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Interesting to read about the intake and engine challenges. P.1121 had issues with its (very similar) intake even in static ground tests, and the similar (but upside down) F-107 intake also had major intake issues that were never solved. The two air channels feeding a single engine seems to have been part of the problem. Its probable a production Ye-8 would have a different intake design.The MiG-21 already outperformed the F-4 at slow speeds handily, the Ye-8 would have improved somewhat subsonically due to the higher thrust/weight ratio, while also doubling allowable G at high speed and high altitude, This would probably be enough to ensure superiority over the F-4 at all speeds and altitudes and it would have reigned supreme until the F-15 / F-16.The USSR went totally the opposite way with the eventual MiG-23, initially limiting it to 5G to make the VG wings produceable and concentrating on BVR. It took considerable development to make even a half-way decent fighter out of it.
Interesting to read about the intake and engine challenges. P.1121 had issues with its (very similar) intake even in static ground tests, and the similar (but upside down) F-107 intake also had major intake issues that were never solved. The two air channels feeding a single engine seems to have been part of the problem. Its probable a production Ye-8 would have a different intake design.
The MiG-21 already outperformed the F-4 at slow speeds handily, the Ye-8 would have improved somewhat subsonically due to the higher thrust/weight ratio, while also doubling allowable G at high speed and high altitude, This would probably be enough to ensure superiority over the F-4 at all speeds and altitudes and it would have reigned supreme until the F-15 / F-16.
The USSR went totally the opposite way with the eventual MiG-23, initially limiting it to 5G to make the VG wings produceable and concentrating on BVR. It took considerable development to make even a half-way decent fighter out of it.
