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India's MiG-27 fleet grounded
Brahmand.com ^ | 2/23/2010 | Brahmand.com

Posted on 02/23/2010 5:12:41 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld

The IAF has grounded its entire MiG-27 aircraft fleet for checks following last week's air crash near Hashimara in which an ace fighter pilot was killed.

It also ordered examination of the aircraft following preliminary report of the court of inquiry suggesting that the mishap could have taken place due to failure of "low pressure turbine blades", a problem tackled only at the overhaul or fourth line servicing stage.

"The MiG-27 aircraft are not flying till the checks ordered on the fleet are completed," a senior IAF officer said here on Monday.

The IAF flies around 160 MiG-27 swing wing aircraft used for both air-to-air and ground attacks in eight of the existing 33.5 squadrons.

Earlier in the day, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik said that the failure of "low pressure turbine blades" was not in the realm of day-to-day base servicing, but was rectified only at the fourth line, overhauling stage.

He said further inquiry into the mishap that killed Wing Commander Oswald on February 16 was in progress.

Naik also said that when an air crash took place, it was not only a matter of grave concern for IAF and the nation, but it also caused "pain" as both an aircraft and a life were lost.

However, he said it was not possible to have "zero accident" rates, but maximum effort should be made to avoid demoralising of the forces when mishaps took place.

(Excerpt) Read more at brahmand.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aerospace; grounded; india; indianairforce; mig; mig27

1 posted on 02/23/2010 5:12:42 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: sonofstrangelove

no comment


2 posted on 02/23/2010 5:18:11 PM PST by Doogle (USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated)
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To: sonofstrangelove

27’s are rugged but with lack of maintenance or shoddy construction, anything is possible.


3 posted on 02/23/2010 5:21:28 PM PST by omega4179 (jdforsenate.com hunt some rinos 2010)
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To: sonofstrangelove; sukhoi-30mki

The MiG-27 is a fairly old airplane, dont know how much time India has on theirs. The Mig27 is still good for its intended role however. In this case its engine failure back in the turbine that grounded the fleet.


4 posted on 02/23/2010 5:21:43 PM PST by valkyry1
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To: sonofstrangelove

Is there really an ace in the Indian Air Force or is the ignorance of newspaper writers pretty much universal?


5 posted on 02/23/2010 5:25:40 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: sonofstrangelove

Maybe the accelerator is sticking.

SnakeDoc


6 posted on 02/23/2010 5:27:13 PM PST by SnakeDoctor (Do you know if the hotel is pager friendly? [...] I'm not getting a sig on my beeper.)
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To: Mr. Lucky

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020915/spectrum/book6.htm


7 posted on 02/23/2010 5:27:24 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Wernher Von Braun)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Probably the pilot killed in the crash wasn’t the 91 year old described in your article. Just a guess.


8 posted on 02/23/2010 5:34:30 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: Mr. Lucky

General Arjan Singh probably has a very cushy office in the Ministry of Defense.


9 posted on 02/23/2010 5:38:46 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Wernher Von Braun)
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To: Mr. Lucky

At least at 91 he could have been an air ace. (WWII, Korea, Vietnam?) ;-)


10 posted on 02/23/2010 5:39:44 PM PST by doc1019 (To call Obama a bumbling idiot would be an insult to bumbling idiots worldwide.)
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To: doc1019

...but wasn’t, apparently.


11 posted on 02/23/2010 5:41:58 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: sonofstrangelove

HUH, how can i get 33.5 squadrons from 160 airplanes? I always reckoned 10-12 planes per squadron.


12 posted on 02/23/2010 5:58:50 PM PST by prophetic (0Bama = 1 illegal president = 32 illegal, unconstitutional & unnecessary CZARS to do his job!!)
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To: sonofstrangelove

There was a bug in the electronics that the Hindu mechanics wouldn’t get rid of...


13 posted on 02/23/2010 6:13:01 PM PST by BILLNHILL MAKE ME ILL (Onward thru the smoke, mirrors, and B.S....)
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To: prophetic

The article says that there are 8 Mig-27 squadrons, so that means about 16-20 jets each, assuming that the number of Mig-27s in service are lower than 160 (which is indeed the case).


14 posted on 02/23/2010 8:15:42 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
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To: valkyry1

The IAF started inducting these in the 80s with most being license-built. There were proposals to re-engine the aircraft with the AL-31 of the SU-27/30 series.


15 posted on 02/23/2010 8:16:58 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
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To: prophetic
HUH, how can i get 33.5 squadrons from 160 airplanes?

160 MiG-21s. They also fly MiG-21s, MiG-29s, SEPECAT Jaguars, Mirage 2000s, Sukhoi Su-30s

16 posted on 02/23/2010 8:55:36 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (great thing about being a cynic: you can enjoy being proved wrong.)
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To: Oztrich Boy

That’s 160 MiG-27s


17 posted on 02/23/2010 8:56:38 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (great thing about being a cynic: you can enjoy being proved wrong.)
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Re-engining would be a good place to start.

But the center wing box area and wing hinge areas are always areas to be concerned about on the aircraft when they start getting long in the tooth. As are the outer wing panels.

Take the retired F-14 for instance, once you peel the flaps and slats off, there was not a whole lot of primary structure out there.


18 posted on 02/23/2010 10:42:09 PM PST by valkyry1
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To: valkyry1

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=79501

Age would have been a factor to consider for a new engine. The type has received a limited avionics upgrade though.


19 posted on 02/23/2010 11:10:49 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
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