October 26, 2023 at 6:00pm PT
Guest Speaker: Jim Brown III "JB"
Meeting ID: 884 3301 2714
Jim Brown “JB” is a Fellow and Past President of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an Eagle of the Flight Test Historical Foundation. JB will provide a qualitative evaluation of the MiG-21 (NATO “Fishbed”) and MiG-23 (NATO “Flogger”). These aircraft were the subject of much study and mystery amongst NATO pilots during the Cold War, with both aircraft being mainstays of the Soviet Bloc air fleet. However, any significant data regarding these aircraft was classified and not available for dissemination. Since dissolution of the Soviet Union, several of these aircraft made their way into the hands of aviation enthusiasts in the United States.This presentation will be an overview of both aircraft from experiences and data obtained during National Test Pilot School student projects in the two-seat MiG-21UM and cross country ferry with subsequent flight test of a two-seat MiG-23UB.
Topics will include a comparison of aircraft systems, design and operational philosophy between these Soviet workhorses to what is typically found in western fighter designs.
Jim Brown joined the Lockheed Skunk Works® in 1994 as an Experimental Test Pilot in the F-117 where he tested software, avionics and weapons improvements. In January 2016, he retired from Lockheed and joined National Test Pilot School (NTPS) as the Chief Operating Officer and Test Pilot Instructor. He is currently the President of NTPS and is responsible for the day to day and strategic operations of NTPS. JB is a Fellow and Past President of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an Eagle of the Flight Test Historical Foundation. He has logged over 10,000 flight hours in 157 different models of aircraft and is the world’s highest time Stealth Fighter pilot.