Posted on 05/01/2026 1:13:18 AM PDT by Red Badger
For 25 years, Soviet pilots flew impossible missions—chasing an American aircraft that flew higher, faster, and more untouchable than anything in their arsenal. The SR-71 Blackbird operated at 85,000 feet and Mach 3.3. Soviet MiG-25 interceptors? They could barely reach 80,000 feet at Mach 2.8—and only for minutes before their engines burned out.
This is the story of over 800 failed intercept attempts. Of pilots who whispered the truth in ready rooms while filing false reports for Moscow. Of the psychological toll of chasing excellence you can see but never reach.
March 6, 1982: Major Mikhail Myagkiy climbs toward 80,000 feet in his MiG-25, fuel gauges plummeting, knowing the SR-71 above him will simply accelerate away. He's done this before. Every Soviet interceptor pilot has. And they all know the same terrible secret.
They're not defending Soviet airspace. They're performing theater for politicians who refuse to accept reality.
36 Minute Video at link..................
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
He flew it to Japan. The US went there, took it apart and inspected every bit of it. We were surprised at how crude it was. Then, the US boxed it up and shipped it back to Russia.
I think the book was titled “Mig Pilot”.
Great read especially about his discovery of what the USA was really like.
Flight at 2,400 mph/mach 3.2 will allow an aircraft to scoop up enough air to keep a huge jet engine designed for the job going.
Watch later.
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Roger that!
Robert “Bob” Abernethy obituary
SR-71 engines (Pratt & Whitney)
https://roadrunnersinternationale.com/obits/abernethy.html
I will watch it later today.
It was a MIG-25 flown to Japan in 1976. The pilot ended up in the USA and after being debriefed he was given money, a small aircraft, and allowed to fly around the USA.
As far as the Foxbat itself, the Soviets did not spare money or resources on parts of the aircraft that didn’t need to be given the best treatment. Surfaces that did not directly affect the flying characteristics were made of whatever needed to make it work. It was not a work of art but a collage of the best reverse tech they could muster and spit and bailing wire if it would function correctly.
He wrote a book, “MIG Pilot” and his name was, Viktor Belenko. He passed away here in the USA in 2023. I read that book after it was first released and it cemented my hatred for communism. The last chapter regarding his observations traveling the USA and the comparison and contrast to that of the USSR was excellent. I was an Active Duty USAF E3 at the time.
The Kasserine Pass fiasco was a leadership problem. Lloyd Fredendall was an incompetent general who led from the rear and was utterly clueless about how to position his troops and equipment. General George Patton whipped those same troops into shape, properly led them and defeated the Germans the following month at El Guettar.
Thought I read the Mig 25 was in anticipation of the B-70?
Not saying he is wrong, but it seems questionable
WTS, offense almost always looses more men
“Rosebud.”
Back about the time the Soviet Union fell, they had a Space exhibit in town at the museum and I went to it.
I don’t know if it was just because it was an exhibit piece that was never meant to fly, but one of the most memorable things for me was looking at one of the satellites whose fold out solar panels used rather heavy steel angle iron (like I’d use building a barn) for the panel framework.
This is good China telling Canadians what to do😂
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FMmdXATShXE
As far as I know, Obama never asked for it back even though most of the country expected him to.
Probably that too.......
Hah! Here is your jet back. Have fun putting it back together.
I must go to the library and check out that book, “Mig Pilot”. Thanks for the tip.
As I recall from Victor Belenko’s biography, when he landed at Hikido Japan he found out the ejection seat mechanism was not there. It was filled with avionics equipment.
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