Thread: MiG-23/MiG-27
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Old June 1st, 2011, 11:02 AM
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Marcello Marcello is offline
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Default Re: MiG-23/MiG-27

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I don't want to overthrow all the system of assigning speed to aircraft, but now it seems, that fighter MiG-23MF with speed 25 is better, than specialized attack MiG-23BN and MiG-27 (speed 18)... It's especially visible comparing units 143 and 144 in Russsian oob. In fact MiG-27's speed over the ground was 1350 km/h (1700 on an altitude), and I don't expect MiG-23MF to attack ground targets with higher speed. But that's just a couple of thoughts...
The current system is based on the aircraft maximum speed, not the "real" one. Flawed as that is it, it is relatively easy to find a source giving you the generic maximum "clean speed". Finding one that list the combat speed for the loaded plane at low altitude less so. Consider however that in that case it would probably be high subsonic with only modest, if any (bomb release speed limitations for some types come to mind), differences between a plane and the other: I doubt that a MIG-27 could go supersonic near the ground with UB-32 rocket pods...
As there are now probably more than a thousands of plane revising that would be a mountain of work with little gain.
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