Liogkiy Mnogofunktsionalniy Frontovoi Samolyet (LMFS) - Origins
The task of creating a new fighter, which is capable of replacing the MiG-29 fighter at the beginning of the 21st century, was set back in the mid-1980s. The work was carried out in two streams, the design bureaus of Sukhoi and Mikoyan developed different machine concepts.
The main function of the created front-line fighter of the MiG Design Bureau was chosen by fighter missions, and work on the ground here was relegated to the background. Probably, the essence of the machine, which the company assigned the index 412, was consonant with the MiG-29M then tested. Sukhoi Design Bureau took a different path. Developing in parallel with the development of a light front-line fighter, the idea of ??a stealth attack aircraft, which was supposed to "balance" the American A-12 Avenger II, a group of designers led by Babak designed the Su-37 attack aircraft.
At various times, many venerable companies undertook to create such an aircraft, however, it was not possible to link together the armored attack aircraft and the highly maneuverable fighter. Successful help will be achieved by the promising AL-41F engine (product 20) with a low specific gravity, a multi-angle nozzle and a variable bypass ratio. P179-300 was also considered as a power plant, which is primarily interesting for the deck version of the aircraft, since it was a further development of the Yak-141 engine.
The concept of a single-engine attack aircraft is quite controversial, which ultimately influenced the choice of the air forces who preferred the Su-25T. On the other hand, there is many years of experience in using such MiG-27 and Su-17 machines. The Americans also made attempts to promote the single-engine F-16XL as a shock. The success of using such an attack fighter depends not only on partial reservations (the total mass of survivability of the Su-37 reached 1,500 kg) but also on the “multifunctional nozzle” (as the all-round nozzle was called at that time). Diving "snake" using direct control of the lifting force, the machine for this purpose had fuselage flaps and front horizontal tail, theoretically allowed to minimize the time spent in the area of ??aimed fire anti-aircraft installations. With the portable anti-aircraft systems had to deal with the system of suppressing infrared GOS "Sukhogruz", installed later on the Su-25T.v Then, in the early 1990s, it was not possible to verify the theory in practice, an attempt to start mass production of the Su-37 ended in nothing, the design bureau of Mikoyan also had to wait for better times.
At this time, overseas strategists finally defined the concept of a "light fighter." This machine was not tasked with working with NURSs (they like to “work” from afar), so the armor was unclaimed (although the car was considered as a replacement for the A-10 attack aircraft). But the customer significantly complicated the life of the developers by the requirement to reduce the effective dispersion area and short take-off and vertical landing. It is too early to talk about the correctness of the choice of such priorities, however, it should be noted that the latter requirement has limited the fighter capabilities of JSF quite seriously.
The use of a fan, which has the largest possible diameter with a draft of 8,200 kgf within the machine’s design, forced the developers to maximize the propulsion engine to the center of gravity, while the length of the air intake channel was reduced to a minimum, which served as a reason for limiting the maximum speed (M = 1.6). It should be noted that for cars of the 4th generation, which JSF should replace - F-16 and F-18, the maximum speed is respectively M = 2 and M = 1.8. Today, after removing the F-14 deck interceptor from armament, these functions lie on the F-18, however, its maximum speed in this role is not “ah,” what will happen to the air defense of the aircraft carrier strike group after only JSF remains on the deck?
Sukhoi Design Bureau entered the new century with ready-made "paper" projects of the S-56 compact light fighter, Marbashev and S-21 aircraft, and Mikoyan Design Bureau was developing the line of large-scale modernization of the MiG-29. The appearance of the product 117 engine for PAK FA at a new stage promised benefits when creating a single-engine machine based on it. And while there was no clarity in the actions of the Su Design Bureau, the interest of the Indian military in the work of the MiG Design Bureau shed some light.
Mikoyanovtsy in 2003 conducted at least two topics that fit the definition of a light fighter, which at that time, by the way, was called a “light front-line aircraft” (using the word “aircraft” implied the versatility of this aircraft). One of them was a twin-engine fighter-bomber, which is a further development of the MiG-29. Probably after testing the MiG-29M, M1, M2 and M3 equipped with PGO, the designers sent a radical step and changed the aerodynamic layout. According to rumors, the plane, known as I-2000, became tailless, having lost its horizontal plumage. The advantages of this solution are known from the “Analog-144” which was built on the basis of the MiG-21, later the F-16XL developers went this way, a similar technique was considered even for the Su-27.
The large internal volumes of this layout allowed to significantly increase the flight range, thus getting rid of the main disadvantage of the MiG-29. The number of external nodes increased by 1.5-2 times, reduced EPR. Thanks to the use of all-angle CLIVT nozzles, the maneuverability of the machine should be no less than that of the MiG-29.
The second contender for the role of a light front-line aircraft was an index 1.12 light fighter. This, according to unconfirmed reports, was a single-engine aircraft equipped with a “product 117” or “product 117C” engine, having one keel, and air intakes are located like those of F/A-18E/F Normal combat load (2 guided short-range and 2 medium-range missiles), low ESR, supersonic cruising speed (about M = 1.3), high thrust-weight ratio (1.3 - 1.4), radius of action without using outboard tanks at the level of the MiG-29 fighter hanging tanks, allowing This plane can seriously snarl not only European aircraft of this class, but even “compete” with the heavier American F-22s and F-35s.
MiG Group launched their MiG 35, and the official claimed that MiG 35 sports performance flexibility, and in a melee fight can be better than the F-35. But the insiders understand that the MiG 35 does not have an overview of the appearance, nor does it try to reduce the radar echo, the radar is not the active array (AESA). As an upgraded MiG 29, it can only have a transitional role. Compared with the 5th generation fighters, the military observers directly criticized the "MiG 35 is not advanced."
The MiG Group is also aware of its weaknesses and has proposed the Light Multi-Function Frontal Aircraft (LMFS) program, which is the Lightweight 5th Generation. At present, the MiG Group's new light fighters may be similar in size to the MiG 29, unloaded weight of about 15 tons, full of about 25 tons.
If the LMFS fighter used a twin engine design, Klimov is researching the VK-10M turbofan engine, which is a senior derivative of the RD-33 series used by the MiG 29 fighters, with the largest post-combustion thrust 10 tons, the overall performance of the engine should be similar to the US-made general power F414 level.
Sukhoi T-50 was Russia's only fifth-generation survivor fighter program, and uses the AL41 with improved engine performance, then LMFS may also switch to single-engine design, AL41 after the thrust Known to reach 18 tons.
As for the appearance of LMFS, may be a "flat MiG-29". In order to reduce the reflection of the cross-section, without exception, the aircraft design used V-shaped vertical tail. As the F-22 is like "flattened F-15", the T-50 is like the SU-27, then the MiG Group designed LMFS should be like "flat MiG-29".
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