Chapter 2 Iron Eagle

This is the Far East of the Soviet Union, Primorsky Krai. Across the sea is an island country, with a warm sea breeze blowing. The entire area is covered with dense forests, with beautiful scenery. In the distance, the Usurka River flows quietly.

Thinking of the terrible smog in later generations and the chaotic sky all day long, Andre began to have some favorable impressions of this place. Although he didn't know how he got here, this place seemed not bad.

Already cruising at an altitude of 8,000 meters, Andre looked outside through the narrow goggles. Accustomed to the flight helmets of later generations, Andre was very dissatisfied with the current helmets. The helmets of later generations were half helmets, with the entire face exposed to the outside. After putting on the oxygen mask, the goggles were lowered to cover the face. The current helmets are full helmets. After putting them on, there is only a small space in front to look out. However, the MiG-25 is a fighter that can fly to an altitude of 30,000 meters. Even after adding weapons, it can easily jump to 25,000 meters, which is already the edge of space. Therefore, it is necessary to wear this kind of helmet similar to that of an astronaut and wear a high-altitude compensation suit. Otherwise, if the plane really crashes and is ejected from an altitude of more than 20,000 meters, the blood in the body will immediately evaporate.

However, the plane under his crotch is quite good. It is the pride of the Soviet military industry, the masterpiece of the Mikoyan Design Bureau, and the world's first fighter that can reach double three! Thirty thousand meters high, three Mach speed!

At Mach 3, the temperature of the aircraft surface will reach several hundred degrees. Ordinary aluminum alloys used to make fighter planes will also melt at this temperature! Therefore, if you want to make such a high-speed aircraft, you must use special materials.

The American solution was to use high temperature resistant titanium alloy, which is both light and strong, while the Soviet idea was to use stainless steel commonly used in industry!

Yes, this is a fighter plane made of stainless steel! This is definitely a heavy fighter plane, with an empty weight of 15 tons, a normal take-off weight of 36 tons, and a fuel capacity of 16 tons!

Although Andrei in the later generations had never flown this kind of fighter plane, and was almost crashed by the MiG-25 when he traveled through time, but now experiencing this powerful fighter plane born of simple and rough aesthetics, Andrei also felt a faint excitement.

"031, 032, heading 270, there is an unidentified target in the No. 14 sea area, go to intercept immediately! Cruising at Mach 2.4."

Originally, Andre's fighter plane had a malfunction and he should not have carried out this kind of interception mission, but the two were in a suitable position to quickly reach Sea Area No. 14, so they received such a mission on their return.

"Got it." The lead pilot Belenko replied: "Heading 270. Speed ​​2.4."

By pressing the joystick, the fighter plane drew an arc in the air and flew in the direction guided by the ground.

The standard interception tactic of the Soviet Air Defense Force was to be carried out under ground guidance. Andrei followed his lead plane, turned at a bank angle, and at the same time turned on the tail engine afterburner to continue to increase his speed.

At this altitude, the air resistance is quite small. The two tail engines spew out hot tail flames. When the afterburner is turned on, there is an instant push-back feeling that makes people secrete adrenaline faster. The R-15B-300 engine bursts out 109 kilonewtons of afterburner thrust. The fuel is sprayed into the afterburner chamber and becomes high-temperature and high-pressure gas, pushing the fighter to continue to accelerate. A cone-shaped airflow appears at the front of the fighter, and then the front of the fighter pierces the airflow. With a slight sonic boom, the fighter has entered supersonic cruise!

On the green instrument panel, the needle of the Mach meter was slowly turning, Mach 1.2, Mach 1.5, Mach 2, and finally, it stabilized at Mach 2.4!

Andre slightly reduced the throttle and made the fighter fly steadily at a speed of Mach 2.4.

Two MiG-25 fighters, at a speed of Mach 2.4, at an altitude of 24,000 meters, quickly flew towards the target area of ​​200 kilometers. For the MiG-25, this distance only takes four minutes! Ordinary fighters need at least ten minutes. This is the advantage of interceptors!

During the entire process, Andre never turned off the afterburner from the moment of takeoff and was always in afterburner flight state.

Ordinary fighter jets, such as the F-15 and other air superiority fighters, can only use afterburners during combat takeoff and air combat. The use of afterburners only accounts for less than 10% of their flight time. Each time the afterburners are used, the time cannot exceed three minutes, otherwise the engine will be damaged.

As for pure interceptor fighters, take the current MiG-25 as an example, the engine can be used for afterburner to drive the aircraft during combat takeoff, climb, heading to the war zone, air combat, etc. The time of using afterburner is almost 50% of the entire flight time!

Otherwise, if the MiG-25 can only fly above Mach 2 for a few minutes, it has no practical significance. When flying at Mach 2.4, the MiG-25 can cruise indefinitely until the fuel runs out, and when flying at Mach 2.83 to 3.2, the engine may fail, but not necessarily. During combat training, combat troops are allowed to fly at Mach 2.6 for 15 minutes, and flying above 2.83 requires approval from the regiment level, and only the best pilots will be approved to fly above Mach 3.

However, using afterburner flight requires a lot of fuel. In order to give the MiG-25 a longer supersonic range, the Soviets increased the amount of fuel! The MiG-25 has a fuel storage capacity of up to 16 tons!

When they took off from the base for flight training, they had been flying at subsonic speed without turning on the afterburner. But now, after receiving the order, the remaining fuel in their fuselages exceeded twelve tons. This fuel was enough to support them to fly at supersonic cruise speed to Sea Area No. 14, complete the interception mission, and then return at subsonic speed!

Andre's unit is stationed in the Far East. Their main task is to monitor the US troops on the island countries across the sea and to intercept them at any time. They have carried out such tasks many times.

Every time, it was just an expulsion, but this time, with Andre coming through time, it was bound to be different!

Fast flying causes friction between the aircraft body and the air. The canopy must not be touched with your hands at this time, otherwise your palms will be burned. Although there is an air-conditioning system in the cockpit, the temperature has risen to 50 degrees, which is definitely not a comfortable temperature. However, all the pilots flying MiG-25 fighters said that they can accept it!

Airplanes are used for combat, not for pleasure. The Soviet Union, which never attached importance to ergonomics, would not think there was anything wrong with this.