No more flying coffins

[tigershark]

Only four MiG-21 Bison aircraft have crashed since their induction in 2002. IAF plans to fly the Bisons - which it describes as an almost brand new fighter, with latest avionics, improved gearboxes and other advanced systems - till 2017."    The latest technology in aviation registers 0.5 accidents every 10,000 hours of flying and the old technology touches 1.75 crashes in similar number of flying hours.   Didn't India wait forever on this project too? 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chandigarh/MiG_-21_safest_flying_machines/articleshow/2283667.cms

[valkyrian]

What a waste of money. You can put new electronics, but u can't improve the flying characteristics, nor u can prevent the airframe from fatigue. These 2 facts are responsible for the most cases of crashes. In my opinion, IAF updated to "digital Flying Coffins". Put a F-104 Widowmaker an AESA radar, LCD displays, F119 engine, paint it ghost gray, put some RAM materials....what you end up with, is still a nice, stealthy, digital Widowmaker....(but an interesting modification)

[Globetrotter]

I totally agree with you both. Don'see the point in what they do. Plus it is still not good, even with technology.

[tigershark]

I see some good and bad with it.
The bad - Its still an old design and a difficult aircraft to land and has other short comings - short range, low payload, bad pilot view, and a few others.

The good- India has little choice it still makes up the bulk of their fighter squadrons and fixing them makes more sense then doing nothing with them, they need to use them.   I think more pilots would have been alive today if they didn't wait so long but that's a another matter, a sad one really.   It can fire AA-12 a radar guided missile pretty cool for a light fighter and is used for every type of patrol India air force carry out, India is large.   It's a money and maintenance thing to simple to maintain, low cost single engine good for the many thousands of miles need to be patrol. 

[Webmaster]

With the other types in IAF, these surely serve as last line of defense, it still has excellent climb rate. Most IAF MiG-21 crashes were reported to be pilot error because of lack of training, birdstrikes, or overhaul/maintenance inadequacies as far as I know. There's nothing wrong with the type, it's just old and not the easiest to fly. It is a money and maintenance thing, as well as requirement, if India would have retired the type, it would have a capability gap right now. Those M-MRCA are not there yet, and the LCA has suffered from lots of delays.

I think the BISON upgrade also gives them a one piece windshield for a better view.

Yes, they did wait long, but don't forget that the upgrade is finished now, not just started. I think most India's MiG-21s which remain in service are not as old as you might think, licensed production ended in the mid 1980s.

[Raptor]

Oh no! Its the curse of the electronic undead!!!

I like electronics. Matter of fact, without the state-of-the-art Singapore possesses we'd be out of the picture pretty well soon. But coupled together with a reliable crew, we have a state-of-the-art happy tree friends show.