#randyball

Randy Ball and his beautiful Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-17F race some high performance sports cars down the runway at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. ⁣ ⁣ The Klimov VK-1 engine that powers the MiG-17 was also used on the MiG-15 and the Ilyushin Il-28 light bomber. It was the first Soviet jet engine to reach full production. ⁣ ⁣ In 1946 in a bid to try to improve relations with the Soviet Union, British prime minister Clement Atlee authorized Rolls Royce to export to the USSR 40 Nene centrifugal flow turbojet engines under the conditions they not be used for military applications. Stalin had the Nene reverse engineered by Vladimir Klimov’s engine design bureau and this was the Klimov RD-45. ⁣ ⁣ However, Klimov’s engineers had metallurgical problems with the RD-45 so a redesign was done that improved reliability and performance and this improved engine went into production as the Klimov VK-1.⁣ ⁣ The initial production versions of the MiG-17 didn’t have an afterburner- but because of the centrifugal configuration of the Klimov VK-1 jet engine, the only way to get more performance out of it was to add the first afterburner in a Russian fighter jet- creating the VK-1F engine, F for “forsahzhem” meaning with afterburning. ⁣ ⁣ MiG-17s with the upgraded Klimov engine were MiG-17Fs which is the variant that here. The first afterburners were limited and could only be lit at altitudes over 9800 feet. Over time it was refined into something more versatile. During certain maneuvers, the afterburner flame appears to pulse- it’s still on, but aerodynamic effects from the wings and empennage of the jet interact with the afterburner flame, make it appear like a pulse jet.⁣ ⁣ At slow to moderate speeds (300-350 knots), antiquated MiG-17 was a ferocious adversary that could easily pull a 7G turn on a dime to get its 37mm and twin 23mm cannons pointed at you. ⁣ ⠀⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KAFW #AFW #AllianceAirport #airport #planespotting ⁣ ⁣ #Mikoyan #MikoyanGurevich #MiG #MiG17 #Fresco #RandyBall #instaplane #instagramaviation #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #mil_aviation_originals #flight ⁣ ⁣ #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation (at Fort Worth Alliance Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/CET-A6Bh2uQ/?igshid=5xetx6wlqtwn

Randy Ball and his MiG-17 tear it up at low level at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. ⠀ ⠀ Although the MiG-17 was long out of frontline service with the Soviet Union by the time of the Vietnam War, the agile little fighter proved to be a fearsome adversary to American pilots in the skies over Vietnam. ⠀ ⠀ With quick acceleration, a tight turning radius and a hard-hitting set of guns (two 23mm cannon and a 37mm cannon), many American fighter pilots who flew much more advanced jets thought the MiG-17 was a more fearsome opponent in a dogfight than the more capable and supersonic MiG-21. In fact, this obsolete fighter spurred on the development post-Vietnam of two American fighters of unparalleled dogfighting ability in their day- the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. ⠀ ⠀ One of the design criteria for the F-16 was the ability to match or exceed the agility of the MiG-17 in a dogfight. At slow to moderate speeds (300-350 knots), the MiG-17 was a ferocious adversary that could easily pull a 7G turn on a dime to get its 37mm and twin 23mm cannons pointed at you. But as speeds increased, the increased airflow over the elevators increased control loads to the point that over 450 knots, it was impossible to overcome the control loads and the agile MiG became a missile bait lead sled. ⠀ ⠀ Hydraulically boosted controls would have solved this issue but the MiG-17 lacked them. The control stick was taller than most aircraft and this was to give the MiG driver more leverage at higher speeds. ⠀ ⠀ In the secret US flight tests of the MiG-17, pilots dogfighting the 17 were told to keep the speed up over 400 knots because if you slow down below 350 knots, the 17 *will* kill you. Flight trials showed it was possible for the old MiG-17 to prevail against the F-16 in a low speed dogfight.⠀ ⠀ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KAFW #AFW #AllianceAirport #FWAAS2019 #AllianceAirShow2019 #airport #planespotting #Mikoyan #MikoyanGurevich #MiG #MiG17 #Fresco #RandyBall #instaplane #instagramaviation #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #mil_aviation_originals #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation (at Fort Worth Alliance Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6cS6_eBcag/?igshid=12flvtxnm2gdu

Randy Ball’s MiG-17 over the top and in mid roll! Note the deflected ailerons. In 1969 the USAF and US Navy evaluated captured MiG-17s against their current fighter and attack fleet at Area 51 under a top secret program called Have Drill and Have Ferry. In a series of mock combat engagements, both services developed tactics to counter the MiG-17 in the skies over Vietnam. Though antiquated, the MiG was maneuverable and had a set of heavy hitting cannon. But the MiG lacked boosted controls and at higher airspeeds, the control forces needed to maneuver were excessive and the MiG lost its maneuverability advantage. Pilots were advised that if they were jumped by the MiG-17, accelerate and stay over 500 KIAS and roll sharply one direction or another to shake the MiG off as it’s roll rate got very sluggish over 500 KIAS. If engaging, keep the speed up. The MiG-17 could outmaneuver any US fighter back then if the fight was under 350 KIAS. Interestingly, the same issues plagued the Japanese Zero and it was the Flying Tigers that figured out that keeping the speeds high was the key. The large ailerons of the Zero became a liability at high speeds as the control forces made the plane sluggish. | October Aviation Photo Challenge | @kjdphoto1971 | #1017planes | “Vertigo” | Day 20 |#Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KAFW #AFW #AllianceAirport #FWAAS2015 #AllianceAirShow2015 #airport #planespotting #Mikoyan #MikoyanGurevich #MiG #MiG17 #Fresco #RandyBall #instagramaviation #igaviationcontest #Avgeekery #mil_aviation_originals #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge (at Fort Worth Alliance Airport)

@blue7gallery #randyball @luciuspeterson #luciuspeterson see LAArtParty.com #artistreception #artopenings #opening #smevents #santamonica #losageles (at Blue 7 Gallery) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bygs_MuF1LK/?igshid=isrcgup8kt2v

This was an absolute PHENOMENON✈️the Blue Angels Airshow 💙💙💙@usnavyblueangels including #mattyounkin #pattywagstaff #randyball #robholland #bobcarlton #skipstewart #seandtucker (at NAS Jacksonville Air Show)