This is one of those things that never really quite wants to go away. The prospect of a DCS World full fidelity model of the MiG-29 remains an interesting one and a recent post on the Eagle Dynamics TikTok makes us wonder once again if something is in motion. Time for some examination of the latest information and a healthy dose of speculation.
Is it really time for the MiG-29?
I’ve reported on this before. In 2020 I wrote about some level of confirmation by Eagle Dynamics Chief Operating Officer, Kate Perederko, about plans to make a full fidelity recreation of the MiG-29. Then again, in January of 2021, about the connected fates of the Ka-50 Black Shark 3 project and the MiG-29 with the word that the team doing the Black Shark 3 would then turn around and do the MiG-29 after.
We of course now have the completed Black Shark 3 project in our hands which means that efforts on that project are more or less done and are in the process of being retasked on something else. Clearly, Eagle Dynamics were able to surmount whatever challenges were posed to them in creating the helicopter and managed to add a few features. This done presumably without running afoul of any legal issues that were referenced in said articles.
Now for the MiG-29 which has periodically come up over the last few years. We have this response from BIGNEWY back in the summer of 2022 mentioning that the team is looking into it.
We would like to do many aircraft, but we are subject to international and local laws regarding data on aircraft, we are currently looking into doing the Mig-29 and when we have more news we will share it.
BIGNEWY on the DCS World forums
And then we have today where the Eagle Dynamics TikTok account posted a short clip of a MiG-29G (former East German version) flying in the clouds with the all important caption.
How many want to see a Full Fidelity MiG-29 in DCS? Like, follow and comment if you do!
That’s the caption but now let’s see the TikTok:
Thoughts and speculation
This TikTok post has naturally spread itself far and wide across the DCS World community causing much discussion. There is natural skepticism here and that is of course warranted. We know that legal issues combined with the ongoing war and high tensions make anything “recent” of Russian origin a real challenge to model at a high fidelity level.
Simulating anything modern is a huge challenge and even the relatively modern western stuff that we have is still 15 and sometimes 20 years old. The likely version of the MiG-29 that they would do would be an earlier model circa early 1980s and thus around 40 years old.
One way that they may try and make it work would be by modeling the MiG-29G, as shown on TikTok, thus sidestepping at least a few avionics issues by using better documented western equipment. Would that be enough? None of us on the outside would know so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
We already know that Eagle Dynamics are willing to bend a little bit with avionics to make a module a reality thanks to the recent announcement about the J-8II from Deka Iron Works.
In all of this, one thing is clear: Eagle Dynamics still appears keen to try and make this project a reality. Reality may ultimately get in the way of this project over the short term but I am usually a fan of never saying never.
This latest TikTok tease goes into the folder next to all of the other times that this project has been referenced. It doesn’t mean that an announcement is imminent, or that a project will appear quickly, but it does mean that I may some day write a post about it coming into early access. And that would be great to see.
Stormbirds 
DCS stuff on TikTok?
Is that a first or has it been weird for a while?
LikeLike
It’s been on there for a while! Most of the time it posts short clips like this one but rarely is it newsworthy. This time, however….
LikeLike
Have such a soft spot for Soviet MIG 29. Such an iconic air frame. Full fidelity? That would be irresistible!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely irresistible!
LikeLike
Redfor is seriously lacking, this would be amazing.
Not everyone wants to fly NATO or wants to switch it up every now and then.
While the Mig 21 and 19 are cool, the early cold war stuff has close to 0 content, outside of the enigma server…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Having a good variety of airframes to fly is always a good thing!
LikeLike
It is coming.
Let ED work on it in the background and we will all enjoy the new standard of MiG-29 simulation in 2024/2025.
LikeLike
Unfortunately I will not touch another ED core product until they fix the F-5. I know updates are “coming” (as they have for 2 years… but for the love of god the black shark has received two entire module size upgrades since! This is not ok!
The recent bugfixes are good – but only after years of closed bug reports and the community screaming their heads off, have even small fixes trickled through.
And let’s be completely honest here – there would have been NO updates if Enigma hadn’t kicked off the Cold War resurgence.
Good for them if they found unclassified sources – my wallet stays shut on new modules until the old ones are at least up to par.
I’m also 1000% willing to pay $10, $20 for new features – like the Black Shark, like the A-10.
I know Matt mentioned that these changes are coming – the issue is that we only have confirmation by way of a message, instead of “Here are our plans in official communication, thanks for your passion and support”.
I know there are only so many hours in a day – hence *no new modules until they fix the old ones*
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well if I hear anything more on the F-5 file I will definitely be reporting that. We’ve heard some at the start of the year but that’s it so far. One day I’m sure we’ll see more.
LikeLike
Thank you for your continued coverage and efforts, you’re the #1 source for unbiased perspectives
LikeLiked by 1 person
So this being my first visit to the DCS TikTok (and TikTok at all actually), I was more excited to see another Hellcat references a couple posts away from this one.
Back on the subject though, despite my US bias, I think the MiG-29 is one of the most beautiful fighter jets ever created, and would be very tempted to add it to my collection of DCS planes that I never get around to playing with. 😉
LikeLike
It is good to see the Hellcat again for sure. Same footage as was used during the 2023 and beyond so nothing new… but I’m betting we’ll see more through the year!
Agreed about the MiG-29!
LikeLike
I knew the community was eager for something like this but… 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lots of interested customers ☺️
LikeLike
We’ve seen a growing number of “impossible” modules announced & legitimately on the way, so let’s hope ED’s been able to figure out the logistics on this one.
Like the Finback, if this is a Westernized model to get around the restrictions, so be it. It’s a fantastic airframe that deserves to be in the Full Fidelity line up.
Now if someone could just figure out a Flanker variant…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would seriously consider buying it, though their HUD gives me vertigo
LikeLiked by 1 person
First day buying for sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just to add, as a very small boy my father took me to the Farnborough air show in maybe the early ‘90s and I saw a -29 with red stars. Back then it was still a very alien object.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always thought that the Mig-29K used by India might be a way around the issue, but if the do the G that’s fine with me. no tiktok thought, thanks!
LikeLike
The aircraft being used by another nation likely doesn’t skirt around the Russian law as it would still have to do with their technology base. The MiG-29K is also relatively new with deliveries beginning in 2009 and then apparently more recently some have been delivered for the Russian Navy itself.
The German MiG-29 on the other hand has partial Western components and are derived from the original 1980s model so I think they may have a way to make that work.
LikeLike
For people interested, this is a good 5 minute read from an excellent blog / website:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/israels-secretive-mig-29-fulcrum-test-program
LikeLike
I really hope it’s the Mig 29 9.12, which is an earlier variant used by most export countries. At least we can use it in Iran/Iraq and Gulf scenarios.
The German one is a Frankenstein of combined technologies that never saw combat.
But beggers can’t be choosers I suppose. Day 1 purchase either way.
LikeLike