SAF, The Publication of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army
(Monthly)
Sept. 1995,
No. 184, Page: 28
Summary:
The Self-Sufficiency Jihad Department of the Islamic Republic of
Iran's Air Force managed an unprecedented aerial fuel transfusion for MIG
- 29 fighter jet.
The Success of the operation has increased the fighter's one-hour
flight time length to five hours.
Text:
The MIG -29 fighter jet were designed and manufactured by the former
Soviet Union. Today, the fighter is exclusively manufactured and marketed
by the Russian companies. The fighter was discovered by the western
reconnaissance satellites in 1979. Seven years later, the Russians showed
the world the flight capability of six of their MIGS in an airbase in
Finland.
The MIG-29 is capable of accomplishing all assigned missions under
any atmospheric condition. Yet, like other fighter jets, MIG, 29 bears a
deficiency of limited flight hours. Since the fighter lacks the system of
aerial fuel transfusion, there has never been a chance to expand its
operative range, until now. The fighter joined the Iranian Air Force in
1990, when the opportunity for practical testing of its capability was
virtually lost because the Iraqi imposed war on Iran was already over. The
Department of Self-Sufficiency of the Iranian Air Force, however, kept
working hard on the implementation of a project to upgrade the fighter's
fueling system. Despite obstacles and problems, the inventive engineers of
the Iranian Air Force succeeded in turning MIG -29 into a strategic
fighter jet by improving its fueling system such that the fighter is now
capable of handling a five-hour flight without landing.
In order to appreciate the courageous endeavor of both the Iranian
designers and engineers of the project, one should know that the MIG-29
was not initially designed for aerial refueling by the manufacturer and,
consequently, there were no input connection points for fuel transfusion
on the wings or on the fuselage.
The shortage made the Iranian engineers go through a series of
accurate, sophisticated, and complicated calculations to modify the
fighter's various systems such as its electronic, electrical, wiring,
weaponry, engine, and fueling systems. Each one of these systems had
practically brought its own limitation into the project so that the
engineers had to redesign all related parts and the systems installed
inside the cockpit, wings, and the fuselage. Special testers for every
modified system was also built. Those parts and systems were reinstalled
after passing specific tests.
The main advantage of the project appears as the ability of the
Iranian engineers in taking all necessary factors into consideration and
adapting them with the original graphs of the fighter to make sure that
all systems would function automatically during aerial fuel transfusion
without putting the pilot neither in physical danger nor psychological
stress.
The project achieved two goals simultaneously: First, it strengthened
the maneuvering capability of the fighter jet by increasing both its
operative penetrating power and reconnaissance time length.
Secondly, the project has virtually eliminated the need for building
air bases by the border lines for landing-refueling-take off purposes.
Those achievements not only have remarkably cut the maintenance costs but
also have saved considerable sum of hard currency for the nation.
During the fourth stage of the exhibition of aerial fuel transfusion,
a key Iranian Air Force designer announced that the Islamic Republic of
Iran was ready and willing to transfer the technology of turning MIG -29
into an aerially refillable fighter to those friendly nations who own the
fighter planes.
(Monthly)
Sept. 1995,
No. 184, Page: 28
Summary:
The Self-Sufficiency Jihad Department of the Islamic Republic of
Iran's Air Force managed an unprecedented aerial fuel transfusion for MIG
- 29 fighter jet.
The Success of the operation has increased the fighter's one-hour
flight time length to five hours.
Text:
The MIG -29 fighter jet were designed and manufactured by the former
Soviet Union. Today, the fighter is exclusively manufactured and marketed
by the Russian companies. The fighter was discovered by the western
reconnaissance satellites in 1979. Seven years later, the Russians showed
the world the flight capability of six of their MIGS in an airbase in
Finland.
The MIG-29 is capable of accomplishing all assigned missions under
any atmospheric condition. Yet, like other fighter jets, MIG, 29 bears a
deficiency of limited flight hours. Since the fighter lacks the system of
aerial fuel transfusion, there has never been a chance to expand its
operative range, until now. The fighter joined the Iranian Air Force in
1990, when the opportunity for practical testing of its capability was
virtually lost because the Iraqi imposed war on Iran was already over. The
Department of Self-Sufficiency of the Iranian Air Force, however, kept
working hard on the implementation of a project to upgrade the fighter's
fueling system. Despite obstacles and problems, the inventive engineers of
the Iranian Air Force succeeded in turning MIG -29 into a strategic
fighter jet by improving its fueling system such that the fighter is now
capable of handling a five-hour flight without landing.
In order to appreciate the courageous endeavor of both the Iranian
designers and engineers of the project, one should know that the MIG-29
was not initially designed for aerial refueling by the manufacturer and,
consequently, there were no input connection points for fuel transfusion
on the wings or on the fuselage.
The shortage made the Iranian engineers go through a series of
accurate, sophisticated, and complicated calculations to modify the
fighter's various systems such as its electronic, electrical, wiring,
weaponry, engine, and fueling systems. Each one of these systems had
practically brought its own limitation into the project so that the
engineers had to redesign all related parts and the systems installed
inside the cockpit, wings, and the fuselage. Special testers for every
modified system was also built. Those parts and systems were reinstalled
after passing specific tests.
The main advantage of the project appears as the ability of the
Iranian engineers in taking all necessary factors into consideration and
adapting them with the original graphs of the fighter to make sure that
all systems would function automatically during aerial fuel transfusion
without putting the pilot neither in physical danger nor psychological
stress.
The project achieved two goals simultaneously: First, it strengthened
the maneuvering capability of the fighter jet by increasing both its
operative penetrating power and reconnaissance time length.
Secondly, the project has virtually eliminated the need for building
air bases by the border lines for landing-refueling-take off purposes.
Those achievements not only have remarkably cut the maintenance costs but
also have saved considerable sum of hard currency for the nation.
During the fourth stage of the exhibition of aerial fuel transfusion,
a key Iranian Air Force designer announced that the Islamic Republic of
Iran was ready and willing to transfer the technology of turning MIG -29
into an aerially refillable fighter to those friendly nations who own the
fighter planes.
. thanx for that information. seems like u know alot about the iranian air force. keep discussing and enjoy.