Posted on 01/19/2010 9:04:49 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Russia has grounded all of its Su-27 fighters. At least until it can be determined what caused one to crash on January 14th, 30 kilometers from its airbase at Dzemga (in the Far East). The pilot died in the crash, but the flight recorder was recovered. Last year, two Su-27s crashed. The Su-27, which entered service 25 years ago, is showing its age. It's still a first line fighter, but is fading fast. Last year, the U.S. bought two Su-27 fighters from Ukraine, to be used to help train American pilots to cope with the growing number of Su-27 and Su-30 fighters being sold to air forces the world over. The two Su-27s were also used to test the effectiveness of new U.S. radars and electronic warfare equipment. Currently, each of these aircraft are being sold to collectors, for $4.5 million each Russia's Sukhoi aircraft company has sold over a billion dollars worth of these aircraft (plus components and technical services for them) a year for the last few years. Sukhoi mainly supplies Su-27/30 jet fighters to India, China, Malaysia, Venezuela and Algeria. The 33 ton Su-27 is similar to the U.S. F-15, but costs over a third less.
Developed near the end of the Cold War, the aircraft is one of the best fighters Russia has ever produced. The government helped keep Sukhoi alive during the 1990s, and even supplied money for development of an improved version of the Su-27 (the Su-30). This proved to be an outstanding aircraft, and is the main one Sukhoi produces. There are now several Su-30 variants, and major upgrades. While only about 700 Su-27s were produced (mostly between 1984, when it entered service, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991), adding Su-30 production and you have over 1,000 aircraft
(Excerpt) Read more at strategypage.com ...
The Su-27s crashed because they were built by a bunch of commie peasants.
Have you ever seen a ZIL or a GAZ ?
Nuff Said
One should read the whole article, the SU-27 has a good record and is a third cheaper than an F-15.
I did NOT know that the Mig-29 was such a lemon.
Ping
In the ‘70s (I think) a defector brought out a MIG-25. People laughed at its round head rivets and vacuum tube radar.
A year or so later, an analysis was released, describing how the round head rivets were in non-aerodynamic areas, therefore appropriate, and that our F-4 fighters of the same era used vacuum tube technology...but our radar wasn’t as powerful as the Soviets.
I didn’t hear too much about trashy Soviet planes after that.
Mig-25 is a Mach3+ class aircraft. An aerial friction makes things as fast burn. In order to see how could any more advanced than vacuum tube technology work there just unplug CPU fan in your PC and look at it smoking.
Not to mention Mig-25 radar is famous for burning through countermeasures. It even kills small animals.
Vacuum tube technology doesn’t fry when impacted by EMP. Don’t know how we are hardening solid state backplanes in military aircraft, but using vacuum tubes works.
Soviet pilots are woefully under-proficient compared to our fighter jocks.
A US fighter pilot will typically see 100-120 flight hours to stay proficient.
A Soviet fighter pilot is lucky to see 40 flight hours per month.
The quantity vs quality thing has caught up with the Soviets ... once again.
>A Soviet fighter pilot is lucky to see 40 flight hours per month.
Bullshit. Or you talking about 1990’s ???
Over what period of time? If you're claiming that that number of hours is being flown every month by our pilots, you are full of s***.
I wish.
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