Interview about MiG-21 with Air Commodore Surendra “Bundal” Tyagi.

Fighter Pilot Podcast episode 82:

Featured Guest

Air Commodore Surendra “Bundal” Tyagi

Indian Air Force (Retired)

With over 4000 flight hours and 6000 sorties on various MiG-21's.

https://www.fighterpilotpodcast.com/episodes/082-mig-21-fishbed/

Very interesting informations about the MiG-21 handling, capabilities etc.

Likely will shine little more information about the current flight modeling.

Indeed, a great episode. You can feel the pure excitement about this Aircraft when he speaks about it. It also speaks for the DCS Module that it manages to catch a part of this feeling so we can somewhat relate to him when he speaks.

One of the new information's that I picked up that the Radar is only cooled by Alcohol in Colder climates. At least I have never read that fact before.

Indeed, a great episode. You can feel the pure excitement about this Aircraft when he speaks about it. It also speaks for the DCS Module that it manages to catch a part of this feeling so we can somewhat relate to him when he speaks.

One of the new information's that I picked up that the Radar is only cooled by Alcohol in Colder climates. At least I have never read that fact before.

I wondered about that sa well. Shouldn't cooling be needed in warmer climates rather than cold climates? :huh:

Cooling is needed in all climates. This is radar he's talking about, remember.

As for alcohol only. It makes sense, since water tends to freeze in low temperatures which obviously would pose problems when you start the aircraft and want to warm up that radar. It could rupture cooling system or make its operation impossible. Alcohol on the other hand has much lower freezing point.

Cooling is needed in all climates. This is radar he's talking about, remember.

As for alcohol only. It makes sense, since water tends to freeze in low temperatures which obviously would pose problems when you start the aircraft and want to warm up that radar. It could rupture cooling system or make its operation impossible. Alcohol on the other hand has much lower freezing point.

Btw the way (Bundal) talks, it really show how seasoned he is. Go to any pros, they don't really care most about technical aspect. It looked like He talks to his plane and the plane talks to him. I chuckled when he said earlier version has 3 instrument but later corrected by the Mig-29 pilot to Jello that he didn't cared about other instrument.

He had avg. of 15 yards accuracy in bombing in fixed sight. LEGEND.

He also said being in Mig-21 is like meditation haha.

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Yes. Working with heating and cooling systems for Buildings that would be my conclusion too. Now the question its if we get a bit more Radar time if we start in Warmer surroundings (although it isn't really a serious one). But still an interesting titbit about what has become my favourite Aircraft.

Those tidbits can be some Quality of life improvements. I saw in bugtracker that there was a post about Mig-21Bis carrying R-73. It is confirmed by a developer. Are we seeing some news about it in near future. The post also said there are some RL Mig-21Bis carrying R-73.

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Apparently Cuban MiG-21s can carry R-73s. That requires some rewiring of the aircraft to provide power and operation to the APU-73 pylons. Normally MiG-21bis does not support those. However I dont see that happening any time soon, since we dont have any schematics or documents on how exactly was it done.

I chuckled when he said earlier version has 3 instrument but later corrected by the Mig-29 pilot to Jello that he didn't cared about other instrument.

And the early version didn't have AoA indicator, only a G-load instrument, yet you could perform all the maneuvers and low speed handling was great. (Didn't he say that MiG fly great at 280 km/h speed without problems?)

He had avg. of 15 yards accuracy in bombing in fixed sight. LEGEND.

Now now... Let's not exaggerate, hes average was only 11 yards off from the target ;-)

Apparently Cuban MiG-21s can carry R-73s. That requires some rewiring of the aircraft to provide power and operation to the APU-73 pylons. Normally MiG-21bis does not support those. However I dont see that happening any time soon, since we dont have any schematics or documents on how exactly was it done.

Btw if Cubans got R-73, did they recieve HMCS also? If not they were really wasting the capability of the missile.

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Cooling is needed in all climates. This is radar he's talking about, remember.

And considering that at high altitude you are flying in -50 C anyways, so while your aircraft nose cone and all are at high temperature by the friction at high speed, your inlet air is very cold.

So it can be so that alcohol was required only in the wintertime at the start-up and taxiing etc, when you do not get heat from the engine to keep coolant system warm enough, and then use just the cold air up in the air to transfer excess heat away from the radar compartment without extra coolant.

So at normal/high temperature environments you don't need alcohol as the coolant system can't freeze.

As after all radars shouldn't be tried to be run below zero temperature, but neither at 200-300 C.

And the early version didn't have AoA indicator, only a G-load instrument, yet you could perform all the maneuvers and low speed handling was great. (Didn't he say that MiG fly great at 280 km/h speed without problems?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now now... Let's not exaggerate, hes average was only 11 yards off from the target ;-)

Yeah he said it handle pretty well at 280 kmph. It must be easier to do that in earlier version with less avionics. No way it can be done in newer Bison models.

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Keep the updates coming - Thanks!

Apparently Cuban MiG-21s can carry R-73s. That requires some rewiring of the aircraft to provide power and operation to the APU-73 pylons. Normally MiG-21bis does not support those. However I dont see that happening any time soon, since we dont have any schematics or documents on how exactly was it done.

Hiromachi, when I read a "new" update on the Leatherneck website about the MiG-21 future update path, I bought it even though I knew it was probably going to take a few months or a year.

I hope that the new hype that shows like Fighter Pilot podcast create and your own social media MiG-21 news will result in a massive bump in sales of the MiG. Especially for people like myself that focused on American Planes for too long!

Cheers and Keep the updates coming!

JJF>

Bundal honestly sounds like he'd be awesome to hang out with.

Yeah great interview thx for the share :)