War Thunder Kill Compilation 53 [MiG-29 (9-13) Edition]

READ DESCRIPTION FOR MY PERSONAL OPINION!
___
I decided to play my MiG-29 over the F-16 first for one main reason: the R-27ER. And man, it was worth it. The plane itself is great as expected - quick acceleration, high top speed, good maneuverability, and excellent avionics are all hallmarks of a 4th-gen fighter. The real treat is the new R-27ERs (normal R-27Rs PALE in comparison) that outrange and accelerate quicker than every other radar missile in-game currently. They are an absolute joy to use and this plane is a joy to fly.
The first thing you'll notice about the flight performance is its massive fuel consumption. The drop tank is necessary as on full afterburner, it drains 1 minute of fuel in just ~9 seconds. Stage 1 afterburner can extend this to ~24 seconds which is what I cruise on after my drop tank is consumed. Acceleration is very quick - you'll typically be the first one to take off - and the top speed is one of the highest with red line occurring at ~1500 km/h. Its roll rate is alright, not exceptional, though it remains consistent no matter the speed you're going. Elevator authority is responsive at all speeds so dodging head-on radar missiles is quite doable. And as expected of a 4th-gen aircraft, the turn rate is good and with careful speed management using airbrakes, you can scissor with and stick on most aircraft. However, the real fun comes from its armament.
With two pylons for R-27s, four pylons for R-60Ms, and a 30mm GSh-301 with 150 rounds, the MiG-29 is perfect for air superiority. The R-27ERs dominate at long and medium ranges and the R-60Ms are sufficient for close range. For ranges too close for missiles, the GSh-301 fires at 1800 RPM, sounds sexy as fuck, and has HEFI rounds with ~75 g of filler. However, the HEFI is kind of bugged so the damage is a bit bipolar, which is why I load the Universal belt that has an APHE round with ~23 g of filler that fuzes on fuel tanks. The muzzle velocity is a mediocre 860 m/s and the offset gun position makes aiming a bit difficult for me, something the radar gunsight doesn't help with. Most of the time, I find it to be more of a detriment, though that's just my personal experience with it.
The R-27ERs are amazing. They have the best acceleration out of all the current radar missiles due to their extremely powerful booster AND sustainer that total to a burn time of nine seconds. This results in the highest ΔV out of all SARH missiles that give it a practical (what I consider to be match conditions) range of 25 - 30 km; ideal conditions would extend it. However, not only does it have the longest range, it has a SIXTY SECOND break lock time, data link, and inertial navigation system. The result is a missile that can fly on INS if you lose lock without self-destructing which can then correct its course upon regaining lock, something other missiles cannot do because of their low break lock time (5 s average). It's maneuverable enough with a high G-overload for closer ranges but I'd recommend using them long before the distance has closed. Too bad you only get two of them.
The R-60Ms are still some of the most maneuverable close range missiles with the Ms having all-aspect capability. The main downside is their immense lack of range due to its very high drag; you'll struggle to hit someone moving fast past once the booster runs dry. Typically, I launch at ~3 km on closing targets and ~2 km for side-aspect or rear-aspect shots. Their damage can be bipolar at times due to the small amount of explosive filler (1.35 kg) but a single hit still cripples. They're also surprisingly flare resistant if an enemy fails to shut off his afterburner when rear-aspect. Nowadays though, the lack of range makes them feel lackluster.
Avionics are mostly excellent save for the RWR, which is SPO-15. SPO-15 only receives pings from certain sectors which can make it difficult to pinpoint the exact direction of a radar lock. Other than that, the N019 Rubin radar features TWS, IRST, dogfight ACM, and HMD. There's no non-PD mode; it's PD only which can leave you prone to being notched. There's also an alternative HDN (head-on) subsetting for PD and TWS that increases the distance that targets are detected but cannot detect and lock when rear-aspect, which regular PD can do. Most of the time, I fly on TWS HDN until the enemies close within 50 km, before then switching to regular TWS until I lock. An IRST lock can also now display heading, velocity, and range just like radar so you can track a target without alerting them. There is a dogfight (vertical) ACM mode for PD and IR that's limited to 10 km along with HMD versions that lock where you look, though HMD PD is inconsistent and HMD IR is so strong it locks past 10 km. Locking with any mode will engage the radar gunsight which I personally find to be detrimental. TWS won't but be it will slave your IR missiles. All radar and IR modes can also seamlessly transition between one another.
Continued in pinned comment.

[@hms_vladamir]

As you can tell, the radar has a lot of intricacies but the two main modes I use are TWS and HMD IR. I use TWS to track an enemy before locking for my R-27ERs and once those are out, I’ll switch it to HMD IR to slave my R-60Ms. And speaking of HMD, it helps so much with acquiring IR lock as the seeker will look where you point your mouse, even on free-look. You don’t even need a lock on HMD, though I prefer achieving one so I can maneuver on mouse aim before firing. It feels so natural to lock and fire with HMD.
I think that about covers most of it. The MiG-29 is an excellent aircraft and is unmatched at range with R-27ERs. No other radar missile can compete with it as it’ll always strike first by a safe margin. The HMD makes it easy to launch on multiple targets in furballs or during a turn and feels intuitive. The maneuverability is no slouch either for its twin-engine size; proper application of airbrake allows me to comfortably scissor fight F-16s and more, though the gun’s effect is bipolar. Still, this was an awesome aircraft to fly and I’ll definitely miss some of its features when I play my F-16.
___
There was a lot of intricacies with this aircraft so if you feel I missed anything, leave a comment or a question. A little addendum to the radar, TWS HDN can detect targets past 50 km, with ~80 km being around the farthest I've picked people up on while normal TWS will only start picking people up at ~40 km. It's still sufficient but I use HDN to find the isolated targets so I can vector for them.

[@bruhman6920]

How long did it take you to get the MiG? I’m grinding out the Germany tech tree for the 9-12A and just got some good progress on the MiG-19. Do you think it will take the same amount of time?

[@hms_vladamir]

I already owned USSR top tier, the MiG-23MLD, before the MiG-29 got added so when I decided to get it, it took around around 3 two-hour sessions to grind ~380k RP that I had left on it (some RP was already done from casual play). I didn't have my MLD spaded because I didn't research bombs so I got some extra RP out of the tier bonuses. While I don't know how long it'll take you, progression is designed so that as you spade out the current vehicle you play, you should finish or be close to finishing the next vehicle in line for research.

[@dadwiththebelt]

Is that a custom skin?? If so link please?? Thanks

[@hms_vladamir]

It's a marketplace skin, MiG-29 'Gromov Flight Research Institute.' Currently around ~1 GJN.

[@dadwiththebelt]

@@hms_vladamir man wishing i had a pc account rn

[@MasterJuku]

Can I buy the skin and equip it to my German MIG 29 ??

[@hms_vladamir]

No, the skin is for the MiG-29 (9-13) only. It will not apply for the MiG-29 (9-12A).

[@MasterJuku]

@@hms_vladamirthanks, I'm still jealous tho