Sure, we’re talking about a Soviet twin-engine jet fighter aircraft that entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, but these puppies still are quite competitive. A little old maybe, but they remain one of the fastest in the line and seeing one suddenly taking off vertically shouldn't come as a surprise to any aviation enthusiast out there.
If there’s a non-related to cars topic we like to discuss now and then, that’s aviation, especially military gear since they get all the great toys. For that precise reason a video showing the famous aircraft taking off vertically immediately had our interest.
According to the person who posted the video on YouTube, the action involving the jet in question occurred at the recently concluded Royal International Air Tattoo, the world’s largest military airshow. The MiG-29 belongs to the Polish Air Force, which partially explains the vertical lift-off, considering we all know how skilled the Polish aviators are.
Getting back to the aircraft model in question, Fulcrum how NATO called the Mikoyan MiG-29, was developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s along with the larger Sukhoi SU-27. Even after the Soviet Union dissolved, the MiG-29 has remained a popular export aircraft, with more than 30 nations either operating or having operated the aircraft to date. India apparently is one of the largest export operators of the type.
As of 2013, the updated model is in production by Mikoyan, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) since 2006. The particular breed you see in the clip below can fly at Mach 2.25 and has top speed of almost 1,500 miles per hour.
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