I wonder if some of that has to do with the Byzantine system the Soviets / Russians used for plane identification. For example the Tu-22M Badger and
Tu-22 Blinder. Almost the same designation, but vastly different aircraft?
The elusive MiG 23, page 1
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Topic started on 15-10-2005 @ 07:05 AM by waynos
Whilst researching info for another thread through my annual aircraft directories (complete from 1943 to 1992, when publication ceased) I was struck
by the thought that, during the 1960's NATO seems to be deperate to identify a new Russian fighter as being the MiG 23!
I doubt that the name has any mystical properties and I wonder if it was part of a ruse to obtain funding for new fighters in the west (like the recent assertion from some quarters in the USAF that the F-15 is, in fact, crap, and not the 'best fighter in the world' that we all thought it was before
)
More likely than that though is the fact, evidenced several times in many volumes, that NATO was just guessing.
here is exhibit A;
1962 Edition
There is an explanation for this, Having convinced themselves in the late '50's that the Swept wing Mikoyan Ye-2 A prototype was in fact the 'MiG 21 Faceplate' and in widespread service, NATO had convinced itself that this design was, in fact, a Sukhoi and christened it the 'Sukhoi Fishbed', sister fighter to the 'Sukhoi Fishpot' - no numbers guessed at at this point.
Having discovered it was in fact a MiG after all, and still convinced that the 'MiG 21 Faceplate' was in service, NATO figured that this was a more capable development of it, and thus its replacement. Hence MiG 23 Fishbed.
Exhibit B;
1964 Edition
Having sorted out its misunderstanding over the Fishbed and Faceplate by 1964 NATO was confronted with this new fighter, which we now know to be the Ye-150 and which later turned up in China as the J-8 Finback. NATO simply assumed it had gone into service and named it the MiG 23 hoping nobody would rememeber their previous mistake, oops!
Exhibit C;
1969 Edition
By now NATO must have been feeling pretty silly, despite this edition also containing the 'Mikoyan Flogger' which is dismissed as an un-numbered test bed, the text under this entry confidently proclaims "The Foxbat is designated the MiG 23 in service and has established a number of records under the guise Ye-266" So close, and yet so far away.
Exhibit D;
1974 Edition
Yes, thats right. The 1974 edition! 12 Years later NATO gets it right, the photo wasn't much cop though.
[edit on 15-10-2005 by waynos]
I doubt that the name has any mystical properties and I wonder if it was part of a ruse to obtain funding for new fighters in the west (like the recent assertion from some quarters in the USAF that the F-15 is, in fact, crap, and not the 'best fighter in the world' that we all thought it was before
) More likely than that though is the fact, evidenced several times in many volumes, that NATO was just guessing.
here is exhibit A;
1962 Edition
There is an explanation for this, Having convinced themselves in the late '50's that the Swept wing Mikoyan Ye-2 A prototype was in fact the 'MiG 21 Faceplate' and in widespread service, NATO had convinced itself that this design was, in fact, a Sukhoi and christened it the 'Sukhoi Fishbed', sister fighter to the 'Sukhoi Fishpot' - no numbers guessed at at this point.
Having discovered it was in fact a MiG after all, and still convinced that the 'MiG 21 Faceplate' was in service, NATO figured that this was a more capable development of it, and thus its replacement. Hence MiG 23 Fishbed.
Exhibit B;
1964 Edition
Having sorted out its misunderstanding over the Fishbed and Faceplate by 1964 NATO was confronted with this new fighter, which we now know to be the Ye-150 and which later turned up in China as the J-8 Finback. NATO simply assumed it had gone into service and named it the MiG 23 hoping nobody would rememeber their previous mistake, oops!
Exhibit C;
1969 Edition
By now NATO must have been feeling pretty silly, despite this edition also containing the 'Mikoyan Flogger' which is dismissed as an un-numbered test bed, the text under this entry confidently proclaims "The Foxbat is designated the MiG 23 in service and has established a number of records under the guise Ye-266" So close, and yet so far away.
Exhibit D;
1974 Edition
Yes, thats right. The 1974 edition! 12 Years later NATO gets it right, the photo wasn't much cop though.
[edit on 15-10-2005 by waynos]
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