AVIATION WEEK PILOT REPORT:AVIATION WEEK PILOT REPORT Aviation Week Davip M. NoRTH/FaRNpoRouGH Editor Flies Top Soviet Interceptor ‘Prior 10 flying the Sokhoi Su-27, AVIATION WEEK © SPACE TecHiNoLoay's Managing Editor David M, North made Fights in the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the F/A-18 with the U.S. Air Force and Navy, respectively, The flights were to prepare ‘him to better evaluate the top Soviet interceptor aireatl. North Hew the F-15 with Air Force Lt. Col Don Kline, commanding oflcer ofthe 27th Tactical Fighter Sqdn. at Langley AFB, The F/ALIS was flown with Navy Lt. Tom Gurney of the Strike Warfare test squadron at NAS Patuxent River, Md. North was inpnessed with the flying skills of both these pilots and the (professionalism displayed by’ their units, The Su.27 Dight from Farnborough was facilitated by the assistance of Reuben John= son, a translator and staff analyst in Soviet Studies with General locric Airoratt Engines. the Mikoyan MiG-29 represent the most advanced Soviet fighters in op- rational use, and both of them exhibit superb blend of aerodynamic design with high-thrast, reliable engines. This AVIATION Wek & Seace Tectt NOLOGY editor became the first American pilot to fly the Su-27 earlier this month uring a Tate afternoon flight from the Farnborough air show Might line. At the same time, I became one of « handful of pilots outside the Soviet Union to have own both the Su-27 and the MiG-29, T ie Sakhoi Design Bureau Su-27 and USSR, in January with Valery Menitsky, chief Mikoyan Design Bureau test pilot (aWast Feb, 26, p36). The path that led tothe Su-27 flight was Jong snd circuitous. Tt started in May, 1989, with interviews with Mikhail Sc ‘monoy, general designer ofthe Sukhoi De- | July sign Bureau, This interview was followed by another one in January after I comple cod the flight in the Mi ‘Simonow premised a fightin the Su-27 by the end of 1990. He almost was able to keep that promise in Oklahoma City in Tune. Following a 3 flew the MiG-29 from Kubinka Air Base, | ing and my aviation background, plus re view of appropriate medical certificates, he cleared me to fly the Su27 during the (Oklahoma air show. That flight was can- coled by a Soviet bureaucrat just before I entered the Si-27 cockpit with Sukhoi chief test pilot Viktor Pougachev (AWwast 16, 9). The invitation fom S ‘monoy fo fly the Su-27 came at the Farn- borough air show a week before the beginning of the eight-day event Since the beginning of the year, the So- iets have exereised glasnost at its fullest in aviation circles by allowing numerous pilots toy the MiG-29 with Valery Men- Atsky, both in the Soviet Union and dur- 28. At that time dlscussion on fy- Sula Design Bureau Si-27 takes off i afterumer daring the 1900 Farnborough ae show. Both Aviation Week Managing Eftor David M. North ‘and RAF A Chit Marshal Sir Peter Yariing flew the $2278 from the tnt sat with chit Sulha test plot Vkior Pugactev inthe rer seat. 2 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE Yi Septemer 24, + Deane nn een rrErEEEEInE EEE‘54:27 has an operational maximum sustained gloading of +9. With fll afterburner power, the Soviet aircraft has better than a L0 thrust to ‘weight rato at mid takeoff grass weights. The Mi-29 cockpit layout ‘nd instramortation (right) i very similar to that of the $127 (below). ‘Tho fuel quantity gauge in the Su-27 Is below the raar display and to ‘he left of the alrratt test equioment panel. There is no fuel flew Indicator Inthe Su-27 front cockpit. The Siena 3 passive radar warning sstem isin the same lower right side of the cockpit in bot 2 The atitude indicator, horizontal sitet Indicator seem to be the same for beth aircraft. The Su-27 anole attack indicator Is on th fr lett of the round instrument inthe upper side of the same instrument. [sa VHF rai installed for ing ots the U.S, The ratchet tye dials for changing frequencies were dificult to reach wail tying, The cantal luton forthe fou hannel analog fy-by-wie Might contra system ae ‘mourted in front of the throttles in the Sw-27. The. small latches ‘movtted on the throttles in the $27 have to be depressed gong into ‘and out of afterourner. The rod handle tothe inboard side of the left ‘console is for emergency hydraulic braking. The large head-up display mounting nthe $u.27 dees restrict some ofthe frward visit in Se27. The SU-27 has lneared search/track sensors and a. helmet- ‘mounted sight capably, ‘AVATION WEEK & SPACE perer 24, 1990,AVIATION WEEK PILOT REPORT ‘Subdol $1-27 Is being propared for the evaluation fightin the early evening. The fighter was Started by an external 26-4. power sours. Internal batteries allow for self-startin ing sir show tours in Canada and the U.S. Only two other nan-Sovier pilos tad beea allowed to fly the Su-27 prior to my Sept. 4 ight, Pougache said. A Sin- ‘gapore air fore general and Ray Funnel, | chief of the Australian air force air stall, few the $u-27 during the Singapore air show in February: Following my flight, Sir Peter Harding, air chiet marshal and chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Air Force, lew the Su- | 27 with Pougachev on Sept. 7. SHORT BRITISH ATC FORM ‘The day of the ight, Pougachev gave me another checkout inthe front seat of the Su-27UB two-seat fighter. Following the ‘cockpit familiarization, we went to the air show control room next to the tower 10 resuest permission for the fight. Expect ing some bureaucratic opposition over fy ing a Soviet fighter in Brish airspace, we were pleased when the only question was whether this was a customer demonstra- tion flight. An affirmative answer was fol lowed by the filling out of a short form Iisting the pilots and the fight request ‘The time of the fight was dictated by the aie show routine ending at 530 p.m. ‘was fited with a g-suit underneath a tovo-pice Might line out. The helmet, ox)- ‘gen mask and throat microphone were put fon in the front cockpit. Pougachov then ‘manned the rear cockpit of the Si-2TUB. ‘The attachments forthe parachute and seat restrainls were similar to those found in other fighters, The fight sear was comfort | able, and the seat was relatively hard. The | seat’ would be fine for 1 hr, but could bocomte uncomfortable after a 3-he. Hight. “The Lyulka Engine Design Bureau AL- SIF engines are started by momentarily, pressing a start button on the right con sole, after placing the throttle into the Flight idle postion. An extemal 264. power cart was used to start the two en- fines, but the aircraft is equipped with | Dpatteries for internal engine starts. The ‘engine start sequence appeared slow prior to Teaching the idle thrust setting of 660 Ib, Outside air temperature was close to 75R, slowing the engine start. A small toreh-off occurred in the left engine on Start, something that is unusual in the Lyulka engines, Pougichey said later Both engines settled at a 400C reading at idl, and the peak temperature at start twas not much greater than that. The en fine temperature is measured from be- hind the turbine, Pougachev said, Fal load at the blocks was close to $ ons, oF 10,000 Ib. The maximum inter- ral fuel load of the $0.27 is close to 19,000 Th, of fuel, which is considerably sore than the standard F-15, but approx- mately 3,000 Ib. less than the F-15C with conformal fuel tanks. The Su-27 is not equipped to carry extemal fuel tanks on the Wing, but the naval version of the fighter is configured to carry one on the centerline station, ‘The standard. Su-27 also isnot equipped with an in-flight ref cling system, but the naval version has a Fefueling. capability similar 10 the hose and-drogue system used by the U.S. Navy (awast Feb. 12, p28). ‘TAKEOFF PREPARATIONS ‘Once bath engines were at ile power and taxi clearance to Runway 25 was granted by Farnborough tower, the throttles were advanced for taxi. The ability ofthe Su-27 to get airborne quickly without multiple ground checks is a definite asset for an Interceptor. Nose wheel steering is through the rudder pedals and is very positive, with the ability to make sharp furns without uch effor. The Su-27 has two separate 4,000-ps. hydraulic systems used forthe nose whe! Steering and landing gear and Map reir tion. The braking system pressure is re- duced to approximately 1,400 psi T requested clearance from the tower to fine up on the runway. A Soviet transla- tor was in the tower fo smooth any com ‘munication problems I might have with Pougachey during the flight and to help resolve any emergencies. The Soviet pilot hs limited English vocabulary, and T do not speak Russian ‘Once cleared to take the runway, 1 de- pressed a small tigger on the front of the Stick which provides approximately tice the braking power of the standard hy. draulic system, This braking system al- lows more engine power tobe applied ata standstill for short takeoffs. The trigger was released after passing into afterburner power, but before maximum afterburner Nose wheel steering inthe Su-27 Is accomplished through the rude pels. Fuel load forthe ‘ight was 10,000 I, whe the maximum fel lea ot the S27 is clase ta 19,000 Ih ‘NIBTION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY Sem