On the rise the Cold war Soviet’s needed an upgrade, for their MiG-21 which range was not efficient. The ground-attack version MiG-27 was picked out to serve Russia’s air force. It first flew in 1972 as a single seat version. One major characteristic that MiG-27 got from its predecessor MiG-21 was the “swing wing”. Used for maximum performance at all time the “swing wing” system could swap between three positions:
16 degree angle for take-off, 45 degree angle for normal cruise and 72 degrees angle for maximum speed. It could reach up to 1885 km/h (1170mph). MiG-27 is also called an upgrade from a MiG-23 as an optimized ground attack variant.
MiG 27 is armed with 30mm cannon which can be used as a ground-attack weapon. With its 900 rounds a minute fire rate, it could create an effective damage over larger area. Combine that with 4000kg (8804lb) of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, including the napalm tanks or nuclear bombs, you get a very dangerous bomber.
It uses a state of art terrain-avoidance radar and can engage in any weather. The MiG-27 lacks the air-to-air radar relying instead on other fighter aircraft to defend it. Although MiG-27 is an older type of an aircraft it is still used by many nations around the globe. It had a major role in Afghanistan from 1979-1989, Iran-Iraq War and during the Gulf War in 1991.
Specifications and characteristics:
Power – one 78.5kN dry and 112.8kN with afterburning turbojet
Max speed – 1885km/h (1170mph)
Max initial rate of climb – 39,370 ft/min
Service ceiling – 45,930ft
Combat radius – 225km (no external fuel), 540km (three drop tanks)
Wings span – 13.97m (45ft 10in) extended; 7.78m (25ft 6in) swept
Length – 17.08m (56ft)
Height – 5m (16ft 5in)
Wing area – 37.4sqm (402.1sq ft)