Mikoyan Project 1.44

Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG · Russia · first flew 2000 · fighter

The Mikoyan Project 1.44 (also known as the MFI or Mnogofunktsionalny Frontovoy Istrebitel) was a Russian fifth-generation fighter technology demonstrator that made its first flight in 2000 after years of development delays caused by the post-Soviet economic collapse.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsMid-mounted, delta
E — Engines2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — FuselageFlattened fuselage with widely spaced engine nacelles suggesting stealth shaping
T — TailCruciform

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

A large canard-delta twin-engine fighter with a flattened, slightly faceted fuselage; distinguished from the Su-35/37 by its canard foreplanes and more forward-swept wing leading edge, and from Western designs by its Russian construction aesthetic.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Development began in the late Soviet period as a competitor to the American ATF programme that produced the F-22. Severe funding shortfalls after 1991 delayed the programme for nearly a decade, and by the time the 1.44 flew, Russia's fighter priorities had shifted to the Su-57 programme.

Variants

Only one flying prototype was completed; the project was cancelled without leading to a production aircraft.

Where you'll see it

Never entered service; the single prototype flew only a handful of test sorties before the programme was formally abandoned.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.