Western Artists' Concepts of Soviet aircraft during the Cold War

[Antonio]

Source: Flaps (Spanish Magazine) Number 94

Domodedovo Air Parade 8 July 1967 report

Yak-36: "VTOL showing reminiscences to previous Mikoyan studies"

MiG-25: "introduced as two crew all-weather Mach 3 interceptor, but looking at its wing shape we guess it is a multi-role aircraft basically suited for low altitude nuclear retaliation. It is probably a Yakovlev product"

More examples, with pics, will follow soon

Antonio

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

http://www.dia.mil/history/art/militaryArt.htm

Great stuff!

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

More, including the amazing Afghani trials of a laser tank that certainly existed only in the overheated imaginations of the US DIA.

 

[Tuomasn]

Magnificent! Already years ago some paintings were published at the FAS site, but this collection contains many more.

 

[Antonio]

Spanish edition of an original english encyclopedia of weapons. Published in Spain in the early 80's.

This is my first post from it. An speculative drawing of a "new Soviet fighter in the F-16/F-18 class". "It seems that it comes from MiG and MiG29 designation is given, but others sources identify it as a Sukhoi product".

 

[Matej]

"Soviet nuclear bomber" from Aviation Week, 1st December 1958. In fact Myasischev M-50.

 

[Antonio]

Nice pics Matej, thanks a lot
I have some stuff from the 50's that I'll look for. I remember a "Science Fiction" nuclear VTOL intercontinental bomber.

By the moment another profile from that encyclopedia of weapons. This time it is a "Su-27 Flanker".
Sorry for the bad quality scan :-\ but anyway I think it is a good looking aircraft

 

[elmayerle]

Even when they got the design bureau right, they still mis-identified aircraft. The Ye-2 "Faceplate" as the MiG-21, the Ye-152M "Flipper" as the MiG-23, etc.

 

[Antonio]

Even when they got the design bureau right, they still mis-identified aircraft

The MiG-25 was identificated as MiG-23
The Su-24 as Su-19 (The Su-19 in fact it is an advanced unbuilt version of the Su-15)

 

[Pioneer]

Try this one

First evidence of a Soviet equivalent to the Fairchild A-10 came in 1978, via USAF recon photos of a prototype at the Soviet Air Force experimental centre at Ramenskoye.
The US first identified it as the Ram-J.
Some reports have used the designation ‘T-58’. The aircraft was assigned the NATO reporting name of Frogfoot.
Armament of one multi-barrel rotary cannon and up to ten hardpoints.
The powerplants are probably non-afterburning versions of the Tumanski R-13. These engines are located in the wing roots.
Deliveries of production aircraft are expected to begin in 1983 or 1984.

P.S. I have to apologise, as I am unable to match these photos together, as I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to things like this with my computer.
Does someone want to have a go?

I think although they were right off the mark with this impression of what would become the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot, it still is a very interesting and I think a very good-looking design!

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Pioneer]

The Su-24 as Su-19 (The Su-19 in fact it is an advanced unbuilt version of the Su-15)

Out of interest Elmayerle, What did this Su-19 advanced and unbuilt version look like ?
Do you have anything in the way of pics, drawings or specifications for it

Regards
Pioneer

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I have specs and drawings of the Su-19 - it used a"crescent" wing similar to the original Su-27, had Tumansky turbofan engines and a lookdown shootdown radar/weapons system. I can post when I get home.

 

[Pioneer]

Great

Thanks again Overscan!

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Matej]

"Kamov Hokum" from domestic version of what originally was Encyclopedia of Aircrafts, Aerospace Publishing Ltd, 1991. Its interesting that western analysts long time thought that Ka-50 is two seat helicopter mainly because Soviets used during tests pasted plastic pieces behind cockpit for mirroring sunlight like glass.

Photos of RAM-K (Su-27) and RAM-L (MiG-29) done by KH-11 spy satellite in 1984.

 

[Antonio]

Pioneer,

Here it's the RAM-J

 

[Antonio]

More from the "Weapons Encyclopedia". This time Chinese Fighters, the J-8 and the J-12. Both from Shenyang
"The J-8 Finback would be a Mach 2 fighter (2 Tumansky R-11 copies) developed from one MiG-23 received from Egypt. First operational units would be ready from 1980".
"The J-12 would be a Mach 2 fighter engined with one Spey with afterburner". The Chinese Spey program started in 1979.

Cheers

Antonio

 

[elmayerle]

The Su-24 as Su-19 (The Su-19 in fact it is an advanced unbuilt version of the Su-15)

Out of interest Elmayerle, What did this Su-19 advanced and unbuilt version look like Do you have anything in the way of pics, drawings or specifications for it

You can find drawings and specifications in Red Stars, Volume 16, Sukhoi Interceptors.

 

[Antonio]

Do you have anything in the way of pics, drawings or specifications for it

Also in Tony Buttler's Secret Projects: Russian Fighters

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Or even, here:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/556

;D

 

[Pioneer]

Thanks Pometabl for putting my scan together.

Thats what I was going to do!
Well try to do.

Thanks again for your efforts

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Antonio]

Dear Pioneer,

Thanks to you for posting the pic, I'm glad to collaborate with you

 

[Sundog]

I don't know if we'll find much info on these types, but below is the General Dynamics MiG-2000. When we develop new fighters we use intel reports to tell us what they will be up against. The ATF (Now F-22) was developed to dominate the Flanker follow on, which turned out to be the MiG 1.42. As a result of American Intel, they expected it to be a twin engine canard delta configuration with some LO features. As a result, this is one of the concepts they came up with of what the ATF may have been up against. I think it's actually a very cool design, myself.

 

[Antonio]

Thanks Sundog, great post!

I knew about the MiG 2000 Conceptual fighter ( Stealth Technology. The art of black magic by J.Jones. TAB Books) but I didn't knew that came from GD. I'm fascinated with this design activity which is new for me. I thought that Aerospace companies designed only for its own nations or give assistance to friendly customers.
Recently, thanks to posts in whatifmodelers forum, I discovered that US Manufacturers also give help to Hollywood movies:

Firefox TM
Stealth TM (The A-37 Talon seems to be a Northrop product)
X-Men TM

But this American intel/development of opposing designs is amazing. I'm waiting for more info

 

[Antonio]

Drawings from Spanish Magazine "Avión" April 1956.
A dossier on the "new generation" of Soviet Fighters

 

[Antonio]

The Fantail

 

[Antonio]

MiG's

 

[Antonio]

Also from "Avión" but from March 1956 issue.

This is an hypotetical nuclear powered bomber

 

[flateric]

Crying under the table))) Thank you)))

 

[Matej]

Desinterpretation of what is this? Or pure fantasy?

 

[Matej]

Misidentification of the year! ;D ;D ;D

 

[Deino]

More from the "Weapons Encyclopedia". This time Chinese Fighters, the J-8 and the J-12. Both from Shenyang
"The J-8 Finback would be a Mach 2 fighter (2 Tumansky R-11 copies) developed from one MiG-23 received from Egypt. First operational units would be ready from 1980".
"The J-12 would be a Mach 2 fighter engined with one Spey with afterburner". The Chinese Spey program started in 1979.

Cheers

Antonio

Ohhhhh ... are there some more of these Chinese "might-look-like" ... and would You PLEASE be so kind to post them here !!!!!! PLEASE

Otherwise maybe a PM !!

Cheers + THANKs a lot, Deino

 

[Antonio]

Dear Deino,

This is all I have about Chinese "might-look-like", but If you want high quality scans about this pics I can send you by email

 

[Deino]

Dear Deino,

This is all I have about Chinese "might-look-like", but If you want high quality scans about this pics I can send you by email

Hey, that would be very fine !!

andreas_rupprecht@gmx.de

Thanks, Deino

 

[Antonio]

I have found that the Western Press Mig-29 misidentification I posted here it its not an pure invention of Western analists. It seems that this "westen MiG-29 is based on early designs of the real work

Please compare this real MiG-29 design from 1972 to the Western concept (apart from the twin fin layout in the Western concept they look quite similar).

 

[Deino]

Hey; very nice !

Just found some additional Western MiG-29 "might-look-like" pictures ....

Cheers, Deino

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Deino's impression is based on the overhead satellite image. Top view is pretty accurate.

 

[Deino]

... and three more from Bill Sweetman's "The Presidio concise guide to Soviet Military Aircraft"/1981; ISBN: 0-89141-135-6

The later MiG-31 alias "Super-Foxbat", the MiG-29 and the Su-25 (similar to the colour frofile already shown) !

Deino

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

The Pentagon explicitly denied reports in Janes and other publications that the Soviet Union is developing/flight testing 3 new projects:

a Tu-144 derived bomber
MiG-29, an air superiority fighter with capabilities between the MiG-25 and F-15
An A-10 equivalent

Air International Feb 1978

 

[frank]

And the MiG-29 pretty much came thru as well as the A-10 equivalent. There never was a Tu-144 derived bomber tho, was there? Was it a standard Tu-144 seen in the wrong place at the wrong time or the Sukhoi T-4 or what?

The Pentagon explicitly denied reports in Janes and other publications that the Soviet Union is developing/flight testing 3 new projects:

a Tu-144 derived bomber
MiG-29, an air superiority fighter with capabilities between the MiG-25 and F-15
An A-10 equivalent

Air International Feb 1978

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

The Tupolev Tu-160 original configuration was heavily based on the Tu-144. Tupolev also tried to push various cruise missile carrier, recce, ecm, even interceptor versions of the Tu-144 through the 70s.