Mikoyan Project 1.44

The Mikoyan Project 1.44/1.42 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-1.44; NATO reporting name: Flatpack) was a technology demonstrator developed by Mikoyan. It was the Soviet Union's answer to the Advanced Tactical Fighter(ATF) of the US, incorporating numerous fifth-generation fighter aspects such as advanced avionics, stealth, supermaneuoverability and supercruise. The design’s development was a protracted one, characterized by repeated and lengthy postponements due to a chronic lack of funds; the demonstrator made its maiden flight in February 2000, nine years behind schedule. The current status of the 1.44 is unknown

The MiG MFI was a delta wing, twin-tailed, fifth-generation air superiority/strike fighter design that incorporated advanced technology to theoretically give the aircraft excellent stealth and fighting attributes. It was of a tail-first (canards) layout which, when working in concert with the engines, give the aircraft remarkable manoeuvrability. It has a tricycle landing gear system, with a single, dual-wheel landing gear in the front, and two single-wheels in the rear. The MFI is controlled by a fly-by-wire flight control system, without which the aircraft is almost impossible to fly because of the statically-unstable nature of the MFI. Mikoyan made use of weight-saving materials in the construction of the aircraft, with aluminium-lithium alloys making up 35% of the empty weight, steel and titanium alloys (30%), composites (30%) and others (5%).

The MiG MFI was unconventional in its layout, in an effort to improve in-flight efficiency and stealth characteristics. Efforts were made to minimise surface-area, possibly to reduce drag. The wings are of delta planform, with leading-edge sweep at 52°. At the tips are dielectric fairings which house electronic countermeasures/electronic support measures. The wings have full-span leading edge. The canards, meanwhile, have a leading-edge sweep of 58°, and have prominent dogtooth which improve airflow over the wings at high alpha (angles of attack). Russian aviation experts claim that the unorthodox design, when supplemented by efforts to reduce the RCS through the use ofradar-absorbent materials (RAM) and locating the weapons internally, give an RCS comparable to that of the F-22.

Two Lyul'ka Saturn AL-41F afterburning turbofans produce 177 kN (39,020 lbf) of thrust, giving the MFI a top speed of Mach 2.35. The engines also allow the jet to supercruise. The axisymmetrical engines can be vectored in both pitch and yaw planes. The nozzle's inner petals are lined with ceramic tiles to reduce heat signatures. The engines, through serpentine ducts covered in RAM, are fed by a rectangular intake underneath the front fuselage.

Weapons and fuel tanks can be carried under the wings as well.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 19 m (63 ft)
• Wingspan: 15 m (50 ft)
• Height: 4.50 m (15 ft)
• Empty weight: 18,000 kg (40,000 lb)
• Loaded weight: 28,000 kg (62,000 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 35,000 kg (77,000 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Lyulka AL-41F afterburning turbofans, 176 kN (39,680 lb) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.6 (3,185 km/h, 1979 mph)
• Range: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)
• Service ceiling: 21,555 m (70,720 ft)