MiG-21 walkaround and cockpit tour 

Wow! Thanks! No, I haven't flown any jets at all. But an aircraft is an aircraft, and I like to find information.

Sorry but what did you fly at the time ?

@@alinili5569 the mig 21

At that time I was an airframe fitter with you in 30 sqn. It's engineering is also copybook. Very simple to learn and very efficient to function.

@@p.s.kaushik7602 yes old memories of great days 🙏👌👍

Many thanks!

Which one do u like the most?

Thanks for your contribution to the forum.

Those instruments were swapped by the Finnish Airforce to western ones. Unknown reason why the temperature indicator is doubled, likely museum didn't have a spare for speed indicator so they used two temperature ones and just put the RPM instrument to left side. The plane in this video doesn't have a HUD, it is the original gunsight. I find the original Russian instruments more logical and easier to read. Example your mentioned artificial horizon (vertical attitude indicator) is very clear when the background is black/white backgrounded from the horizon (black is ground and white is sky) and it rolls around vertically. The aircraft symbol stays fixed to center and it rolls around from the center to indicate the aircraft bank relative to the horizon. This IMHO makes very easy to understand plane attitude as the instrument shows the plane relativity to ground, so if the wings are 30 degree to right, then plane is 30 degree to right. If the plane axis (center) points to black 5 degrees, you are 5 degrees downward. The thinking goes opposite than in western where you need to think earth relative attitude to you, where russian one is that you look aircraft relative attitude to ground. It is small thing that "clicks" or not. The horizontal attitude indicator is as well little more complex in the Russian, but it doesn't show in it the range to the beacon or waypoint, as that range value is indicated in small rolling number panel on top right just above RPM needles (and right to the radar filter buttons, that are top of the radar scope). I dislike all these modern horizontal instruments, as I can't understand why it was so wanted to have the plane fixed straight forward and have the compass rose rotate around, so that your heading is the northern line. And then you need to read the small numbers in the instrument or to find the N/E/S/W letter to get the idea. What I adore is the old MiG-15 style instrument, where the compass rose is fixed and the plane symbol rotates around pointing toward the heading you are going. Here it can be seen under gunsight shadow: static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/8/9/6/3/7/a1658295-4-MiG-15%20Cockpit%2006.jpg?d=1200164003 It is not so accurate to find the current reading because that seems to be only lined for every 5 degrees (how much more you need, when you get about 1 degree accuracy anyways?) but at glance you get instantly the idea that what direction you are flying to, and that is why I like it, as there is no need to read numbers or search letter and do any thinking, you just look that plane points to east etc and you know where you are going. And now when you communicate with someone over radio about directions, you can instantly think everything in the compass readings as clock watch directions and you know where you need to turn and how much. As well something that people don't usually talk about is the Russian planes automatic pilot system (SAU = Sistema Avtomaticheskovo Upravleniya = "Automatic Control System"). As those are very clever. Example the sticks have two buttons on top next to trim that are shown in this video, the left is to disable autopilot mode completely, and the right is to enable automatic recovery mode. Normally those planes are flown with autopilot, there is autopilot modes for take-off, cruise and landing. When the autopilot is enabled (normal stabilization mode), the trim button commands the wanted change in altitude (pitch) so one can hold it down/up and autopilot will start ascension or decend until it is released. If the plane is inside +/- 10 degrees roll, then autopilot will automatically level the plane. If the roll angle is more than 10 degrees, then that roll angle is hold in level flight, so you can example fly a circus automatically. The pedals can be used to change the direction where SAU will maintain the flight. The pilot can at any given time fly a plane just by applying force to the stick, and once the stick doesn't receive any input the stabilization mode will again level/roll the plane etc. The stabilization system as well constantly is performing correction inputs to keep the aircraft steady for smooth flying. The most interesting is the SAU recovery button on the stick, when recovery mode is enabled, it will level the plane from almost any attitude. It does require that Recovery mode is enabled in the autopilot panel (just front of the throttle, a triangle panel with four green lights, the white switch). If the aircraft altitude is by the radar altimeter under 1500 meters and it is in recovery mode, the autopilot has max 5 G authority for pitch up maneuver to recover the plane to level flight to 1500 meters (or was it to 3000 meters if flown under 1500 meters...). This example allows pilot that has lost the situational awareness, just to press a button on the stick to activate it (if not already). This is similar that what western fighters has just received in few years where the system recovers and saves the pilot when they don't give any feedback to controls and plane is flying to terrain. Then there are two different kind automatic landing systems in MiG-21Bis, where the autopilot will fly the plane to capture the landing system signal and then fly the plane in glide path down to 30 meters altitude, and then pilot needs to cancel the mode (stick red button) and take plane to touchdown manually. Later on in the MiG-23, Su-25 and so on new modes were added, automatic flight path mode where the system literally goes from take-off to landing through the flighplan. Pilot enables the mode when they have aligned with the runway and then start rolling. And next time the pilot needs to put hands on controls is 30 meters from the ground when landing. In other planes like Su-27 the trigger in stick is for disabling autopilot for as long as the trigger is hold. So example pilot can be flying as wanted, but to maneuver or change course, altitude etc quickly just pull trigger and perform the correction and release trigger and autopilot resumes.

@@katumus Thanks for your contribution to the forum. Most edifying.

😅

He is unrealistically generous in his comparison of climb rates with the F-16 which is completely incorrect. The MiG-21 does not have a better than 1:1 Thrust to Weight ratio like the F-16 and can not accelerate in a vertical climb as a result…

@@CH-pv2rz With the emergency afterburner mode activated a mig21 can pass 1:1. Only just goes below 1:1 when you are at Max take off weight. Emergency afterburner is 21,800 pounds of thrust and Max take off is 22,900

In many cases the solution is to eject.

Think about the Master Green Pilots of thies a/cs.They got supper human memory quick reaction and cool mind. They're not Pakistani pilots. 🇮🇳 🇮🇳 🇮🇳

Thanks for clarifying this!

The first country to organize the cockpit instruments was the United Kingdom in the 1930s. They introduced a standard panel with six flight instruments on a dampened panel. Engine instruments were located to the right, and some of them were color coded. Therefore, a pilot could easily swap from one aircraft to another. The Americans followed suit much later. I have some knowledge about the Northrop F-5, and it has quite a neat cockpit.

Thanks for your feedback!

To make it correct, the MiG-21 is the most produced supersonic fighter aircraft in the world (11,496). The most produced jet fighter is the MiG-15 (18,000), and the most produced fighter is the Messerschmidt Bf-109 (33,984).

Yes, it's a gunsight. My mistake. The radar is shown at 14:38 and is mentioned in Part 1 (about four minutes into the video). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LjL8HJOxfZ4.html

@@FlywithMagnar i meant the range, and the cooling (alcohol cooling)

When I said the range was not so good, it was because it was 30 NM at the best. I know the MiG-25 used a mixture of ethanol and water to cool the radar and other avionics. That radar was a beast (600 kW). The information that the MiG-21 has the same cooling system is new to me. Thank you!

@@FlywithMagnar mhmm i get it no problem with the informasjon

You are right. Thanks!

Thanks! Yes, I'm fully aware that my English pronunciation is a bit off. However, I speak perfect Norwegian!

Don't mix wing fences with vortex generators.

@@FlywithMagnar I am not mixing them up. I have not said they are the same thing. Wing fences work in a similar manner as vortex generators or LEX by creating a longitudinal vortex and preventing wing stalling. The 3D boundary layers on a swept wing travel outboard towards the wing tip in curved streamlines. It is not possible to " striaghten the flow" by using wing fences and there is no point to do so.

I have searched for it, but cannot find it. I'm not sure whether the 21 Bis have this indicator.

@@FlywithMagnar I believe they should, because how else would pilot know how many ammo is left?

Thanks for the click! Don't worry, there will be more videos about ATR and civil aviation.

I thought you put your chin or forehead on it to look through the Gunsight or a pad to protect your face if you crash.

My appology. For reference, I used a cutaway from Flight International, and it shows an acuator on the upper aft part of the nose gear with the label " hydraulic steering unit". When i take a closer look, there are no hydraulic lines attached to it. So, it's probably a damper. I cannot revise the video, so I have to make a remark in the comments section below. Thank you for notifying me.

@@FlywithMagnar you are right..that is shimmy damper only and no hydraulic connection required.

Yes, but it's not on my to-do list yet. I have too many projects going on!

That must be a sloppy F-35 pilot! The MiG-21 is a hit and run fighter. It performs badly in a turning fight because it looses energy rapidly. Furthermore, the view from the cockpit is very poor. However, it has a relatively good turn rate a low speed, which can be a challenge for third generation fighters. The F-35 is another breed. It provides the pilot with unmatched situation awareness and can easily outmaneuver the -21.

@@FlywithMagnar what about lighting serious problem there keep hearing negative things said like cannot land rearm and go again cannot climb cannot turn these are real things being brought up with makers F22 superb machine NOT FOR SALE

@@micstonemic696stone if you ever have a chance to see an F22, DO IT. Your questions will quickly be answered. Absolute MONSTER. Also, don't believe the rumors about the 35 not being able to turn ;)