MIG 23

[Cianofranc]

I posted on AVSIM and AVSIM.ru a repaint of Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger in the colors of Libya Air Force.

Libyan Air Force Operated a large number of MiG-253 some sources say more than 130 were delivered, in various versions.
Model by R. Kreibich, FDE by R. Mehlin.
original filename: ai_mig23bn.zip
Model have five LOD. Not so bad!

Cheers
Luciano Franchini

[kungfuman]

Nice to see an ai MiG 23!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for an Indian AF repaint to appear, then I can finally get rid of the flyables I'm currently forced to use as ai

[Cianofranc]

Do you have any real pix of Indian Mig23?
Could you post it here?
Luciano

[kungfuman]

Yup, go here.

btw, that model looks more like a MiG-27

Pics of them here.

[Firebird]

To the untrained eye that would appear so but the difference between the MiG-23 and the MiG-27 isn't so much the nose, like you would expect, but the engine. The MiG-27 had a simpler engine and a simpler exhaust that was optimised for the low level role.

Yeah I know, way to complicated things. The MiG-23BN is known as the Flogger-H which is an export version of the -23 with a ground attack/laser nose. Daft but there it is.

[Cianofranc]

From wikipedia (english):
Indian Air force. MiG-23BN ground attack aircraft phased out on 6 March 2009 & MiG-23MF air defence interceptor phased out on 2007. A total of 95 MiG-23BN had been obtained.

Cheers.
Luciano

[Cianofranc]

NEW DELHI, 2009 March 6(RIA Novosti) - India decommissioned on Friday its last MiG-23 Flogger fighter-bomber, a Soviet era aircraft in service with the Indian air force for 28 years, a Defense Ministry official said.

"It was the best ground support aircraft we have ever had," the source said.
India's fighter fleet has boasted 70 MiG-23BN and MiG-23MF aircraft since the beginning of the 1980s. The planes were used extensively in military encounters with neighboring Pakistan.
During the Kargil War with Pakistan in 1999, MiG-23s played an important role in supporting an Indian ground offensive in the Kashmir region.
However, steep maintenance costs and the lack of spare parts for the outdated aircraft led to its decommissioning.
India is replacing the old MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft with new Su-30MKI multi-role fighters, which are produced under a Russian license by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and entered service with the IAF in 2002.
India signed a deal with Russia to manufacture 140 Su-30 fighters in late 1990s, and ordered 40 additional Su-30s in 2007.
With a strength of approximately 170,000 personnel and 1,130 combat aircraft in active service, the Indian Air Force is the fourth largest in the world.

[Cianofranc]

Beta version.
I'm waiting for "kung fu" evaluation

Cheers
Luciano

[ardethomas]

Any Libyan AF flightplans available? Where?

[Cianofranc]

Libyan flightplans need Libyan air base afcad's

libya-ab.gif (8.25 KiB) Viewed 818 times

I'm working on, but it's a hard and long job!

(Gardabya, Sirte Gulf)
Cheers
Luciano

[kungfuman]

Beta version.
I'm waiting for "kung fu" evaluation

MIG23_INDIAN.jpg

Cheers
Luciano

Perfect for representing the Indian Air Force MiG-27 fleet, given that the principal difference between -23 and -27 (the engine) is not explicit in the model... and that the ground attack nose is a part of this model

Thanks for putting me straight on the difference between -23 and -27 Steve

Cianofranc, your repaint looks like a close match to this, except that Indian MiG-27 registration codes begin with the letters "TS".

I'd still use it on my system if you were kind enough to share it, as it's got to be better for AI use than the Kazunori Ito(?) UI aircraft that I currently use.

BTW, don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia - especially the info on the Indian AF fleet numbers. Also the info on "Bharat Rakshak" is sometimes not very reliable, and often many years out of date. But I think you are correct about the phasing out of the MiG-23. A few MiG-23UMs (two seat variant) were kept on as type conversion trainers for the remaining MiG-27 fleet, so they may still be active even if the type has been withdrawn from frontline use.

Cheers,

Dan

[Firebird]

Thanks for putting me straight on the difference between -23 and -27 Steve

It's not a big deal, mate. Its one of those things that I used to have to know for a living . The noses are an obvious difference and unless you studied it a lot of people made the same assumption.

[kungfuman]

Luciano,

Anything come of that Indian repaint? Will you be sharing it, or are you still working on it?

Cheers,

Dan

[Cianofranc]

Dear dan
I PM you.
Cheers
Luciano