MiG-25 Foxbat and MiG-31 Foxhound

[ChernayaAkula]

A thread for the BiG MiGs!

Alternative wing layouts for the Foxbat:

[LemonJello]

Forward swept with canards?

[Maverick]

Is it just me, or does the delta variants look a bit 'Arrowish'.

Regards,

John

[ChernayaAkula]

^^ Forward-swept? Hmmm, sounds interesting....

^ Not just you. That does indeed look Arrow-ish.

Two more views of the cranked delta with canards.
Side view:



Frontal view:

[RussC]

Is it just me, or does the delta variants look a bit 'Arrowish'.

Regards,

John

 
Yes it does. The requirements of the day and the aerodynamics of the day do tend to create similars like the F-108 Rapier, Arrow...etc.

[Maverick]

Love the front-on view Moritz.  Definitely not something you see every day.

Regards,

John

[taiidantomcat]

Love the front-on view Moritz.  Definitely not something you see every day.

Regards,

John

Agreed that view places it instantly in the "must build" category

[tsrjoe]

  a little query for anyone with decent references covering the two seat MiG.25U trainer ... can anyone confirm what wing this version carried? ie. straight leading edge with cylindrical tip pods or 41/41deg kinked with balance weighted tip pods? another question is short exhausts or long and cylindrical brake chute housing or faired ?

im half way through building the Condor kit of the U, and realised the side elevation in Piotr Butowski's monograph on the MiG.25/31, shows the 'Foxbat C' as a variant of the reconaissance type ? abiet with long exhausts, faired chute and cylindrical tip pods

any help would very appreciated

cheers, Joe

[Alvis 3.1]

Cool! Where's a little Clint Eastwood when you need one?

Top two look a lot "Firefox" like to me.

Alvis 3.1

[GTX_Admin]

a little query for anyone with decent references covering the two seat MiG.25U trainer ... can anyone confirm what wing this version carried? ie. straight leading edge with cylindrical tip pods or 41/41deg kinked with balance weighted tip pods? another question is short exhausts or long and cylindrical brake chute housing or faired ?

im half way through building the Condor kit of the U, and realised the side elevation in Piotr Butowski's monograph on the MiG.25/31, shows the 'Foxbat C' as a variant of the reconaissance type ? abiet with long exhausts, faired chute and cylindrical tip pods

any help would very appreciated

cheers, Joe

Joe,

My sources indicate that the MiG-25 trainers (there are actually multiple versions - the main two being the MiG-25PU and the MiG-25RU (separate for both Interceptor and Recon)) were all based upon the MiG-25P Interceptor with cranked wing leading edges and short engine nozzles.

regards,

Greg

[tsrjoe]

Hiyas Greg, many thanks for the information, just what im looking for i'll modify the model accordingly

cheers, Joe

[GTX_Admin]

Glad to beef service Joe.  Is the MiG-25 going to be Finnish by chance?

[elmayerle]

Glad to beef service Joe.  Is the MiG-25 going to be Finnish by chance?

Why not?  It'd fit perfectly with the other aircraft of their Space Laboratory.

[tsrjoe]

hehe, good guess, yip doing it as a Finnish civilian example as per johns artwork, predictable i know  the kit has the P type wing so ill just leave alone as is (does the trainer version have the bulged tips or the later cylindrical ones, or either or?)

cheers, Joe

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Once upon a time, back in the days before the internet I recall seeing a drawing or image of a MiG-25 fitted with a very large fuel tank under the fuselage.  It was a very large fuel tank, something much larger than what you would normally expect on any Russian/Soviet aircraft at the time. 

Would be nice to know what purpose that MiG-25 was to serve with such a large tank attached to it. 

[ChernayaAkula]

<...> I recall seeing a drawing or image of a MiG-25 fitted with a very large fuel tank under the fuselage.  <...>

Like this one?



In the drawing it's mounted on a recon Foxbat prototype, but both the 1/72 ICM and Condor MiG-25PD fighter Foxbats also have it.
It's called PTB-5300. The figure denotes the volume in litres! That's around 30% of the Foxbat's internal fuel. A thread on flugzeugforum.de says they were used on the -PD, recon and bomber Foxbats.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

<...> I recall seeing a drawing or image of a MiG-25 fitted with a very large fuel tank under the fuselage.  <...>

Like this one?



In the drawing it's mounted on a recon Foxbat prototype, but both the 1/72 ICM and Condor MiG-25PD fighter Foxbats also have it.
It's called PTB-5300. The figure denotes the volume in litres! That's around 30% of the Foxbat's internal fuel. A thread on flugzeugforum.de says they were used on the -PD, recon and bomber Foxbats.

Thanks Moritz! 

The image you have shared is one that is new to me.  The image that I recall was from a different angle as in being viewed from the underside of the aircraft.  That fuel tank certainly looks "pronounced" from any viewing angle ;^)

[kitnut617]

Is it just me, or does the delta variants look a bit 'Arrowish'.

Regards,

John

For my Super Arrow, I used a Mig 31 fuselage with the Arrow wings

[apophenia]

For my Super Arrow, I used a Mig 31 fuselage with the Arrow wings

Excellent concept!

[RussC]

Is it just me, or does the delta variants look a bit 'Arrowish'.

Regards,

John

For my Super Arrow, I used a Mig 31 fuselage with the Arrow wings

Nice idea! and yes, they both had twin bogie main gear, didn't they?

[Daryl J.]

The MiG-25 has always looked like a Brute to me and I like it.

But some day, I'd love to put a plug in behind the cockpit to extend its "neck" a bit as some pre-production prototype or a limited production variant. 

FYI, Victor Belenko, of MiG-25 defection fame drove thru Eastern Montana (where I'm from originally)during the dead of winter and said it was worse than Siberia.  It's in his book. 

[finsrin]

Oh Yea....  Heck of a book/story.
Insights into things broken in 1970s USSR.
Recommended...............

[GTX_Admin]

But some day, I'd love to put a plug in behind the cockpit to extend its "neck" a bit as some pre-production prototype or a limited production variant. 

Maybe a bit like the MiG-25 in "MiG - A Canadian Success Story!".  These were kind of an amalgamation of the RW MiG-25 and MiG-31 with a stretched fuselage 'neck':

[Daryl J.]

That's it save for my idea being single seated and Soviet.   Nice job!

[GTX_Admin]

Has anyone every produced a model or a conversion for the Recon versions or trainer versions of the MiG-25?  Preferably in 1/48?

[Daryl J.]

Greg:  I'd wait a bit, there is a strong rumor of a new tool Foxbat.   What has been confirmed is that the kit is 1/48 *and* Russian.   And, unless I've remembered amiss, the designer of the kit is the same one who did Trumpeter's Supermarine Attacker prior to leaving that group.   

Jeffry, I haven't forgotten about the Foxbats you have.   I'm just waiting to see if the Feds assassinate my business because of the previous owner's recklessness......the future has no small amount of gloom.   

Edited for spelling

[GTX_Admin]

Well given we have recently had new 1/48 Mig-21s and MiG-23s that would be very nice.

[ChernayaAkula]

Has anyone every produced a model or a conversion for the Recon versions or trainer versions of the MiG-25?  Preferably in 1/48?

Click2Detail does a 1/48 conversion set for a MiG-25BM. LINK
Not aware of any trainers in 1/48.

1/72 is rather better served (for once!)! There's a trainer as a regular kit by Condor. Both Armory (LINK) and Pavla (LINK) make conversion kits for reconnaissance Foxbats.

[Daryl J.]

Utilize the now-redundant and over sized Revell 1/48 MiG-25 as an evolution kit much like the Legacy Hornet and the Super Hornet or F-16 and Mitsubishi F-2A.   

Stretch a few bits and pieces here and there.    Yes, I know that puts it somewhat into MiG-31 territory but the Russians were great at producing one-off products.     

[dy031101]

Some of the early concepts for a recce MiG-25 have a navigator in the nose......

And I wonder where else we can use anachronism like that, too......

[GTX_Admin]

What about a stretched, enlarged MiG-25/31 that is a dedicated bomber closer in line with the Tu-22/22M?

[GTX_Admin]

Need I say more?

[Daryl J.]

Once upon a time, back in the days before the internet I recall seeing a drawing or image of a MiG-25 fitted with a very large fuel tank under the fuselage.  It was a very large fuel tank, something much larger than what you would normally expect on any Russian/Soviet aircraft at the time. 

Would be nice to know what purpose that MiG-25 was to serve with such a large tank attached to it.

Anyone?  Anyone?.....Buehller? 

-------------------------------------------------------

Who would have thought there are now two new-tool 1/48 kits in the works.    :)

[GTX_Admin]

Wasn't the tank question answered on the previous page?

[Daryl J.]

Yes...found that about 4 hours after I posted the above...

[GTX_Admin]

Well, I'm not one to call someone slow but...

[Daryl J.]

 

[GTX_Admin]

Random Idea:  Cuban MiG-25, possibly a Recon variant so as to do the equivalent of SR71 patrols along parts of Southern/Eastern USA.

[dy031101]

Random Idea:  Cuban MiG-25, possibly a Recon variant so as to do the equivalent of SR71 patrols along parts of Southern/Eastern USA.

"Cuban Crisis II" or "Cuban Foxbat Crisis".  'nuff said (without going political) 

[PR19_Kit]

Oh yes, those slanted intakes are the BUSINESS!  :)

[elmayerle]

Linear aerospike nozzle for the two center engines?  A variable version would be challenging, but not impossible.

[JoseFern]

Linear aerospike I have always admired the mechanical simplicity of the concept! 
But I thought it only worked for rocket engines !?

What do you mean by 'variable version' ? I am intrigued...

[elmayerle]

Linear aerospike I have always admired the mechanical simplicity of the concept! 
But I thought it only worked for rocket engines !?

What do you mean by 'variable version' ? I am intrigued...

Well, what you have here looks to be a combination of a linear aerospike and a variable engine nozzle.  The two engines are so close that they share a common centerbody in the nozzle, much like a linear aerospike but because you have such a variable flow and variety of power levels, you still need a variable nozzle.  Linear aerospikes generally work best, by themselves, with a constant flow, but a turbofan engine isn't going to have that.  The flow paths for the siamesed center engines may end up a bit different from those of the outer engines, but nothing that can't be coped with.

[JoseFern]

Thank you for this clarification. If I understand correctly, in all cases we have a need for a device to stabilize the outgoing flow (this happens naturally in an areospike thanks to the change in atmospheric pressure, depending on the altitude !?).

On the MiG-70 there are three separated engines actually. Two main turbojets on the flanks and a removable (rectangular) ramjet on the centerline which is only ignited for the final accelaration.
Does that change anything?

[fightingirish]

MiG-25DD "Doubledecker" aka "Transformer Blitzwing" 


A dream since my childhood. 

Picture source: Project 365 Toys - Generation 1 Blitzwing (Day 108 of 365)

[Vuk]

I'm not sure is this the right place to post, but I couldn't find better.
Does anyone knows is this a whiff or it was an actual project that never went further from drawing board? I found this pic marked as Project 3 (?) and, as you could see, it look like a heavily upgraded MiG-25. It was among drawings made in similar style, but all were actual aircrafts and prototypes (Chinese Air Force J-7, J-8, J-11, etc).

[Daryl J.]

Slightly larger delta wing and a single tail than the immediate above.

[kitnut617]

Like this then  -----

actually, it's my Super Arrow

[Vuk]

I've just found this...

It was an actual project in 1968 that never went further from tests on static models. It was marked as Interceptor No. 10, while that ''Project 3'' mark actually meant that interceptor was supposed to achieve Mach 3 and also the 30km ceiling. However, since China was technologically not able to do so at the time, the project was abandoned. The static model is on framed smaller photos.

[GTX_Admin]

 

[taiidantomcat]

Epic

[Rickshaw]

Is that a real or faked picture?  The Island looks US Navy to me...

[tahsin]

The story goes that the South Africans were once compelled to write newspaper reports about the threat of MiG-25s based on a Russian carrier off Madagascar. Can't tell whether this was a scenario to ponder or they actually asked for USN intervention.

[GTX_Admin]

Is that a real or faked picture?  The Island looks US Navy to me...

Fake - I would have thought the  would have given it away.

[GaryF]

Any thoughts on a recon Mig-31? Been considering this as a project. Maybe cameras in the nose area, camera bulges where the fuselage R-33's go, or possibly a canoe ala the RA-5C?

[GTX_Admin]

Any thoughts on a recon Mig-31? Been considering this as a project. Maybe cameras in the nose area, camera bulges where the fuselage R-33's go, or possibly a canoe ala the RA-5C?

Go for it!

[elmayerle]

Any thoughts on a recon Mig-31? Been considering this as a project. Maybe cameras in the nose area, camera bulges where the fuselage R-33's go, or possibly a canoe ala the RA-5C?

Use the MiG-25R nose as a guide there and add two canoes over the fuselage mounts for the R-33's?  Alternatively, blank the bays off and just have one large center-line canoealong with a nose inspired by the MiG-25R and developments thereof?

[GTX_Admin]

I like this setup for a anti-radar version: 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

How about a swing-wing/variable geometry MiG-25 or MiG-31?  With a catchy new reporting code name of FLOGBAT, FIREFLOGGER, or FIREBAT.

[GTX_Admin]

How about a swing-wing/variable geometry MiG-25 or MiG-31?  With a catchy new reporting code name of FLOGBAT, FIREFLOGGER, or FIREBAT.

You were saying...

[The Wave]

Has anyone done a USAF or USN scheme MiG-25/31?

[The Big Gimper]

Not my drawing.

[GTX_Admin]

Something like this:



See here

[elmayerle]

Those big verticals would go well with the scheme for the 318th FS.  They are more into drones now, but I'd love to see a MiG-31 in markings for the 111th FIS.

[finsrin]

Looking fine wearing USAF....

[Daryl J.]

The MT ANG machine would need a blue shag carpet floor.   That was a thing with them back then...those winters are COLD in Great Falls.

[GTX_Admin]

As discussed here, back in the early days of developing the MiG-25, Soviet engineers took the approach of "Okay, so...this is the biggest engine we've got, right? How about... we take two of them!"   ...but you just know one of them was thinking "Нет. три!..."

[GTX_Admin]

CFBV