Su-27 - one of the best combat aircraft in the world. Part of 2. There are no boundaries for perfection
We continue the story about one of the best fighters of the present Su-27. In the last article we talked about the creation of the aircraft. Now we will touch on the topic of its improvement.
As noted in the previous article, a number of significant flaws were identified in the newly created aircraft. Experts OKB "Sukhoi" started to make changes in the design and equipment of the aircraft. It was determined about the 20 positions that required refinement. As a result, the car was practically re-designed: only the tires of the wheels and the seat of the pilot remained the same. When creating a new modification of the fighter, a completely new conceptual model was used, which allowed the unique characteristics of the Su-27 to be provided. The fighter in the new version was superior in almost all indicators to all aircraft that were in service with the Air Force.
The well-known test pilot Ilyushin repeated more than once that when flying the Su-27, it occurred to him more than once that the plane was smarter than the pilot who controls it. Indeed, the Su-27 had extraordinary capabilities in the field of maneuvering and control. But, nevertheless, during the tests, the experienced pilot E. Solovyov did not take into account the very good dynamism of the new aircraft during maneuvering, and as a result of completing the mission, the Su-27 threw down with a huge overload, which led to the death of the tester.
But the tragic incidents did not end there: when passing through the maximum possible Su-27 mode, another test pilot, A. Komarov, was killed.
Tester N. Sadovnikov at an altitude of 1 km and speed of 1000 km / h experienced enormous loads due to turbulence. As a result, part of the right console of the aircraft was destroyed. But the pilot managed to land the plane with almost one plane. The head of the Air Force Scientific Institute after inspecting the aircraft stated with confidence that he was seeing for the first time an aircraft having such unique survivability.
In connection with the identified deficiencies, the specialists had to modify the wing design, eliminate the stalling of the aircraft at high angles of attack, develop special automatic devices that prevent the glider from entering the tailspin, and eliminate the failure of the system informing the pilot about the flight mode.
The highly professional test pilot I. Volkov carried out a Su-27 test on critical modes and in the entire range of angles of attack. The flights confirmed good handling and stability of the Su-27. The new fighter confidently performed such unique aerobatics as the “cobra” (angle of attack to 120 degrees) and the “bell” (falling vertically on the tail with the passage of the entire range of angles of attack).
In the 1989 year at the Paris exhibition Le Bourget, test pilot V. Pugachev performed a “cobra” (“cobra Pugachev”) figure on the Su-27, which was an unexpected surprise for foreign competitors. One of the American pilots, seeing the flight of the Su-27, said that if he happened to meet in battle with this "bird", he would most likely be forced to eject.
A feature of the Su-27 was the implementation in it of the concept of longitudinal static instability, in which the aircraft is balanced by the control system. This made it possible to significantly improve the maneuverability of the combat vehicle, which is vital in close combat.
All systems, engine, weapons and electronics of the Su-27 aircraft as a result of flight tests were brought to the required parameters. But military engineers in the act of state acceptance noted that it is still inferior to the F-15 aircraft.
Time put everything in its place. And further events denied the conclusion of military experts.
Oklahoma State Celebration aviation, which was attended by two Su-27 aircraft. American pilots became convinced of the excellent characteristics and great capabilities of the new Soviet fighter. They realized that the Su-27 has better maneuverability than the aircraft in their arsenal.
Su-27 more than once confirmed its brilliant combat qualities and capabilities at exhibitions in France, Malaysia, China, the Philippines, England, and Singapore.
Su-27 and today is not only a fighting machine of attack, but also a means of defense and defense.
On the hot day of 1992, a training air battle between F-15 and Su-27 was conducted in the Atlantic Ocean. The scheme of the battle was simple: first, the Soviet aircraft must be kept on the “tail” of the American aircraft, then they will be swapped.
The attempt of the F-15, using the maximum possible boost, to break away from the Soviet fighter was unsuccessful. But Su-27 almost instantly left the American fighter, making a U-turn with a sharp climb - and fell in with the F-15 “tail”. To the question of the pilot of the American fighter to the observer: “Where is Flanker” (as the Americans called Su-27), he received an answer that Su-27 is behind him. All attempts by the American ace to break away from the Soviet fighter ended in failure: Su-27 securely held him at gunpoint.
Americans prefer not to recall this training battle. After all, this duel convincingly proved the world superiority of the Su-27.
So, the designers have created a very successful model of a combat aircraft. Subsequently, the Su-27 became the base model for the design of a whole series of aircraft that Russia is rightly proud of. In the next article you will learn more about them.
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