Author Topic: Jets operating from road bases (Read 2611 times)

Wolfala · « **Reply #45 on:** October 12, 2004, 09:00:18 AM »

Regardless, i've got respect for ya. You guys have a pair thats dragging across the ground - keep up the good work.

Boroda · « **Reply #46 on:** October 12, 2004, 01:56:43 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by wasq
FOD isn't a problem in this case since we've got the special sweeper vehicles to clean up the roads. I wonder whether it is cheaper to use the sweeper vehicles or have lots of people manually checking the runways...

MiG-29s are able to operate from grass airfields. They have a special intake design that doesn't suck dust on takeoff.

BTW, in 1993 when USAF F-15s visited VVS training center n Lipetsk - they refused to take off from the dirty airstrip. They had Su-27 taking off before them to sweep the airstrip.

RTStuka · « **Reply #47 on:** October 12, 2004, 02:03:58 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by medicboy
Ok, don't laugh but I heard that is why the US govt built the interstate highway system. In the event of war they could set up bases anywhere if the standard ones were destroyed....

Not sure but it could work.

From what I know and have learned you are partly correct, the Inerstate Highway was not set up specifically for that purpose. When the designed the roadways and highways they did factor in a plane landing on them. They made sure that the roads were wide enough and there were enough straight sections for planes too touch down.

Wolfala · « **Reply #48 on:** October 12, 2004, 02:12:08 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Boroda
MiG-29s are able to operate from grass airfields. They have a special intake design that doesn't suck dust on takeoff.

BTW, in 1993 when USAF F-15s visited VVS training center n Lipetsk - they refused to take off from the dirty airstrip. They had Su-27 taking off before them to sweep the airstrip.

For the early MIG29's that is true - they had a louver system that closed off the intakes and had air sucked in through the top of the LERX. However - in the later build MIG29's they discovered the ground clearence was enough that FOD wasn't a problem and eliminated the louver system.

Wolf

Boroda · « **Reply #49 on:** October 12, 2004, 02:26:57 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Wolfala
For the early MIG29's that is true - they had a louver system that closed off the intakes and had air sucked in through the top of the LERX. However - in the later build MIG29's they discovered the ground clearence was enough that FOD wasn't a problem and eliminated the louver system.

Wolf

I never payed attention to the intake on the MiG-29s at the airshows

I read about this in popular magazine in late-80s...

Made some search, found out that the new intake design was used on MiG-29K, carrier-based version built for Tbilisi (Fleet Admiral of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov

).

Upper intakes were replaced with fuel tanks, but the intake protection was improved, at least it's what I have read here.