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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 1886.PDF
Sukhoi's massive Su-27 interceptor dominates the Paris skies Sukhoi's Flanker demonstrates power The "snake-bite", a snap-shot manoeuvre apparently famil iar to Soviet fighter pilots, high lights the Sukhoi Su-27's aerial display, and is designed to emphasise the Soviet inter ceptor's power and agility. There are two Flankers at Paris, a single-seat Su-27 and a two-seat Su-27UB. Both are powered by two Lyulka AL-31F "bypass turbojets", together producing 245kN of afterburning thrust for a take-off thrust-to- weight ratio in excess of 1:1. Normal take-off weight, says Sukhoi, is 22,000kg (22,500kg for the two-seater) and 30,000kg is the maximum. At first glance, the Su-27 resembles a significantly scaled- up MiG-29. Sukhoi claims credit for thei-shape which, it says, was passed on to other design bureaux by the Soviet Union's Central Aerodynamic and Hydrodynamic Institute. Work on the aircraft began in 1969 under general designer Mikhail Simonov. The prototype, designed as the P-42, first flew on May 20; 1977, and later estab lished 27 time-to-altitude and sustained-altitude records. Test flights revealed problems, however, which led to redesign of the empennage and addition of wing leading-edge flaps. Unlike the Mig-29, which has conventional mechanical con trols, the Su-27 has a multi channel fly-by-wire flight control system which automatically limits angle of attack to 30° and load factor to 9g. In combat, the flight control system auto matically adjusts the full-span leading-edge and half-span trailing-edge flaps to maximise lift and minimise drag. Pitch and roll control is provided by tail- erons driven by massive, semi- exposed actuators. A take-off run of 500m and landing roll of 600m are quoted by Sukhoi, and the Su-27 is equipped with a braking para chute, housed between the jetpipes, and cooled carbon brakes. The AL-31Fs, each weighing about 1,300kg, are protected from foreign object damage by intake doors of the type first seen on the MiG-29. Designed to allow the aircraft to operate from rough airstrips, these doors remain closed until the nosewheel lifts off the ground. The single-seat Su-27 is 21 • 9m long, with a 14 7m wing span. The driving design criteria appear to have been long range and the largest possible radar antenna. The radome is more than 1 5m in diameter and houses a lookdown/shoot down radar of unspecified capability. Maximum range of the single- seat Su-27 is 4,000km, says Sukhoi. The two-seater has reduced tankage, but still manages "just over" 3,000km. Maximum speed of both variants is quoted as Mach 2-35. The Su-27UB retains full combat capability, unlike the two-seat MiG-29UB, which has no radar. The rear seat is stepped up 70cm, affording the instructor good overnose vision, and no periscope is needed. Flanker has a similar multi- sensor fire-control system to the MiG-29, comprising pulse- Doppler radar, infrared search- and-track system with laser rangefinder, and helmet- mounted sight. The IR/laser "ball" is mounted at the wind screen base, as on the MiG-29. Armament comprises up to ten air-to-air missiles under wings and fuselage and the starboard internal 30mm cannon. • Soviet steal? The opening-day MiG-29 crash has cast a more complete shadow over the 1989 Paris Air Show than did the early thun derstorms, but has not prevented the Soviets domi nating the event as expected. The West's first close look at Sukhoi's Su-27 interceptor and Su-25 attack aircraft, Mil's Mi- 28 combat helicopter, and new Tupolev Tu-204 and Ilyushin IL-96-300 airliners give the show unparalled cachet. The air transport boom and general-aviation revival is reflected in the news, reported here by Mike Gaines, David Learmount, Julian Moxon, John Bailey, Ian Goold, and Alan Postlethwaite. Photographs by Janice Lowe. Additional report ing by Robin Blech. Dream disappoints Those who missed the dramatic arrival from Moscow on June 7 of the giant Antonov An-225 Mriya with Buran space shuttle atop, will have to wait until its departure on June 17 for a demonstration. The Soviets elected to keep the 600-tonne aircraft out of the flying display, citing expense as the reason. Another explanation might be that the An-225, a costly one-off designed to carry loads up to 250 tonnes, has flown with Buran on its back only 15 times out of its 60 test flights. Mriya first flew six months ago, and flight-testing continues. Cer tification is not expected before the end of next year, says test pilot Alexander Galunenko. Despite the six-engined An-225's weight and size—it spans 88-4m —the aircraft handles similarly to the smaller four-engined An-124 Ruslan on which it is based, thanks to its fly-by-wire system, says Galunenko. Mriya uses the same 34 flight-control computers as Ruslan. At 60 tonnes, Buran is the heaviest load yet carried by the An-225. Surprisingly, Antonov officials maintain the full 250- tonnes payload will be carried piggyback. Q FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 17 June 1989
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