Details

R-60M

Brand RESKIT

SKU RS72-0405 EAN 4824595104051

Features

Nation: Russia

Period: Modern

Scale: 1/72

Type: Aircraft

Price 7,35 €

Description

1/72 R-60M (AA-8 APHID) MISSILES (4 PCS) MiG-21/23/25/29/31, Su-17/24/25, Yak-38

The Molniya R-60 or K-60, known as AA-8 Aphid (NATO designation) in the West, is a Soviet-made air-to-air missile (English: AAM - Air to Air Missile).

The R-60 was developed for the MiG-23 in the late 1960s under the designation of K-60 (common designation for missile prototypes, or izdelie 62). Serial production began in 1973, and NATO assigned it the code name Aphid-A.

The R-60 is one of the smallest and lightest air-to-air missiles, with a launch weight of 44 kg. A Komar (midge) infrared seeker head is installed in the ogive, with no cooling system. Aerodynamic control is by means of surfaces (risers) mounted just after the head section and canard fins called destabilizers, which serve to improve the efficiency of the risers at high angles of attack.

The missile uses a small (3 kg) highly explosive warhead surrounded by metal rods that are projected toward the target by the detonation. Two different proximity fuses can be installed, the most commonly used being the Striž (swift), optical, which can be replaced by the radar-active Kolibri (hummingbird). Missiles equipped with the second system are designated R-60K.

According to Russian sources, the practical range is about 4,000 m, while the estimated range at high altitude is 8,000 m. The weapon is sufficiently agile and can be launched from carriers maneuvering up to 7 g against targets maneuvering up to 8 g. One advantage, in close combat, is that the minimum range is only 300 m, while its main limitation lies in its small explosive charge.

It was standard for the Soviets to prepare two versions of an air-to-air missile, one with an infrared seeker head and one with semi-active radar guidance. However, the very limited size of the Aphid prevented the adoption of the second one because the radar antenna aperture would be totally insufficient.

There is an inert version for training, designated as the UZ-62 or UZR-60

Around 1982, an improved version was introduced that adopted a nitrogen-cooled seeker head with a ±20° angle of view called the R-60M (Aphid-B). Although the new search system was more sensitive than its predecessor, the R-60M had only limited capabilities to acquire targets coming from any angle (a capability called all-aspect). The minimum engagement distance to the target was reduced to 200 m.

Some R-60s attached to the folded wings of a MiG-29K at the MAKS air show in 1999
The new proximity fuse is more resistant to electronic countermeasures (ECMs) and the missile was developed in the two versions, optical and radar, Kolibri-M, designated R-60KM. The new missile is 42 mm longer and with a heavier warhead, 3.5 kg, for a total launch weight of 45 kg. In some versions, the warhead appears to be loaded with 1.6 kg of uranium to increase penetration.

The inert version of the weapon is designated R-60MU.

Since 1999, a modified version of the weapon has been used as an air-to-surface missile (ASM) as part of the Yugoslav M55A3B1 anti-aircraft system. It is also used on the M53/59, anti-aircraft tanks of Czechoslovakian origin. In this case the missiles are supplemented by takeoff assist rockets (boosters). Similar modification to that made for the U.S.-made MIM-72 Chaparral.

The Vympel R-60 went out of production, replaced by the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer), but still remains in service.

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1/48 R-60 / AA-8 Aphid MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-27, MiG-29, MiG-31, Su-15, Su-17, Su-20, Su-22, Su-24, Su-25, Yak-28, Yak-38, Yak-141, Mi-24, BAe Hawk and others.

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Brand RESKIT

Nation: Russia

Period: Modern

Scale: 1/48

Type: Aircraft

Category Details

1/48 R-60M (AA-8 Aphid) Missiles (4 pcs) (MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-29, MiG-31, Su-17, Su-24, Su-25, Yak-38) (3D Printing)The AA-8 Aphid (also known as the R-60) is a Soviet and now Russian short-range air-to-air missile of Cold War and modern times. The length of the projectile in the basic version was 209 cm with a span of about 40 cm and a diameter of 12 centimeters. The mass of the ready-to-fire projectile was about 43.5 kg, while the weight of the warhead was 3.5 kg. However, the maximum range was 8-10 kilometers. Development work on the AA-8 missile began in the 1960s, and the weapon entered service in the Soviet Air Force in 1974. From the beginning, emphasis was placed on the smallest possible size during design, but efforts were also made to maintain the maximum possible combat effectiveness of the missile. In addition, the R-60 was developed as a fire-and-forget missile, that is, it was a typical homing missile that did not require its constant illumination (e.g., with a radar beam). It is worth noting that a modernized version of the missile, called the R-60MK (or Aphid-B), was introduced into service in 1982, with greater reliability and an even shorter minimum range than the Aphid-A version. The unveiled missile was widely exported and found its way to countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland and Slovakia. It could be carried by aircraft such as: MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-31, Su-25 or Jak-38.

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