Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 437 MiG-1.44, designed by Northwestern Polytechnical University! (Bonus Chapter)
They agreed! This plane is ours now!

The eyes of countless visitors from the East were filled with hope, and at the same time, their hands slowed down.

The measuring tape has been taken back, and the camera has been put away. Anyway, it will be delivered to us later. We can disassemble and study it slowly then. There's no rush now! Don't act so impatient and embarrass our Eastern military industry.

"Gentlemen, may we now proceed to the conference room to discuss the design concepts of this aircraft?" Olgakov began.

"Ok."

Walking into the office building, the first floor is lined with drafting rooms on both sides. The huge drafting rooms have hundreds of people standing there, working together. The scene looks very spectacular, but also very... low-class!
Seeing Qin Liang shake his head, the people from the Mikoyan Design Bureau became displeased: "Qin, what do you mean by this? Do you think our design bureau isn't strong enough? Don't forget, starting with the J-5, every single aircraft you've built has been a copy of our Mikoyan Design Bureau's designs!"

Qin Liang smiled and said, "Of course we remember. Without the Mikoyan Design Bureau, there would be no development of our Eastern aviation industry. However... everyone, if I may be frank, this method of working on a drawing board is outdated. Computer-aided design is the way to go!"

The Russians' technical level is undeniable. Like us in the East, their basic education is very solid, and many of their engineers have first-rate mathematical skills. However... when it comes to their hardware facilities, they are far behind.

It's the 1980s, and they're still doing homework on paper!
"If we need to modify part of the design, we'll have to scrap a lot of drawings and redraw them, which will require a lot of calculations. Computer-aided design is much simpler. Your Soviet Union has a strong industrial base, so... don't you have a suitable computer-aided design equipment?"

The people from Mikoyan Design Bureau wore helpless expressions.

Yes, their industrial base is strong, but their computers... Simply put, their computer skills are not bad, but their computer penetration rate is not high enough!

In 1951, Russia's first electronic computer, MESM, was completed under the guidance of Beredev at the Russian Academy of Sciences, capable of performing 3,000 calculations per second.

In the 1960s, the Russians had minicomputers, and in the 1980s, they began to manufacture personal computers, such as the Agate-4 computer, which was a copy of the Apple II and was launched in 1984. It can be said that, from a technical point of view, they were not a few years behind the Western world.

But... there aren't enough! Production capacity is very low, output is very small, and there aren't enough for research institutions, let alone schools. The Russian computer courses rely entirely on individual brainpower for calculations, so... the Russian computer experts are absolutely geniuses among geniuses.

"Qin, our domestic computer industry... cannot support the huge demand for computers," Benjing said.

He had been to the East and knew that Northwestern Polytechnical University had long since adopted a comprehensive computer-aided design approach. Northwestern Polytechnical University had a considerable number of computers. Although it was not yet at the incredible level of one computer per person, one could find a computer in the computer room to use whenever needed!

"Then you can buy them! Our computers from Northwestern Polytechnical University are cheap, top-quality, and have the world's fastest computing speed. You can definitely purchase our computers!"

This……

Ivan Mikoyan took a deep breath: "Our designs are the most advanced and top-secret in the Soviet Union, so we can't possibly use foreign computers..."

“You can just buy our chips and assemble the computers yourself. If you're still not comfortable with that... then just pretend I didn't say anything.”

Qin Liang didn't continue to push the product. Anyway, these guys would go to the East. Once they got to Northwestern Polytechnical University, they would be begging to buy it after using it just once!
“Let’s go, everyone, to the conference room,” Olgakov said.

In fact, he supported importing computers from the East. After all, to realize his vision of informatization, a large number of computers were indispensable. The Soviet Union's electronics industry was too poor to provide so many products, so the only option was to purchase them from abroad. Western computers were absolutely out of the question, so the only remaining option was to use computers from the East.

Moreover, the computers in the East are quite advanced...

In the conference room.

"I've heard that Northwestern Polytechnical University has a deep reserve in stealth aircraft technology. When Lockheed's aircraft engineers visited Northwestern Polytechnical University, you presented a first-class stealth design solution, which promoted cooperation between you. Could you tell us about it?" Olgakov asked expectantly.

"Of course, this technology is actually closely related to your Soviet Union. The world's stealth aircraft technology all started with a paper by Pyotr Ufetsev, a senior researcher at the Institute of Radio Engineering of the Central Academy of Sciences. It was originally published in the Journal of Radio Engineering of the Moscow Academy and was called 'The Edge Wave Method in the Theory of Physical Diffraction'."

what?
The Russians were all shocked.

They had no idea that all the technology actually came from them! What angered them even more was that they hadn't been able to build it, but the Americans had!

"In this paper, the authors point out that the intensity of electromagnetic wave reflection is not only related to the size of the object, but also to its layout. The F-117 we see today is an example of how optimized layout significantly reduces the intensity of radar reflection from the front..."

Qin Liang was giving a long and detailed presentation, while the Russians remained silent. "We were the inventors of stealth technology, but unfortunately we didn't push this research forward!"
"Of course, the amount of computation required to obtain a perfect stealth shape through calculation is enormous. When the Americans were designing the F-117, the processing power of the computers was not strong enough, so they could only design the aircraft as a polyhedral structure, which looked like a diamond cut, seriously damaging the aerodynamic shape."

This is similar to the finite element analysis method. In the beginning, the computing power of computers was insufficient, so the product could only be divided into several parts, such as the nose, fuselage, wings, etc. When the computing power of computers became sufficient, even a single rivet could be analyzed to see how it was subjected to stress.

"And now? Is the current computer processing power sufficient?" Ivan Mikoyan asked.

While the Americans were conducting preliminary research on the ATF project, the Russians were not to be outdone, and their corresponding project was already underway. This was the MFI project, a twin-engine multi-role fighter jet. The project was quietly launched in 83, with the design code 1.42 and the construction code 1.44. Its result was naturally the MiG 1.44 project.

Following the recommendations of the Central Institute of Fluid Dynamics, the aerodynamic shape of this aircraft was determined to be a canard layout with twin engines, twin vertical tails, and ventral air intakes. To improve performance, there are a total of fourteen movable wing surfaces on the fuselage, which brings a level of flight control difficulty that is extremely challenging.

In later generations, many people have slandered our J-20 as a reincarnation of the MiG-1.44. That is pure amateurish speculation. They are unhappy if we don't give our domestically produced equipment a foreign parent.

In fact, the two are completely different.

Like the Rafale, the MiG-1.44 uses close-coupled canards, primarily for generating vortices, with a secondary purpose of improving handling at high angles of attack. Our J-20, on the other hand, uses long-coupled canards with leading-edge extensions to generate vortices. This single difference alone demonstrates the difference between the two.

Not to mention, the MiG 1.44 didn't consider stealth at all. Although the air intake adopted an S-shaped design, it was just a simple cover-up and there was no real difference in essence.

If you want to find the father of the J-20, it's the twin-engine layout in the design of the J-9, which predates the MiG-1.44.

For the Russians, the current layout alone is already hellish, not to mention considering stealth, which is simply impossible!
"Right now... that's not a problem for us, after all, we have world-class supercomputers with a computing speed of hundreds of billions of operations per second. As for you..."

“We can buy it!” Olgakov said.

To achieve informatization, supercomputers are essential, and in this field, Dongfang is definitely a leader!

Looking at other countries in the world, in 1982, the Americans connected two Cray-1 computers in parallel and developed the Cray-X, which finally broke through the one billion floating-point operations per second capability. In 83, NEC released the SX-2, which was the first single computer in the West to exceed one billion operations per second. In 84, Russia's M-13 also finally reached the one billion operations per second capability.

But... that's still two orders of magnitude less than a trillion times.

It was absolutely impossible for the Russians to acquire such computers on their own; they had no choice but to purchase them from the East!

Qin Liang shook his head: "No, this kind of supercomputer can be used to simulate nuclear explosions, so it can only be used by ourselves and not sold to others. What we are allowed to export is only computers with a computing power of one billion calculations per second, each costing one hundred million US dollars."

This is absolutely outrageous! Even if the Russians made it themselves, it wouldn't cost that much!

Disappointment appeared on the old Russian's face.

"However, if you need it, you can give us the program that needs to be calculated, and we will input it into the computer and calculate it for you. You only need to pay the rental fee."

This is how it's controlled in the field of advanced computing.

You want to buy it? Sure, we'll build a glass house. We'll have complete control of the keys; you can only look at it from the outside. We'll operate it. Don't be fooled by the fact that the computer is yours; in reality, you can only look at it.

But you can't do that with the Russians, because if you hand them the computer, they can kick you out.

Therefore, the only option was to have them send the calculation program to the East.

What do they have to calculate? It's definitely the design plan for the MiG-1.42 project! That way, we can get all the data!
This is clearly the best solution for us, but will the Russians agree?
"No, absolutely not. We are calculating top-secret plans, and we cannot allow you access to core information."

"Then I can only apologize." Qin Liang spread his hands, looking at Ivan Mikoyan. If you don't agree, then forget it! The initiative isn't in your hands!

"This... could you make an exception? We can guarantee that the data used in the calculations is definitely not from a nuclear explosion."

"Of course not, this is international practice, it's not something you can just say is not true."

This sentence is a bit awkward, but the meaning is very clear: there is no room for negotiation on this matter!

The Russians looked at each other, their eyes filled with disappointment once again. It seemed that they had no use for this advanced stealth technology.

Qin Liang's attempt to fool Qin Liang failed, but of course he had another trick up his sleeve: to keep fooling him!
"In fact, making significant modifications to the aerodynamic shape of an aircraft in order to achieve stealth is not necessarily the optimal solution, just like the F-117, which sacrificed too much."

"Without changing the aerodynamic shape, are there other ways to achieve stealth?" This question immediately caught the attention of many aircraft engineers.

Ivan Mikoyan, Mikhail Simonov, Alexei Tupolev... one after another, veteran aircraft designers looked at Qin Liang with expectant eyes.

Do you understand plasma?

For an engineer, asking such a question is downright insulting.

“Of course I understand. In nature, this is the fourth form of matter besides solids, liquids, and gases. It is electrically neutral as a whole and is composed of positive ions, free electrons, and neutral atoms. The ionosphere on Earth, the high-temperature part of a flame, and so on are all plasma,” Sergei Korotkov said.

Worldwide, Russia's basic education is very solid, and our Eastern education system, which learned from Russia, is also very solid. If this were replaced by Western-style "happy education"...

Everyone knows this basic knowledge; they're just curious why Qin Liang asked this question.

"So, are you aware that electromagnetic waves are rapidly consumed once they enter plasma?"

Everyone's eyes widened.

They know the basic theories, but when it comes to specialized knowledge, they are not clear.

Plasma stealth technology: opening up a new track!

The US stealth aircraft technology works by reflecting electromagnetic waves in other directions. As long as they are not reflected back to their original direction, they will not be received by the enemy's radar and will naturally not be detected.

More than 90% is reflected, and then a few percent is absorbed by the wave-absorbing coating, leaving very little.

Plasma stealth technology primarily uses absorption as its method!
"When the frequency of the plasma is greater than the incident frequency of the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave will be completely reflected and will not be able to enter it. Conversely, the electromagnetic wave will propagate inside the plasma. During this process, the energy of the electromagnetic wave will be absorbed by the charged ions in the plasma, and its own energy will gradually decay until it is consumed."

Looking at the expressions of everyone present, Qin Liang finally confirmed one fact: the Russians had not yet considered plasma invisibility technology!
It seems that it was probably in the late 1980s, when the F-117 and B-2 were declassified, that the Russians suddenly realized that their MiG 1.44, which was designed to compete with the American fourth-generation fighter, had not taken stealth into account during its design. Even if they wanted to, they did not have the capability to do so!

So they could only find a remedy, and that's when they found the magic weapon of plasma stealth technology. In their eyes, this technology could achieve stealth without changing the aerodynamic shape, making it an excellent choice! Once it was developed, all aircraft could use it.

So they began their tireless research, and then... the Soviet Union collapsed!

Many of Russia's scientific research projects were abandoned, and this advanced plasma stealth technology was buried in the dust of history, only prompting countless people to sigh, "If only we had this technology!"
In reality, this technology is useless; if it were good, we would have used it ourselves!
Now, upon hearing Qin Liang present this plan, the Russians present were once again shocked, and then excited.

Yes, plasma can achieve this performance!
"That's right. As long as we install a plasma generator in the nose, the plasma gas will drift backward and cover the entire fuselage, making our aircraft invisible!"

"That's right, that way all the planes can become stealthy!"

The aircraft engineers looked radiant, while some, like Olgakov, looked on with suspicion.

"Qin, this technical approach is excellent; it could even be said to have opened up a completely new field. Why... are you willing to share it with us?"

Don't talk about friendship or anything like that; we're still enemies! You're here to obtain F-117 secrets!
"Comrade Olgakov, we believe that plasma stealth technology will be a major advancement that will completely rewrite aviation technology, just like installing a jet engine on an aircraft, just like exceeding the speed of sound... That's why this technology is also very difficult."

Qin Liang appeared very sincere: "For example, the density, collision frequency, thickness, and other factors of plasma have significant differences in their ability to absorb electromagnetic waves. These factors need to be adjusted to their optimal state in practical applications, which requires a great deal of research. We don't yet have that capability. It's a very complex systems engineering project, involving plasma technology, electromagnetic theory and engineering, aerodynamics, mechanical and electrical engineering, and so on..."

Qin Liang looked at Olgakov: "We believe that only industrial powers like the Soviet Union have the capability for research. Our requirement is that you share your research results with us. Of course, we won't take them for free. When you need to use computers for theoretical calculations, we can provide assistance. However, we will still be the ones inputting the data and recording the results..."

There's no such thing as a free lunch. If we give it to the Russians for free, they'll definitely be suspicious. It's better to tell them that we want to cooperate.

The Russians of this era have devoted almost half of their national resources to military industry. So, with their tireless research, they may indeed have achieved quite a few results, and these results will naturally end up in their own hands!

Of course, the other party might also fabricate information. They might keep the real information confidential and give us fake information, but that doesn't matter anyway... the chances of this project failing are over 99%.

"Alright!" Olgakov nodded. "We can agree to your conditions and do as you say!"

From bombers to fighter jets, everything can be concealed from radar – what a tremendous advancement this will be, reshaping the landscape of air combat! The Russians will gain an overwhelming advantage in every aspect!

Yes, I absolutely have to agree! As for sharing resources... hehehe, we'll talk about that later.

The meeting was essentially complete at this point. After all, the Russians invited the East to visit the F-117 in order to address their shortcomings in stealth capabilities, and now they had a perfect solution. Although the process might be arduous, the Russians were not afraid.

During the Cold War, the Russians, through their strong perseverance, developed countless things that the Western world considered impossible.

The Caspian Sea monster that can speed across the ocean, the single-piloted MiG-105 spaceplane that can hover in space, ready to launch an attack at any moment...

Plasma stealth technology may present significant technical challenges for them, but they believe they can overcome them!
"Qin, your Eastern countries are very forward-thinking in aerodynamic research. Can you tell me what the best aerodynamic layout would be for the next generation of fighter jets?"

Since you're asking yourself this question... let's show off a bit more. Back then, I fooled Ben Richter by drawing an F-22 nose cone. Now, let's draw a MiG-1.44 design!
Qin Liang stood up, walked to the blackboard, and picked up the chalk.

That's right, there were no computers or CRT projectors in the Russians' conference room, so they could only use the pure hand drawing method. Fortunately, Qin Liang had a very solid foundation.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
As the smooth lines began to emerge, the Russians' eyes widened. This... this is exactly the project we're currently working on!

From the side, it looks somewhat similar to the MiG-29 and Su-27, with an under-fuselage air intake that leads directly to the engine nacelle at the rear, making the nose appear as if it's riding on top of it. However, from the top-down view, it's completely different.

Its wide delta wing and canard wing create a completely different aerodynamic layout than ever before, but the most eye-catching feature is its twin vertical tail.

To improve horizontal stability during high-speed flight, the Russians designed twin vertical tails for the first time on the MiG-25. This design later became the standard for twin-engine fighters, including the F-14, F-15, MiG-29, and Su-27.

However, generally speaking, twin vertical tails are mounted on the engine. But in this design, the twin vertical tails are far from the engine nacelle and are inserted into the tail of the delta wing. Because they are far from the engine, a horizontal control surface is added between the vertical tails and the engine nozzle!

The MiG-1.42 project has only just begun. The Russians are still exploring the wind tunnels and have never seen this layout before, so they are very curious.

"Excuse me, why is this vertical stabilizer designed so far out?"

"Well... of course, it's to avoid the vortex effects of the canards. At the same time, the internal control surfaces are designed to maintain sufficient roll control even at high angles of attack. The ventral fins below are also very important, as they can enhance control at high angles of attack..."

"You mean, these control surfaces can move?"

"That's right!" The engineers from the Mikoyan Design Bureau stared wide-eyed at the design plan above.

Two canards, six leading-edge flaps, four trailing-edge flaps, two vertical stabilizers, two ventral fins, and two movable control surfaces inside the vertical stabilizer—that makes a total of eighteen control surfaces!

With so many control surfaces, can their flight control system handle it?

"With this design, combined with the engine's vectoring nozzles, this aircraft will have all-around performance. It can engage in dogfights, cruise at supersonic speeds, and maneuver at will. Although I can't say that the United States has too many projects, I can guarantee that it will absolutely surpass Lockheed's fourth-generation fighter project!"

At this moment, no one was too excited. Yes, this design would have unparalleled performance, but... the difficulty of control would be incredible. The Mikoyan Design Bureau, Russia's largest design bureau, had no problem designing aircraft, but flight control depended on the development capabilities of China's electronics industry!
They knew perfectly well that domestic technology couldn't keep up.

Qin Liang continued his rambling: "This fuselage is wide, so weapons can be mounted in the internal bomb bay, resulting in very low air resistance. As long as the engine is powerful enough, reaching Mach 2.5 at high altitudes is no problem, and it can even cruise at supersonic speeds exceeding Mach 1.5 for over 2,000 kilometers..."

The Mikoyan Design Bureau staff gradually became serious, while the Sukhoi Design Bureau staff... their faces slowly darkened. If this aircraft were developed, would their Sukhoi Design Bureau still have a chance to survive? Their Su-27 had only just begun to mature, and before it could even shine, it would be replaced by the MiG-1.44?
They were unwilling to accept it!

“Great, this design is really good…” Ivan Mikoyan took a deep breath: “I wonder if we could use your Eastern computers to run through the design drawings of this aircraft?”

"Of course! As long as you pay and do things our way, everything is negotiable!"

We've done everything you asked for, so what's there to discuss?
Initially, the Russians did not intend to have the Easterners help with the design, especially for their latest MFI project. However... it is now clear that the Easterners' design is more advanced than what they have come up with themselves, so handing it over to the Easterners is not considered a leak.

Moreover, by utilizing Eastern computer technology, it is clear that the aircraft design can be completed much faster than the Mikoyan Design Bureau's self-developed design!

In the third-generation fighter jet project, they only managed to secure the twin-engine medium fighter jet project, while the heavy fighter jet project was taken by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. In their eyes, this was nothing, after all, the third-generation fighter jet was just a transitional project, and the fourth-generation fighter jet they had was the key!
However, they had to hurry so as not to give the Sukhoi Design Bureau too much time to equip itself. The Mikoyan Design Bureau also wanted to seize the market for homeland air defense!

Ivan Mikoyan nodded: "Of course, we'll do it your way!"

Another collaboration was finalized, which was a pleasant surprise for Qin Liang.

Originally, he only wanted to fool the Russians about stealth design, but he went further and further down the wrong path and what he finally produced was only a half-finished product, at most a third-and-a-half generation, which did not meet the standards of a fourth-generation fighter.

Unexpectedly, the Russians have taken the bait and are willing to ask us to help with the design!

In this way, we will be able to completely understand the parameters of the Russian aircraft. There will be no secrets in front of us, and therefore no deterrent power. Moreover, do the Russians think that with our help, they can develop this aircraft in a short period of time?

of course not!
The development time will definitely not be short. It would be good if the MiG-1.44 could make its maiden flight in the late 1980s. It will take more time and more financial investment to truly finalize the design. In the future, the economic strength of the Russians will not be able to make this project a success!
They can only flatten the Su-27 and pass it off as a Su-57, which might fool the Indians, but as for their actual capabilities... well, let's just say they're not that good.

"Everyone, it's almost noon. We've prepared a sumptuous lunch for you all. Please move to the canteen!" Olgakov said.

Creamy soup, lamb stew with milk and potatoes, caviar, salmon, steamed chicken with coconut... These dishes look decent. In the Soviet Union at this time, resources were beginning to become scarce, but the high-ranking officials had their own special supply stores, where there was no shortage of various foods and daily necessities.

However... when Qin Liang saw the Russians bring out the bottles of liquor, he frowned a little. These Russians may not have any other skills, but they can drink a lot!
"Everyone, we have activities planned for this afternoon, right? We won't be drinking then," Qin Liang said.

"Well... how can we not drink when we come to our Soviet Union? How can that show our friendship?"

"Gentlemen, we didn't come here to drink. How about this, we'll use tea instead of alcohol, and you can drink as much as you like, Comrade Mikoyan, what do you say?"

We can't accept the wine glasses, otherwise... we'll never get enough to drink, we'll drink until we throw up. Besides, why should these guys force us to drink? Do you need our help?
Ivan Mikoyan looked somewhat embarrassed: "This..."

"If we drink alcohol, the whole afternoon will be wasted, and we probably won't have time to continue our technical discussion with you."

"Then don't drink it."

Qin Liang only drew a diagram. There may be many more technical concepts and even details to come, especially the flight control system! Although the Mikoyan Design Bureau has been building aircraft for so long, none of them are fly-by-wire controlled. Even the MiG-29 is hydraulically controlled.

Therefore, they need to continue discussions with the East in the field of telex systems...

Back then, when Tito came, he was made to vomit by the bearded man. When the Indians came, they were tormented by the Ustinov Law, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. But now, the Easterners have arrived and solemnly declared, "We don't drink alcohol, we drink tea!" The Russians had no complaints!
Everyone present was deeply moved.

Without the clinking of glasses and lively conversation, the atmosphere at the dinner table felt somewhat awkward. After a few bites, Simonov spoke up.

"Qin, the electronic equipment produced by your Northwestern Polytechnical University is very advanced. We wonder... if we could purchase it in large quantities from you?"

"Of course, no problem." Qin Liang nodded: "After we opened our country to the world, we started doing business with all over the world. Whether it's you or the West, they are all our customers."

"Then... could you sell us the production technology?"

"Ahem, this beef stew is quite good, very tender..."

It seems they are unwilling.

The Russians present all knew that even if Europe wanted to use planar slotted radar, it would have to purchase it from the East. The relationship between Russia and the East had not yet been officially eased, so how could Russia possibly purchase the most advanced technology from the East?
"I wonder what products you intend to purchase in large quantities?"

"The most important one is the radar antenna with a diameter of 960 millimeters. It's... the one you exported to Syria."

Initially, the Sukhoi Design Bureau contacted the East through Syria. However, with the mass production of the Su-27, these parts needed to be purchased in large quantities, making it impossible to transit through Syria anymore. Moreover, now that Mikoyan's latest fourth-generation fighter jet can be designed with the help of the East, their procurement of Su-27 parts can certainly be done openly and legitimately.

Easterners would not refuse.

Sure enough, Qin Liang nodded: "No problem. For specific procurement, you can talk directly with our Datang Company."

Pacific Corporation mainly sells civilian goods, and military supplies have to be purchased secretly. Such large-scale purchases will eventually be discovered by the West, and at that time, they may use these excuses to cause trouble for Pacific Corporation.

Therefore, from now on, the military trade with the Russians will be handled directly by Datang Corporation. Anyway, Northwestern Polytechnical University will definitely be among the first to be blacklisted by the Americans in the future, so we are not afraid of sanctions. When the time comes, we can completely retaliate against them.

"And some chips for the radar system..."

"No problem, we'll talk about it later."

"it is good."

That was all the Sukhoi Design Bureau wanted, and now that they had agreed, Simonov felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

At that moment, Qin Liang continued to speak.

"The processing technology of planar slotted radar antennas is very advanced. Your factories are all of the extensive type, so you are destined not to be able to process them. The same goes for chips. You don't have advanced equipment, so you are destined not to be able to process them. However... there are actually solutions."

Is Qin Liang going to give them advice again?

"What is the plan?" Simonov asked excitedly.

"The next technological revolution in airborne radar is phased array radar. Since you can't manufacture planar slotted radar antennas, you can consider using phased array radar as a substitute."

This is certainly icing on the cake, since the Russians already have it, they just haven't officially announced it to the public.

Before the MiG-25 defected, modifications to the MiG-25 had already been made, including the replacement of turbofan engines. Although the maximum speed was reduced to Mach 2.8, the maximum range was increased to nearly 4,000 kilometers. At the same time, the fuselage was largely replaced with titanium alloy instead of stainless steel.

Although they already have the Su-27, the most powerful interceptor the Russians have is definitely not the Su-27, but the MiG-31!

The radar system was also replaced. The previous radar, capable of burning rabbits, was replaced with a brand-new bunker radar, using a passive phased array radar, 1.1 meters in diameter, equipped with three ferrite phase shifters, with a search range of over 200 kilometers, and capable of simultaneously tracking ten targets and attacking four of them...

This radar was already equipped on the MiG-31 in 81.

Therefore, Qin Liang's suggestion was as good as saying nothing at all!
The Russians' passive phased array radar, which uses ferrite phase shifters, is very advanced, but at the same time, it's also very heavy! Although the exact figure is never known to the outside world, its weight is definitely over a ton, and it's no lighter than the original N001 radar of the Su-27!
The MiG-31 has a maximum takeoff weight of 46 tons, so carrying a radar weighing over a ton is no problem for it, but the Su-27 can't! Moreover, this radar requires a dedicated weapons officer to operate, which is unusable on a single-seat Su-27.

Upon hearing Qin Liang's suggestion, Simonov's expression became somewhat awkward: "Let's... stick to planar slotted radar for now. We don't need more advanced radar for the time being."

"why?"

Qin, do you really not know? Why expose someone's shortcomings?
Simonov said embarrassedly, "Well... it's a secret."

"Oh, forget it then."

Several years later, when the two met again, Qin Liang pointed to the nose of his own fighter jet and said proudly, "See? I told you, phased array radar is the trend, but you guys didn't care back then."

Simonov was speechless. "You should say a few more words! You're talking about an active phased array radar, but I'm talking about a passive phased array radar!"
Active phased array radar is a really good thing, but our great Russian electronics industry still can't figure it out!
The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat awkward. Ivan Mikoyan spoke up: "This phased array radar is indeed a trend. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Qin. Come on, eat your food! By the way, regarding fly-by-wire control, does Northwestern Polytechnical University have the relevant technology?"

The Su-27 still uses analog fly-by-wire! If the MiG-1.42 project were designed with such a complex control surface, then digital fly-by-wire technology would have been necessary.

The level of electronic technology in Russia is clearly inferior to that of the East. Since the shape of the aircraft also needs the help of Northwestern Polytechnical University, and the specific design of the aircraft also needs the help of Northwestern Polytechnical University, we might as well ask them about their equipment.

"Of course we do. If you need it, you can purchase it directly from us. When it comes to modern aircraft, bus technology is also very important. Although the 1553B standard was proposed by the United States, we think it is very good. If you need it, we can also provide the relevant equipment."

The Russian MiG-29 did not use bus technology. It wasn't until the Su-27 that the ARINC429 unidirectional data bus was first used, with a very small data capacity, so the fire control and external systems still had to be separated. The Su-30 began using the 1553B data bus, and it was subsequently used extensively.

Now, would the Russians simply adopt Western standards? Wouldn't they feel ashamed?

Sure enough, the Russians looked at each other. They really wanted to use it, but they felt ashamed. If they didn't use it, they didn't have advanced technology themselves and would have to start from scratch, which would take a long time.

At this point, they were eager to acquire mature and reliable technology as soon as possible, having completely lost faith in domestic electronic technology.

“Then we can try it out first, and then switch to our own technology when we have our own later,” Ivan Mikoyan said.

"Okay, then when we're designing the fuselage, we'll take care of all the wiring and other related work."

Originally, it was just about designing the exterior shape, that is, the aerodynamic layout, but now... even the detailed design of the fuselage will be included.

Northwestern Polytechnical University designed the Russian MiG-1.44!
(End of this chapter)