For this week’s Mega I will be sharing one of my all time favorite fighter planes: the MiG-23. This was the last single engine fighter of the USSR I believe. I will add some information about it each day.
Day 1: Origins
The MiG-23 had the unenviable task of replacing the MiG-21. The MiG-21 was fast, maneuverable, it the most produced supersonic fighter jet of all time, and had an impressive service record with the Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF) against the US air force. However it would need to be replaced eventually. It was a fairly small and short range fighter, and the nose intake limited the size of the radar that could be installed. It soon became clear that a new design would be needed to effectively take advantage of the new technology and manufacturing capabilities that the USSR had developed.
The MiG-23 was designed from the beginning to carry brand new technologies, even some that would not be available when the initial variants of the MiG-23 were produced. It would ultimately carry a larger and more power radar with look-down shoot-down capabilities, along with the first medium range air to air radar guided missile of the USSR: the Vympel R-23. It also featured a swing wing, allowing it to change the wing geometry in flight to suit supersonic speed and acceleration with the wings folded back, or low speed maneuverability and take off and landing performing with the wings all the way forward, or anywhere in between. A high degree of automation for the time allowed the pilot to focus on combat. One of the coolest features in my opinion though was the integration of an IR search and track system (IRST) which would allow the pilot to find and lock onto airplanes without ever turning on the radar, preventing the enemy from detecting that they’re being targeted. The MiG-23 could even launch missiles from beyond visual range (barely) without ever turning its radar on, or only briefly to verify that the plane it was locking was an enemy, using the combination of the IRST and the IR guided variant of the R-23: the R-23T.
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CW medical stuff systemic transphobia etc
Mentioned offhandedly to a Cis person that reconstructive vaginoplasty can have a 2 year wait here in Australia privately, with an out of pocket cost of 30k that you only get 1/3rd back if you have insurance and are lucky. They seemed like they were going to cry about the unfairness.
And I’m just like
CW more medical stuff
Did a STOPBANG to assess for sleep apnea before I have a medical review for stimulants for ADHD
The questionnaire asked me what my “birth gender” was and honestly kind of stun-locked by how stupid that was.
It should just be “sex”. Like okay I could get putting “birth sex” as the question, it would be wrong, I have the risk factor of a cis women (estrogen is protective for OSA, testosterone is worse), but I would get it.
But asking “what is the performative social construct you were assigned at birth?” for this is real silly.
30k? Damnnnn. Take a vacation and get it done in a cheaper country
The wait time sucks, but it takes 2 years of electrolysis so maybe you could schedule it out like that.
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Oh definitely, this actually came up in that context because the Cis person was having some surgery done in Thailand, and I said lots of Australian trans girls went to Thailand for their vaginas, because of the local cost and waitlist.
And this person was surprised there was no Australian government funded social democracy neo-vagina program like the UK used to have (still has but is basically non-functional with waitlists)
I’m not sure what I’m doing right now with bottom surgery, anyway. But it sucks that there’s like a guy who does it in my city, literally like 10min drive from my house, but the wait and cost is so high.
Have you already gone through electrolysis? It’s not something you can skip for bottom surgery. Unless you don’t care for full functionality.
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I haven’t. I had been actually considering zero or partial depth but my financiap situation has changed (both good and bad) and I feel less dysphoric now that I’m primarily having T4T sex.
I thought there were surgeons who you could skip electro with? What functions do you miss with that option?
My understanding is;
Vaginoplasty (full depth) electrolysis needed
Vulvoplasty (no depth) not needed
I didnt need any electrolysis~
Some surgeons will scrape follicles during the procedure but that’s a bit of a gamble because if they miss any you’ll end up having to get electro anyway except now it’s a much worse process.
Adding this to my list of reasons
Thank you
List of reasons that you’re gonna live a happy and fulfilling life, right?
I should mention that this applies only to inversion, there are other methods like colovaginoplasty which don’t require electrolysis.
Fwiw I found bottom clearing way easier to handle than face, and the sessions get way shorter very quickly.
Yea. The difficulty of srs is going on the list of reasons for a happy and fulfilling life.
Thanks for mentioning that. Still have to look into each method. I’ve heard colo can have some really unpleasent complications that I really want to avoid. We’ll see I guess.
Its the two years thing that really gets me. Plus surgery and shit. God its just so much time.
I had one session of laser that didnt do much and nothing growing inside post op fwiw, its been 8 months.
Glad to hear that, what did they do differently to mitigate complications?
I dunno, they just kinda scrape you? Whatever they do the skin inside is really close to natal vagina skin which is nice.