The fighter jet stops mid-air, turns 360° and fires
A helicopter can stay still mid-air. But a fighter plane? No way. The laws of physics and jet propulsion dont allow that.
Russian engineers have achieved just that.
The aircraft, temporarily called MiG-29M (since it is based on the airframe of the tried and tested MiG-29) and soon to be christened MiG-35, is claimed to be the only aircraft in the world with a thrust vector control that allows it to stop mid-air and manoeuvre 360 degrees.
And it is not just aerobatics to impress kids. "The thrust vector gives the aircraft certain advantages in close combat," said Andrey Karasev, deputy general designer of MiG. "An aircraft that can abruptly change speed and direction does not allow enemy aircraft to leave its firing range."
The manoeuvre, called Bell, also enables the pilot to stop mid-air and thus prevent himself from entering the enemy plane's missile firing range. And then he can turn around abruptly in any direction but still fire its missile at the enemy.
A conventional aircraft cannot turn around abruptly; it will have to jet forward, take a long loop and then close in towards the enemy, by which time the enemy would either be waiting for it or have fled. "This is important in close combat," said Alexei Fyodorov, general director of MiG corporation. "This enhances the safety of the pilot and the manoeuvrability of the aircraft. "The pilot can recover from any position with this technology. We have modified the aircraft control system to enable this."
The Sukhoi-30MKI also has thrust vector technology, but is limited to one direction. The technology installed in MiG-29M would allow 360 degree manoeuvrability.