #1 – Basic Aircraft Familiarizations Page 6
Total Air War: Training Mission #2 – Basic Navigation & Aircraft Performance Page 3
Total Air War: Training Mission #2 – Basic Navigation & Aircraft Performance Page 6
Total Air War: Training Mission #2 – Basic Navigation & Aircraft Performance Page 7
Total Air War: Training Mission #2 – Basic Navigation & Aircraft Performance Page 9
