دانلود کتاب The MiG 23 Mystery in Soviet Skies

The great display staged by Soviet aviation on 19 July 1967 in Domodyedovo culminated in introduction of four prototypes of a formerly absolutely unknown heavy two-engine jet fighter aircraft. The almost standard feature of all Soviet supersonic aircraft up to that time was delta wings or at least considerably swept-back wings and, thus, it was rather surprising to see wing surfaces with a relatively small sweepback and a considerable depth of profile along the entire length on an aircraft which, as the local commentator claimed, attained speeds on the order of Mach 3. At first sight the new fighter aircraft resembled the heavy American fighter aircraft-Ат5 Vigilante. Its almost square fuselage and the unusual shape of the intake ports were actually reminiscent of the North American design, but it soon became obvious that both the thickness and span chord ratio as well as that oE the vertical empennage areas of the Soviet type were much smaller. The new aircraft differed from the Vigilante also by the number of rudder tails projecting from the upper corners of the rear part of the fuselage and deflecting outward at a relatively sharp angle.