December 15 There Was Presented Serial Su-34 - a Machine of Our, Unfortunately, Far from Rosy Future

The Russian Air Forces need 200 newest shock planes Su-34 so that to the year 2020 replace completely front bombers Su-24 which are nowadays on arms. It was said at the press conference in Novosibirsk the known joker Commander in Chief of the Air Forces General Vladimir Mihajlov. December 15 Novosibirskindustrial aviation association of a name of Tchkalov transferred the Air Forces of Russia the first serial plane Su-34.

"We need about 200 machines, change of planes Su-24 for Su-34 will take place gradually, complete change will occur in 2020", - he said.

According to Mihajlov, new aviation shock complex Su-34  will be demanded not for one decade but at least for 30 years". The commander-in-chief explained it by the fact that Su-34 - "is the machine of the future with very big potential, there’s no analogues to it in the world".

It’s really so that service life of the modern plane has been almost compared to average life expectancy of the pilot. But what is here a matter for joy? Now we shall remind, only the year 2006 - that is up to 2020 when the commander-in-chief is going to finish delivery of new machines into armies, they already will be not completely new and there will be a question of their gradual replacement.

To approve that Su-34 is essentially new machine and there’s no analogues to it is, certainly, possible, the paper will endure everything but generally this battle-plane – is only a fruit of modernization of an available range of "Suhoj" which is already 2 decades. Su-34 – is a plane of the 4-th generation, no matter how many fractions and pluss were drawn after 4 by managers from aircraft. And the potential opponent accepts for service and already for a long time serially produces machines of the 5-th generation!

It’s clear there never will be analogues to Su-34 which has become outdated from the very moment of its appearence. And Russia if to trust Mihajlov will complete its Air Forces with machines of the 4-th generation at least till 2020.

Indirectly this forecast was confirmed by the chapter of AHC "Suhoj" Michael Pogosjan when he informed that the opportunity of export deliveries of Su-34 was stipulated by the corresponding state program. "Promotion of this product on export is stipulated after maintenance of the Air Forces of Russia", - Pogosjan said at press conference. That is appearance on the external market is planned after 2020 when even up-to-date American planes of the 5th generation will look oldfashioned – so, one day when a donkey or a padishah will die…

Works on creation of the new shock machine of the fourth generation having been developing under code T-10B (later the plane was appropriated official name SU-27IB, i.e. "fighter-bomber") were headed by the general designer of "Suhoj" M. P. Simonov and on the post of the chief designer of the machine was appointed R.G. Martirosov under whose direct management designing of the plane was lead. Creation of the new radio-electronic equipment which should make a basis of control system of armament of T-10B was entrusted to NPO "Leninets" (St.-Petersburg) which was headed by the General designer N.Gromov. Aviation armament for a new fighter-bomber was projected by some enterprises - MCB "Vimpel" (General Designer G.A. Sokolovsky), EDO "Zvezda" (Chief Designer G.I.Hohlov) and MCB "Raduga" (General Designer I.S. Seleznev).

Works on theme T-10B were conducted on the basis of the deck training plane T-10KM-2 with placing of seats of the instructor and the trained pilot side by side. It became obvious to the constructors that the plane with such configuration of a double cabin had significant reserves for expansion of area of its application (as a bomber, a scout, a refueller, a carrier of handicapes and etc). The Air Forces also showed interest in the double shock plane intended for replacement of gradually getting old-fashion front bombarder Su-24M.

externally Su-34 only slightly differed from its prototype Su-27IB, however its design underwent a number of little changes. Flights on greater distances and long time of staying in the air are always tiresome for the crew. Designers of Su-34 took it into consideration and made a double cabin of pilots of Su-34 (as well as Su-27IB), successfully grouped it not only for fighting work but also for rest of members of crew during the flight, for the first time for such class of shock planes having realized the concept of a comfortable cabin. It turned out to be so spacious that during display of Su-27IB by its general designer M.P. Simonov to a command of the Air Forces and then to the commander-in-chief of the Air Forces general-colonel P.S.Dejnekin playfully noticed "It’s larger than on strategic bomber Tu-160".

Flying-tactical characteristics of a fighter-bomber were decreased only in comparison with base fighter variant though insignificant. The maximal take-off weight made up about 45000 kgand normal - about 42000 kgAs well as in fighter variants Su-27 the maximal speed on a sea level was limited to 1400 km/hand at the bigger height – to a number M=1,8.

The first flight Su-34 executed from air station of Novosibirsk aviation factory occured in the end of December, 1993. Exactly in a year after the first, on December, 28th, 1994, from air station of Novosibirsk aircraft factory rose into the air the second flying and as a matter of fact - the first serial Su-34 (T-10B-5). That is the age of the machine is 13 years.

Planes Su-27IB and SU-34/Su-32FN were not appointed special code designation of NATO as foreign experts consider them as updatings of base model.

The basic differences of a plane Su-34 from a plane Su-27:

- the design of a head part of a fuselage in which the double cabin of crew with accommodation of places of the pilot and the operator of a control system of arms under the scheme "beside" is equipped is completely changed; the input in a cabin is carried out through the hatch in a niche of cleaning of a forward support of the chassis; forward  radiotransparent cowling RDR has the elliptic form with sharp lateral edges;

- contours of medium and tail parts of a fuselage are changed, their design is strengthened and provides greater internal volumes for accommodation of the equipment and fuel tanks of the increased capacity;

- diameter and length of the central tail beam in which it is placed RDR of the back review are increased;

- the form of inflows of a wing on which consoles of front horizontal plumage are established is changed;

- the design of a wing is strengthened; under a wing there are two additional points of suspension bracket of armament; 

- underbeam crests are removed;

- the design and the scheme of withdrawal of a front support of chassis is changed, its rack is equipped with the coupled wheels;

- the design of the basic support of chassis which are executed two-wheeled with accommodation of wheels under the scheme "tandem" is changed;

- the system of refuelling during the flight with the let out bar established on the left before a cabin of crew is introduced.

 - air inlets of engines are non-regulated;

- the maximal take-off weight is increased approximately up to 45000 kg, the internal stock of fuel has increased approximately up to 12000 kg, application of 3 pendant fuel tanks of the big capacity is provided;

- new complex Avionics which structure are entered by multipurpose Bravo, optical-electronic syrvey-aiming system, a radar of the back review, the equipment of navigation, radio communication, radio-electronic counteraction and other systems. It provides the decision of the following problems: search, detection and recognition of ground and surface objects with target detection and aiming in simple and complex meteoconditions; round-the-clock and all-weather detection, identification and definition of coordinates of planes and rockets of the opponent with target detection to the system of aiming “air-air” and to the complex of electronic blanket; round-the-clock and all-weather supply of joint group actions of planes; counteraction to radio-electronic control facilities of the weapon of systems of air defence, fighters and rockets of the opponent; giving of information on parameters of flight, work of units and systems of the plane as well as about tactical conditions on multipurpose indicators of the pilot and the navigator-operator.

- the structure of operated armament of a class "air-air" includes 6 rockets Р-27RE (ТE, P, T), 8 rockets RBB-AE, 8 rockets Р-73; typical variant of armament of the plane at the decision of targets "air-air" includes 6 rockets Р-27E (or RBB-AE) and 4 rockets R-73;

- operated means of defeat of the ground purposes are included in the nomenclature of armament: 6 rockets of general purpose X-29T, X-29L, X-25ML, S-25LD or corrected canister effect bombs-500KR and 500L, 3 rockets of average range X-59M or corrected canister effect bombs 1500TK, 6 anti-ship missiles X-31A or X-35U, 6 antiradar missiles X-31P, etc.

- for the defeat of the ground aims the plane can be also equipped with uncontrollable armament with the total weight up to 8000 kg, placed on 12 points of a suspension bracket, the part of which is equipped with multiitem beam holders: 3 bombs of calibre of 1500 kg, 16 bombs of calibre of 500 kg, 36 bombs of calibre of 250 kg, 48 bombs of calibre of 100 kg, 8 containers KMGU, 120 rockets S-8 (in 6 blocks B-8M1), 30 rockets S-13 (in 6 blocks B-13L) or 6 rockets S-25.