Sukhoi Fighters Marks 500th Su-35 Test Flight

The 500th test flight was made on the Su-35 flight tests program.

The aircraft was piloted by the Hero of Russia Colonel Sergei Bogdan, the distinguished test pilot. In February 2008 it was him who took off for the first time in that modern super-maneuverable multi-functional fighter. At present, the Joint State Tests (JST) of the airplane are going on. In March this year the fourth production Su-35S was delivered to the JST. The Su-35-1 and 2 carried out preliminary flight tests, during which the main established flight and technical characteristics of the on-board equipment and super maneuverability features were fully confirmed, stability and controllability characteristics, the characteristics of the power plant and the work of the navigation system were tested.

The plane reached the maximum ground-level speed of 1,400 km/h, speed at altitude — 2400 km/h, the ceiling — 18 thousand meters. The detection range of targets in the “air-to-air” mode is over 400 km. This is significantly higher than that of the combat aircraft currently in service. The onboard OLS (optical locator station) can detect and track multiple targets at ranges exceeding 80 km. The aircraft complex is ready to undergo tests for combat use.

The analysis of the amount of work already done allows a conclusion that Su-35/Su-35S has a much better flight characteristics compared to analogue aircraft in service. The airborne equipment of the plane allows solving a wider range of tasks set by tactical and technical requirements.

The potential characteristics incorporated in the aircraft will allow it to exceed all tactical fighters of the 4th and 4 + generations, such as “Rafale” and EF 2000, modernized fighters like the F-15, F-16, F-18, F-35 and to counter the F-22A fighter.

The serial production of the Su-35S is going on at the Sukhoi’s Y.A. Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KNAAPO) in accordance with the state contract signed in 2009 to deliver 48 aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Defence by the year 2015.


Source: MOSCOW -- Sukhoi JSC - April 4, 2012

Photo: Sukhoi’s Su-35S fighter has made its 500th test flight. Sukhoi says it can detect targets at over 400 km by radar, and at over 80 km by optical sensors. (Sukhoi)

(4/4/2012)