PJSC Aeroflot is the largest Russian airline. Founded on March 17, 1923. The home port is Sheremetyevo Airport. Aeroflot is the national air carrier, and there is every reason for this.
It should be noted that the company provides both passenger and cargo flights from Moscow to 51 countries of the world. Commercial landings are carried out at 113 destinations, including about 71 outside the territory of the Russian Federation.
In 2006, Aeroflot became part of the Sky Team air carrier group and is the main company in the Aeroflot Group, which includes Rossiya, Aurora and Pobeda.
The official website of the airline is www.aeroflot.ru
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Aeroflot passenger fleet
As of September 1, 2019, the airline's fleet consists of 250 aircraft. This is, without exaggeration, the largest aircraft fleet in Russia and the CIS. Aeroflot has the youngest fleet in Europe. It consists mainly of aircraft: Airbus A320, Airbus A321, Boeing 737 and SSJ-100.
The average age of the aircraft is 4.9 years, which is an excellent indicator among similar aircraft from a number of other companies. The oldest is Airbus A320-214 (tail number VP-BDK) - 16 years old. The youngest is Boeing 777-300(ER) (tail number VQ-BFL) - 0.5 years old.
Since 2013, active deliveries of Boeing 777 aircraft began, intended for use on long-haul flights.
According to Aeroflot's plans, by 2020 it is planned to expand the aircraft fleet to 184 units, of which 126 are Russian-made Sukhoi SuperJet-100 aircraft.
A special “branch” of military aviation is its bombers. The purpose of these aircraft is clear from their name: they are used to destroy enemy ground and surface targets using a wide range of bombs and missiles. Today, long-range strategic bomber aircraft are represented by the Tu-95MS and Tu-160, the long-range Tu-22M3, as well as front-line bombers. The latter are played by Su-34 and Su-24 aircraft. They perform tactical functions.
How justified is their existence?
It is important to understand that in modern combat aviation it can be very difficult to distinguish an attack aircraft from a bomber or even a multi-role fighter, since they are very similar to each other both in appearance and in the range of tasks that they can perform. But this impression is wrong: in particular, the same Su-34 aircraft, although very similar to fighters, are extremely vulnerable in air combat.
They are shaped only to ensure high aerodynamic efficiency and fuel economy, which is an extremely important condition given their long flight range and high bomb load. At the same time, some modern fighters (for example, the domestic T-50 or the “American” F-35) can well be used as bombers. But specialized “bombers” are still better suited for this role, since they have a greater range and can carry a large number of powerful bombs and/or missiles.
Current state of affairs
Note that the NATO bloc has no specialized bombers, such as the Su-34 aircraft, in principle, since their place has been taken by universal aircraft. For example, the last specialized Lockheed F-117 was cut into metal back in 2008. The role of tactical bomb throwers in the radius of the front line is now assigned to the F-15E and F-16; the fleet uses the F/A-18, also known as Hornet, for these tasks.
Against this background, our country stands apart, having two specialized bombers: Su-24 and Su-34. Today we will talk about the most modern modification. Moreover, the Su-34 aircraft model is unique, as it combines the features of an attack aircraft and a bomber. Unlike the Americans, who wanted to create a “wunderwaffe” in the form of the F-22, our engineers followed the path of greatest expediency, as a result of which the new machine effectively performs all its tasks.
Su-34 front-line bomber
Today, great hopes are placed on this aircraft, as it should provide the main power of the country's strike aircraft. The onboard equipment of the vehicle is such that it can use the entire existing domestic range of air-to-surface weapons. Initially, Su-34 aircraft were created to replace the old Su-24M. Currently, the production of this equipment is one of the priorities of the entire defense industry; considerable funds are allocated for these purposes. And it is very difficult to argue with such a statement.
If at the time of bringing the Georgians to peace our army had at its disposal only two such aircraft, then, as of mid-2015, there were 69 of them in the troops. At May, 14 such vehicles were spotted. There is information that our country should have at least 150-200 of these aircraft in total.
Start of development
Alas, even the legendary Su-34 aircraft is not a purely Russian invention. Its design began on June 19, 1986. The prototype first flew on April 13, 1990. It should be noted that Soviet engineers did not develop a new vehicle from scratch, taking advantage of the developments on the Su-27. This aircraft was created specifically to replace the Su-24, which had already become significantly outdated.
“Novichok” was intended to operate at any time of the day or night, in any weather conditions, against ground and surface (depending on the situation) targets. A special feature of the new aircraft was that the pilots could resist attacks by enemy aircraft much more confidently. Of course, the Su-34 military aircraft does not reach the level of an attack aircraft, but it is not a defenseless “duck” either.
Long way to debut
Rollan Martirosov was appointed chief designer. As we said, the prototype flew back in 1990, but the vehicle’s further path to adoption was unforgivably delayed.
Thus, the main stages of State sea trials ended only at the end of 2010. It was only in 2014 that the Su-34 military aircraft was officially put into service. Interestingly, the bomber went into production... already in 2006! The production was carried out by the Sukhoi holding, represented by the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant named after the famous pilot Chkalov. Under two contracts concluded in 2008 and 2012, the delivery of 124 aircraft is expected. Since last year, the Ministry of Defense has reported that production has already reached the level of 14-20 aircraft per year. Thus, already in 2014, 18 vehicles were delivered, when the plan included 16 units.
Differences from the progenitor
As we said, the predecessor of the bomber was the Su-27. By the way, in terms of the number of borrowings that were taken from him, this aircraft is the undisputed leader. Thus, even in the design of the legendary Su-47 Berkut, developments on the Su-27 were used. However, we digress.
So, the cantilever parts of the wings were taken from the “donor” practically unchanged, and the tail unit was also borrowed. However, the shape of the fuselage was significantly changed in the name of improving aerodynamic qualities. But the relationship is still visible to the naked eye.
The nose of the new car was significantly lengthened, since the special radar antenna did not fit there. The nose cone has acquired a more flattened and rounded shape. A separate radar antenna is also located inside this part. The Russian Su-34 aircraft does not have ventral ridges.
Cockpit and working conditions for pilots
The cabin is double, completely sealed. For the first time in aircraft of this class (in the whole world, by the way), it is made in the form of an all-titanium capsule with a wall thickness of 17 mm. Its glazing, following the example of the Mi-24 helicopter, is also armored. In many ways, this approach was due to the proliferation of MANPADS, the missiles of which are designed specifically to defeat pilots. The air in the cockpit is heated or air-conditioned depending on the situation. For the first time, the “shoulder to shoulder” crew landing scheme was used. This simplifies interaction between pilots and reduces fatigue when performing complex maneuvers.
The pilot is on the left, the navigator is on the right. Unlike other tactical bombers, the Su-34 (a photo of which is in the article) has such a spacious cabin that you can easily stand up and even walk in it. If the flight is long, pilots can take turns sleeping in the aisle. There is also a microwave for heating food rations and a bathroom. The pilots enter the cockpit from the stern, using a folding ladder.
Combat capabilities of the vehicle
The aircraft is considered to be class 4+. The on-board computer has a number of completely new programs that can significantly increase the combat survivability of the vehicle, ensuring its high maneuverability. This will enable the navigator and the pilot himself to pay more attention to the bombing itself.
The aircraft has excellent aerodynamic characteristics, has spacious fuel tanks, and can be refueled in the air. The presence of highly efficient engines with high efficiency, as well as the possibility of installing additional tanks, allows you to make extremely long flights. Experience shows that the Su-34 can stay in the air for at least 10 hours.
The workload on the pilots does not exceed the standard one, since they can rest during the flight. An important difference between this model and its predecessor is the complete openness of the radio-electronic equipment, as well as its modular design. Thanks to this, any on-board electronics component can be replaced with a new, more efficient analogue. In general, this feature is characteristic of Sukhoi products, thanks to which vehicles of this brand have taken a dominant position in the Russian Air Force.
Strike capabilities and self-defense
The aircraft is distinguished by high-resolution sighting devices and a data exchange system with ground troops, aircraft and surface ships. The use of this equipment makes it possible to better interact with various branches of the military and increase the effectiveness of combat use. As we said, the vehicle is distinguished by its ability to use all modern “smart” bombs and missiles, including those using multi-channel guidance systems.
Radar countermeasures and active jamming systems are another “highlight” that distinguishes the Su-34 aircraft (we are analyzing its characteristics). This equipment dramatically increases the combat vehicle's chances of survival in maneuverable combat conditions. Taking into account the armored cabin, the lives of pilots are protected to the highest level. Today, experts continue to work to improve the combat characteristics of this remarkable aircraft, focusing on expanding the variety of weapons that pilots can use to defeat the enemy.
Practical use
This bomber has already been used twice during real combat operations. The first episode dates back to 2008. These two aircraft were successfully used by our aviation, suppressing identified Georgian missile defense points. To prevent enemy crews from targeting strike aircraft, the legendary Su-34 aircraft was also used for active jamming. In addition, targeted attacks with special missiles were carried out on Georgian Buk and S-125 missiles. Experts recognize the complete destruction of the enemy 36D6-M radar, which was located near Gori, as the main victory in that war. This is also the merit of the machine we are describing.
Basic performance characteristics
Finally, we will describe the main technical characteristics of the aircraft we examined:
- Full wingspan, meters - 14.7.
- Total wing area, m² - 62.
- The total length of the glider, meters - 22.
- Maximum fuselage height, meters - 5.93.
- Maximum take-off weight, kg - 44,360.
- Engines - 2 AL-31F turbofan engines.
- The maximum speed of the Su-34 aircraft, km/h - 1900 km/h (M=1.6M).
- Maximum flight range, km - 4500.
- High altitude ceiling, km - 17.
- Radius of combat use, km - 1100.
- Crew: two pilots.
What is the Su-34 aircraft (you see its photo above) armed with? For close combat, the 30 mm GSh-301 cannon can be used. Its standard ammunition capacity is 180 shells. The maximum weight of ammunition can be eight tons at once. Rockets and bombs can be mounted on 12 pylons. To counter the enemy, the Khibiny electronic warfare system is used.
This is what it is, the Su-34 aircraft, the characteristics of which we discussed in this article.
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The Su-27 is a fourth-generation Soviet (Russian) multi-role fighter, created at the Sukhoi Design Bureau in the 70s of the last century. The main task of this machine is to gain air supremacy.
The Su-27 prototype first flew in 1977, and in 1984, serial fighters began to enter service with the troops. Operation of the Su-27 officially began in 1985, and continues to this day. Moreover, a whole line of modifications has been developed based on this wonderful machine. In total, there are more than ten varieties of this fighter.
Today, the Su-27 aircraft is one of the main fighters of the Russian Air Force; in addition, this machine is in service with the air forces of the CIS countries, India, China, Vietnam, Angola and other countries.
The Su-27 fighter is one of the most successful machines created by the designers of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, and one of the best fourth-generation fighters in the world. And we can also say that this is simply a very beautiful aircraft, fascinating with its elegance and special grace. Aircraft designers say that only a beautiful plane flies well, and the Su-27 fighter is a clear confirmation of this rule.
It should also be noted that this aircraft has excellent flight characteristics: the Su-27 holds several world records.
History of the winged car
At the beginning of the 60s, a new generation of fighters appeared that had a number of similar features in their layout, which determined the very similar characteristics of these machines. They had a maximum speed approximately twice the sound speed, a ceiling of 18-20 km, and were equipped with fairly advanced airborne radars and powerful missile weapons.
At that time, it was believed that combat jets would increasingly resemble high-speed reusable missiles, combat in the air would take place at medium and long distances, and the air dumps of the last war had finally sunk into oblivion. These fighters had a wing with a thin profile and a high specific load, which gave tangible advantages at supersonic speed, but significantly reduced maneuverability and increased takeoff and landing speeds. The main emphasis was on the use of missile weapons.
The Americans very quickly realized the fallacy of this trend; their experience of using aviation in the Vietnam War showed that it was too early to write off close maneuver combat. The Phantoms had a definite advantage at medium and long ranges, but were guaranteed to lose to the more maneuverable MiG-21 fighters in close combat.
Around the mid-60s, the race began in the West to create a fourth-generation fighter. The Americans were the leaders. The new fighter was supposed to replace the reliable but outdated Phantoms. In 1966, the decision was made to deploy the FX (Fighter Experimental) program in the United States.
The first drawings of the new vehicle appeared in 1969; in the future it received the name F-15 Eagle. In 1974, the first production aircraft, the F-15A and F-15B, began to enter service with the troops.
The progress of American developments was closely monitored in the Soviet Union. Information received through various channels was carefully analyzed. Work on the fourth-generation Soviet fighter began back in 1969, but it was carried out on a proactive basis. Only in 1971 was a corresponding order issued to begin the state program for the development of a new fighter, which was supposed to be the Soviet response to the American F-15.
A competition was announced, in which the leading aviation design bureaus of the Soviet Union took part. It is curious that the general designer Sukhoi did not initially plan to work on a new machine, because his design bureau was already overloaded with work: at that time the first pre-production samples of the Su-24 were being tested, the T-4 missile carrier and the Su-25 attack aircraft were being developed, new modifications of the Su were being developed -17 and Su-15.
In addition, Pavel Osipovich believed that the current level of development of domestic radio electronics does not allow the creation of a fighter with the required characteristics. It should be noted that it was the designers of the Sukhoi Design Bureau who were the first to proactively begin working on the appearance of the new fighter.
The first version of the new aircraft was created at the Sukhoi Design Bureau back in 1970. It was a fighter with an integral layout, a moderately swept wing and pronounced root swells. The aircraft was initially designed to be statically unstable; its stability in flight had to be ensured by the emulsion force.
In 1971, the military formulated requirements for a new fighter. They didn’t try to be original: they simply took the main characteristics of the F-15 and added 10% to them. The vehicle had to have high maneuverability, speed, have powerful weapons and a long flight range, and have a sophisticated avionics system.
In 1972, two technical councils were held, at which the Yakovlev, Sukhoi and Mikoyan design bureaus presented their developments on the new machine. According to their results, Yakovlev Design Bureau dropped out of the competition. At the same time, the Mikoyanites proposed developing not one, but two fighters at once: light and heavy, but at the same time unifying their equipment as much as possible. This was supposed to speed up production and reduce the cost of production cars.
At the same time, a similar concept was adopted in the United States: the F-16 acted as a light fighter, and the F-15 as a heavy fighter. Therefore, the USSR decided to do the same.
The preliminary design of the fighter was completed in 1975, the prototype of the vehicle was designated T-10, its first flight took place in May 1977.
Several pre-production aircraft were built before 1979. Flight tests and testing of equipment have shown that the flight performance characteristics of the T-10 are significantly inferior to the performance characteristics of its potential adversary, the American F-15 fighter. In addition, there were many problems with the electronic equipment of the new aircraft; its radar did not work normally. The T-10 did not meet the technical specifications. The creators of the aircraft were faced with a difficult dilemma: either try to “finish” the existing aircraft and begin mass production, or completely remake the machine. At the same time, a solution had to be found as quickly as possible. The designers settled on the second option.
In the shortest possible time, an almost new aircraft was created, it received the designation T-10S, and already in April 1981 it took to the skies. This machine had a trapezoidal wing with rounded root flaps and a different engine arrangement. The location of the nose landing gear and brake flaps was also changed, and other modifications were made.
Serial production of the new aircraft began in 1981 at the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, although state tests of the aircraft were officially completed only in 1985. This aircraft was officially accepted into service in 1990, after final modification and elimination of all defects identified during operation.
Su-27 device
The Su-27 is made according to an integrated aerodynamic design - its wing is smoothly connected to the fuselage, forming a single whole. On aircraft with a similar layout, there is no fuselage as such: the lifting force is created not only by the wings, but also by the body of the machine.
The aircraft's wing is equipped with highly swept root flaps, which significantly improves the aerodynamic characteristics of the fighter at high angles of attack; along the leading edge the wing sweep is 42°. The Su-27 wing is equipped with flaperons and two-section wing tips.
The horizontal tail of the aircraft is all-moving, the vertical tail is double-finned.
The Su-27 fuselage can be divided into three parts: front, middle and tail.
The front part of the aircraft contains the airborne radar, cockpit, nose landing gear and some electronic equipment systems. The fully pressurized cockpit contains the K-36 DM ejection seat; in the two-seat modifications of the fighter, the pilot's seats are arranged in tandem.
The middle part of the fuselage contains the wing center section, fuel tanks, weapons bay and brake flap. The main landing gear struts are also located here. The tail section of the fighter contains two engines, an equipment compartment, a central boom with a fuel tank and brake parachutes.
The aircraft's landing gear is tricycle, with a front strut. All three stands have one wheel. The front landing gear is retracted into the fuselage, and the main landing gear is retracted into the wing center section.
The fighter's power plant consists of two AL-31F twin-circuit turbofan engines with an afterburner.
The fighter's fuel system consists of five tanks that hold 9,400 kg of fuel. Thanks to its impressive fuel capacity, the Su-27 has a significant combat radius, with a maximum flight range of 3,900 km.
The Su-27 flight and navigation system includes: the IKV-72 inertial heading system, a Doppler speed meter, a radio compass, the Radical navigation system, the SO-72 aircraft transponder, the Maneuver computer, as well as an automatic control system, flight instruments and radio altimeter.
The aircraft's onboard defense system consists of an radiation warning station and a jamming system.
The aircraft is equipped with the RLPK-27 “Sword” complex, the SEI-31 unified display system, the airborne object recognition complex and the weapon control system. Fighter-type targets can be detected in the front hemisphere up to 100 km, in the rear hemisphere up to 40 km. The Su-27 can simultaneously lead up to ten targets and attack one of them. The RPLK-27 is complemented by the OEPS-27 optical-electronic sighting system, which consists of a laser rangefinder and a heat direction finder.
The Su-27 is armed with a GSh-301 automatic cannon of 30 mm caliber (150 rounds of ammunition), as well as various missile weapons. The cannon is installed in the right wing overflow. The aircraft has ten hardpoints. The aircraft's missile armament includes missiles of various classes. The maximum combat load of the aircraft is 6 thousand kg.
Application of the Su-27
Su-27s began to enter combat units in 1984; in the West they started talking about this aircraft in 1987 after an incident that almost ended in tragedy. A USSR Air Force Su-27 collided with a Norwegian Orion patrol aircraft over the Barents Sea. Both aircraft received minor damage and were able to return to their bases.
Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, most Su-27s were in service with air defense forces. For a long time, this aircraft was considered one of the most maneuverable in the world; the fighter was regularly demonstrated at various air shows and shows. The aerobatic maneuvers (for example, the world-famous Pugachev Cobra) that the Su-27 can perform invariably delight and amaze spectators.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Su-27 became one of the main fighters of the Russian Air Force. Today there are approximately 400 such aircraft in the Russian Air Force. Many modifications have been created based on the Su-27, the latest of which are much more advanced than the base model. The Su-27SM fighter already belongs to the 4++ generation.
Unlike its American counterpart F-15, the Su-27 fighter was practically not used in real combat operations.
One Su-27 of the Russian Air Force was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in 1993.
The Ethiopian Air Force Su-27s were used during the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict, where they chalked up three enemy MiG-29s.
Russian Su-27s took part in the 2008 Russian-Georgian conflict.
The Su-27 fighter never managed to compete in a real air battle with its main competitor, the F-15. However, training duels were repeatedly held between these aircraft. In close combat, the Su-27 has a significant advantage: the Russian vehicle is more maneuverable and has a high thrust-to-weight ratio. But the American has better avionics, so at long distances the F-15’s chances look better.
During the Cope India 2004 exercise, American F-15s and Su-27s of the Indian Air Force took part in training matches. The Americans lost more than two-thirds of the battles. Indian pilots tried to get as close to the enemy as possible, within range of a cannon salvo.
Characteristics
| Length, m | 21,935 |
| Height, m | 5,932 |
| Weight, kg | |
| empty plane | 16300 |
| normal takeoff | 22500 |
| maximum takeoff | 30000 |
| maximum | 9400 |
| Engine | 2 AL-31F turbofan engines |
| Maximum thrust, kN | |
| afterburner | 2 x 74.53 |
| afterburner | 2 x 122.58 |
| Max. speed, km/h: | 2500 |
| Practical ceiling, m | 18500 |
| Practical range, km | 3680 |
| Weapons: | 30-mm gun GSh-301; combat load – 6 thousand kg, 10 hardpoints. |
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