The MiG-31 is the Volkswagen New Beetle to the MiG-25’s Volkswagen Beetle. Beefier and far technologically superior, the MiG-31 remains in service with the Russian air and space force today.
In 1986 six MiG-31s intercepted an SR-71 over the Barents Sea by performing a coordinated interception. It is rumoured that after this interception, no SR-71 flew a reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union.
Structurally, it’s a little different to the MiG-25, being 49% arc-welded nickel steel, 33% light metal alloy, 16% titanium and 2% composites. It is also an absolute beast, with a maximum take-off weight the same as a Boeing 737 airliner — or more than five MiG-21s! Armed with the longest range air-to-air weapon outside of Sweden and comfortably able to outdrag a Raptor, the MiG-31 remains in a league of its own.
My old style 1999 VW beetle, hecho en Mexico, passes California emissions and gets 33 MPG. Yeah, not so great on side impact, but if an air-cooled piece of 70 year old technology can do that well…IC engines kind of suck. Mature jet engines are a bit more efficient, and have good power to mass ratio- like 10kW/kg
Like catching an F1 racer with an MG. The SR-71 employed all kinds of exotic techmologies to fly as fast as it did. Those cones in the engine intakes were movable to keep the sonic booms from happening inside the engines with catastrophic results.
The peace dividend all went to severance pay for the RIFFed EPA and State employees.
The thought of Lockheed Management finally designating The Skunk Works "The Skunk Works" would be my signal to GTFO, if I didn't have enough brains to leave by then.
When you think of how many projects succeed without (or even with!) management support, it's amazing.
This one's actually still in service.
<img src="https://hushkit.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/mig-31bm_2_sk_en.jpg" />
The proposed Mach-3 F4 Phantom got to me. WTF
It'd be a wild ride, watching the skin glow red-hot.
My old style 1999 VW beetle, hecho en Mexico, passes California emissions and gets 33 MPG. Yeah, not so great on side impact, but if an air-cooled piece of 70 year old technology can do that well…IC engines kind of suck. Mature jet engines are a bit more efficient, and have good power to mass ratio- like 10kW/kg
Yeah b-but I was reading about the beautiful and famous |Catalina PBY seaplane| (made here in San Diego) that had a range of 2,520 no-doubt noisy and uncomfortable miles on two rotary AVGAS engines. Aren't IC engines more fuel efficient than jets?<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Consolidated_PBY-5A_Catalina_in_flight_c1942.jpg/1280px-Consolidated_PBY-5A_Catalina_in_flight_c1942.jpg" />
intercepting an SR 71? Not bad. Where's the peace dividend again? Oh, I suppose it's paying the interest on Trump's loans?
Like catching an F1 racer with an MG. The SR-71 employed all kinds of exotic techmologies to fly as fast as it did. Those cones in the engine intakes were movable to keep the sonic booms from happening inside the engines with catastrophic results.
The peace dividend all went to severance pay for the RIFFed EPA and State employees.
The thought of Lockheed Management finally designating The Skunk Works "The Skunk Works" would be my signal to GTFO, if I didn't have enough brains to leave by then.
When you think of how many projects succeed without (or even with!) management support, it's amazing.