Military review and politics. Legendary aircraft Design components and assemblies

Almost the entire second half of the last century, the Soviet army did not have in its arsenal specialized aircraft, which would provide direct support to its troops on the battlefield. That is, a stormtrooper. This seems rather strange, because the legendary “flying tank” Il-2 made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany. However, in 1956 it was decided to disband attack aircraft. According to the plan of the then military leadership, its functions were to be taken over by fighter-bombers.

This decision was a mistake, but it took several decades to understand this. At that time, the military doctrines of the superpowers provided for the widespread use of nuclear weapons, including tactical ones. Naturally, with this approach, it was not very interesting to engage in low-speed aircraft that would destroy enemy armored vehicles and manpower using conventional bombs and cannon and machine gun weapons.

However, in the mid-60s, the concepts of the military changed. Nuclear war becomes less likely; troops must fight and destroy the enemy using conventional weapons. In 1967, large-scale exercises “Dnepr” were held, which clearly showed the need to create a new attack aircraft. Su-7B, MiG-21, Mig-19 and Yak-28 were not capable of performing this function: they had high flight speeds and simply could not work effectively against small and maneuverable ground targets. In addition, these aircraft did not have sufficient protection and were vulnerable to anti-aircraft artillery or simply small arms fire from the ground.

The Soviet army needed an analogue of the Il-2, made at a modern technological level. This aircraft had to have a low subsonic flight speed, be maneuverable and well protected, and be able to operate at low altitudes.

History of the creation and use of the Su-25

In 1969, a competition was announced in which four design bureaus took part: Yakovlev, Mikoyan, Ilyushin and Sukhoi. All design bureaus, except Sukhoi Design Bureau, proposed modifications to production aircraft. The Il-102 aircraft, presented by Ilyushin Design Bureau, met the requirements of the competition, but was characterized by excessive simplicity and had a number of shortcomings. The Sukhoi Design Bureau put up for competition a prototype of the T-8 attack aircraft, which the bureau’s specialists had been developing on their own initiative for several years.

T-8 was declared the winner of the competition. The history of the birth of this car is also quite interesting. In 1968, a group of teachers from the Air Force Academy approached the designers of the Sukhoi Design Bureau with a proposal to develop a new attack aircraft. Work began, initially even the general designer of the design bureau did not know about it. Only after the concept of the new aircraft was ready, Sukhoi was informed about the work. He approved this initiative and made his own adjustments to the project.

The designers initially conceived a “battlefield aircraft” that was supposed to support ground forces in conditions of strong air defense opposition. Particular attention was paid to the maneuverability and survivability of the aircraft. Also, the aircraft should be easy to manufacture, unpretentious in maintenance and not place high demands on home airfields.

The T-8 first flew in February 1975. In 1978, the modified vehicle was transferred for state testing. In 1980, the war began in Afghanistan, and the new attack aircraft immediately took part in hostilities, although at that time the vehicle had not even passed the state testing stage. The aircraft's designers indicated that the aircraft was not yet ready, but the military wanted to test it in combat conditions.

The aircraft performed well in the difficult conditions of Afghanistan and received the highest ratings from the military. Immediately after the official end of the tests, a special aviation squadron armed with the Su-25 was created and sent to Afghanistan. It was there that this aircraft received its nickname “Rook”.

The plane adapted to the difficult conditions of war. In 1984, the Mujahideen acquired MANPADS, and in response to this, additional cassettes with IR decoys were installed on the Su-25. Two years later, the enemy acquired the latest American MANPADS, the Stinger, which became a serious problem for Soviet aviation. This complex was equipped with a perfect guidance system, so the developers of the attack aircraft began to increase the survivability of the aircraft. The pipeline laying system was changed and their protection was strengthened. A fire extinguishing system was installed in the tail section of the aircraft.

The Su-25 attack aircraft fought in Afghanistan for eight years, and this period showed the high reliability and efficiency of the vehicle. The Rooks made 60 thousand sorties, losing only 23 aircraft. There were cases when a Su-25 returned to the airfield with up to 150 holes. None of the aircraft were lost due to fuel tank explosions or the death of the pilot.

In addition to Afghanistan, the Su-25 attack aircraft took part in the civil conflict in Angola. These aircraft took part in the Iran-Iraq War, although there is no information about their combat use. They were involved in conflicts that took place in the former Soviet republics. These vehicles fought in Africa and were actively used during the first and second Chechen wars. Today, Su-25s are used in Iraq against ISIS militants.

The Su-25 aircraft ceased mass production in 1992. It is the main attack aircraft of the Russian army. Pilots love this car very much.

General description of the aircraft

The layout of the Su-25 aircraft is most suitable for solving the tasks facing it, namely: the effective destruction of ground targets at subsonic flight speeds. The aircraft operates well at low altitudes, its service ceiling is 10 thousand meters.

The plane has a standard design, with high wings. The wing has a trapezoidal shape with a slight sweep. It is equipped with powerful and reliable mechanization, consisting of flaps, ailerons, slats and brake flaps. All this makes the aircraft very maneuverable.

The aircraft has two engines, which are located in nacelles below the wings, at the junction of the wing and fuselage.

The air intakes are unregulated with an oblique entrance. The tail unit is single-finned. The aircraft is equipped with a braking parachute.

The first aircraft were equipped with R-95Sh engines, then modernization was carried out: another engine was installed on the aircraft - the R-195, which had higher technical characteristics. In addition, the R-195 has higher survivability (withstands a 12-mm projectile) and lower visibility in the infrared range. The design is made in such a way as to minimize the possibility of damaging both engines at once. The Su-25 has four built-in tanks; the developers paid great attention to improving their safety. It is possible to mount additional fuel tanks.

At the ends of the wings there are special nacelles on which brake flaps are installed.

When developing the Su-25, special attention was paid to the security of the aircraft, systems for ensuring survivability and rescue of pilots. All important attack aircraft systems are duplicated. Particular attention was paid to protecting the cockpit. The pilot is covered by titanium armor up to 30 mm thick; it reliably protects against shelling from weapons with a caliber of 12 mm, and in particularly dangerous directions - up to 30 mm. The top of the cabin is protected by armored glass. To rescue the pilot, a K-36L ejection seat is installed in the cockpit, which ensures rescue of the pilot at speeds of up to 1000 km/h, over the entire range of altitudes, including takeoff and landing.

The Su-25 attack aircraft has a powerful weapon system. It includes aircraft cannons, guided and unguided missiles, and various types of bombs. In total, 32 types of different weapons can be installed on the vehicle. The Su-25 is equipped with an automatic 30-mm aircraft cannon, and other types of weapons can be installed depending on combat use. The attack aircraft has ten hardpoints - five under each wing.

The aircraft can use more than ten types of unguided bombs weighing up to 500 kilograms, unguided missiles and three types of guided missiles. To use this weapon, the aircraft is equipped with a laser rangefinder/target designator. The pilot must illuminate the target with it until it is hit.

The aircraft has a tricycle landing gear, which allows the attack aircraft to land and take off even at poorly equipped airfields.

The practice of using the Su-25 in Afghanistan showed the need to modernize the aircraft's navigation equipment. Visual reconnaissance and navigation are no longer sufficient for modern warfare. The latest modifications of the aircraft are equipped with modern radio-electronic equipment.

Technical characteristics of the Su-25

Below are performance characteristics Su-25 aircraft.

Modification
Wingspan, m	14,36
Aircraft length, m	15,36
Aircraft height, m	4,80
Wing area	33,70
Weight, kg
empty plane	9500
normal takeoff	14600
maximum takeoff	17600
Fuel, kg	5000

Few armies in the world can afford the luxury of an attack aircraft.
For example, of the NATO allies, Germany, England and Belgium wanted to buy Thunderbolt-2, the Japanese, Koreans and Australians also licked their lips at it... But in the end, considering that it was too expensive, they refused, limiting themselves to fighter-bombers and multirole fighters.
There are significantly more owners of the Su-25, but if you remove from the list all the freeloaders from the former allies and republics of the Soviet Union, who received the aircraft for next to nothing from the USSR... then, in principle, the picture is the same. The exception is Congo, which bought the “drying” in 1999, and today’s Iraq.
In general, even for rich countries, a specialized attack aircraft, as it turns out, is an expensive pleasure. Neither the monarchies of the Persian Gulf, accustomed to squandering money on military toys, nor even China, which is rapidly growing in power, have such aircraft. Well, with China it’s a separate question - there the role of ersatz attack aircraft can be played by numerous clones of MiGs of the seventeenth (J-5), nineteenth (J-6) and others like them, and human resources are almost limitless... the excess male population has to be put somewhere.
In general, there are now two serious armies in the world that can afford attack aircraft - the American one and ours. And the opposing sides are represented accordingly A-10 Thunderbolt II(which I'm talking about) and Su-25.
Many people have a natural question -
“Which of them is cooler?

Western apologists will immediately say that the A-10 is cooler, because it has a monochrome screen in the cockpit, takes more and flies further.
Patriots will say that the Su-25 is faster and more durable. Let's try to consider the advantages of each aircraft separately and take a closer look.
But first, a little history - how both cars came to be.

. Chronology of creation

USA

1966 Air Force A-X program opens (Attack eXperimental - drum experimental)
March 1967 - a competition was announced for the design of a relatively inexpensive armored attack aircraft. 21 aircraft manufacturing companies are participating
May 1970 - two prototypes were flown(YA-9A and YA-10A are competition finalists)
October 1972 - start of comparative tests
January 1973 - victory in the YA-10A competition from Fairchild Republic. A contract ($159 million) was signed for the production of 10 pre-production aircraft.
February 1975 - flight of the first pre-production aircraft
September 1975 - first flight with the GAU-8/A cannon
October 1975 - flight of the first production A-10A
March 1976 - aircraft began to enter service with the troops(to Davis-Monthan airbase)
1977 - achievement of combat readiness and adoption by the US Air Force

USSR

May 1968 - the beginning of initiative design at the Sukhoi Design Bureau, taking on the appearance by general designer P.O. Sukhim. At that time the plane was still called the “battlefield aircraft” (SPB).
The end of 1968 - the beginning of purging at TsAGI
March 1969 - competition for a light attack aircraft. Participated: T-8 (with two 2 x AI-25T), Yak-25LSH, Il-42, MiG-21LSH
End of 1969 - victory of the T-8, military requirement of 1200 km/h
Summer 1970 - development of the project, creation of documentation
End of 1971 - finalization of the appearance, agreed with the military on a maximum speed of 1000 km/h
January 1972 - finalization of the appearance of the T-8, start of mock-up work
September 1972 - approval of the layout and set of documentation from the customer, start of construction of the prototype aircraft
February 1975 - flight of the first prototype (T-8-1)
Summer 1976 - updated prototypes (T-8-1D and T-8-2D) with R-95Sh engines
July 1976 - receiving the name "Su-25" and beginning of preparations for mass production
June 1979 - flight of the first production vehicle (T-8-3)
March 1981 - GSI was completed and the aircraft was recommended for adoption
April 1981 - the aircraft began to enter combat units
June 1981 - start of use of the Su-25 in Afghanistan
1987 - official adoption

Project SPB (Battlefield Aircraft) Sukhoi Design Bureau

. Comparison on paper

The tactical and technical characteristics of the aircraft had to be collected long and hard, because they were not available in any source.
The performance characteristics of the A-10 in RuNet (with a maximum speed of 834 km/h) is generally something that has its origins in an old Soviet brochure from 1976. In short, like with that one GAU-8 cannon and the mass of its shells, everywhere in RuNet(except for my post about her in svbr) published incorrectly. And I calculated this by counting the variants of the combat load - there was nothing wrong with the existing mass.
Therefore, I had to surf the adversaries’ websites, during which I even found a 500-page manual for the A-10.

In short, the result of all this was a post about the A-10 and this sign:

Advantages of "Warthog"

And indeed, A-10 "takes" more

The maximum combat load of the A-10 is 7260 kg, plus the cannon ammunition (1350 rounds) is 933.4 kg.
The maximum combat load of the Su-25 is 4400 kg, gun ammunition (250 shells) is 340 kg.

Thunderbolt-2 has a greater range - from 460 km with a normal load (in "close support" missions) to 800 km lightly (in "aerial reconnaissance" missions).
Hrach has a combat radius of 250-300 km.

Largely due to the fact that Thunderbolt engines are more economical.
The bench consumption of TF34-GE-100 is 0.37 kg/kgf·h, for R-95Sh - 0.86 kg/kgf·h.
Here, lovers of American technology throw their caps into the air and rejoice: “The rook is two and a half times more gluttonous.”

Why is this so?
Firstly, the Thunderbolt engines are double-circuit (on Grach they are single-circuit), and secondly, the Su-25 engine is more unpretentious and omnivorous (for example, it can eat... diesel fuel instead of aviation kerosene), which of course does not benefit fuel efficiency , but expands the application possibilities of the aircraft.
And it should also be remembered that hourly fuel consumption is not the same as kilometer consumption (because aircraft speeds differ, and at cruising speed the same Su-25 flies 190 km more per hour).

An additional advantage of the A-10 is presence of an in-flight refueling system, which further expands its possible range of action.

Refueling from a KC-135 air tanker

Separate engine nacelle

It gives advantages when modernizing an aircraft - the new power plant does not depend on the size of the engine nacelle, you can plug in what you need. It is also likely that this arrangement of the engine makes it possible to quickly replace it if damaged.

Good visibility from the cabin

The shape of the warthog's nose and canopy provide the pilot with good review, which gives better situational awareness.
But it does not solve problems with finding targets with the naked eye, the same as those experienced by the Su-25 pilot.
More about this below.

The superiority of "Rook"

Speed ​​and agility

Here the Su-25 comes forward.
The cruising speed of the Warthog (560 km/h) is almost one and a half times less than the speed of the Rook (750 km/h).
The maximum, respectively, is 722 km/h versus 950 km/h.
In terms of vertical maneuverability, thrust-to-weight ratio (0.47 versus 0.37) and rate of climb (60 m/s versus 30 m/s), the Su-25 is also superior to the American.
At the same time, the American should be better in horizontal maneuverability - due to its larger wing area and lower speed when turning. Although, for example, the pilots of the “Heavenly Hussars” aerobatic team who piloted the A-10A said that a turn with a bank of more than 45 degrees for the A-10A comes with a loss of speed, which cannot be said about the Su-25.
Test pilot, Hero of Russia Magomed Tolboev, who flew the A-10, confirms their words:

“The Su-25 is more maneuverable, it does not have the limitations of the A-10. For example, our aircraft can fully perform complex aerobatics, but the “American” cannot, because it has limited pitch and roll angles, fit into the A-10 canyon can’t, but the Su-25 can..."

Vitality

It is generally accepted that their survivability is approximately equal. But still, “Rook” is more tenacious.
And in Afghanistan, attack aircraft had to work in very harsh conditions. In addition to the well-known American Stinger MANPADS supplied to terrorists... in the mountains of Afghanistan, Su-25s encountered intense fire. Strelkovka, heavy machine guns, MZA... and the "Rooks" were often simultaneously fired not only from below, but also from the side, from behind and even... from above!
I would like to see the A-10 in such scrapes (with its large canopy with “excellent visibility”), and not in the conditions of the predominantly flat Iraq.

Both are armored, but structurally... the armored cabin of the A-10A is made of titanium panels fastened with bolts (which themselves become secondary elements of destruction in the event of a direct hit), the Su-25 has a welded titanium “bath”; The control rods on the A-10A are cable, on the Su-25 they are titanium (in the rear fuselage made of heat-resistant steel), which can withstand hits from large-caliber bullets. The engines are also spaced apart for both, but on the Su-25 there is a fuselage and an armored panel between the engines, on the A-10 there is air.

At the same time, the Su-25 is geometrically smaller, which somewhat reduces the likelihood of it being hit by a rifle and MZA.

Location flexibility

Rook is less demanding on the airfield.
Take-off run length of the Su-25: on a concrete runway - 550/400 m (on the ground - 900/650 m). If necessary, it can take off and land from unpaved runways (whereas the A-10 stated only planting on grass).
Take-off/run length A-10: 1220/610 m.

The Rook does not need a special complex to reload the gun, unlike the A-10.

Special complex ALS (Ammunition Loading System) for reloading GAU-8

And the most interesting thing.
Su-25 pilots do not need a refrigerator with Coca-Cola! Just kidding. The Rook R-95 engine, which is criticized for its “gluttony” (stand consumption 0.88 kg/hour versus 0.37 kg/hour for the American)... is much more unpretentious and omnivorous. The point is that The Su-25 engine can be fueled... with diesel fuel!
This was done so that the Su-25s operating together with the advancing units (or from “skip-up airfields”, prepared sites) could, if necessary, refuel from the same tankers.

Price

The price of one A-10 is $4.1 million in 1977 prices, or $16.25 million in 2014 prices (this is the domestic price for the Americans, since the A-10 was not exported).
It is difficult to establish the cost of the Su-25 (because it has been out of production for a long time)... It is generally accepted (in most sources I have seen this exact figure) that the cost of one Su-25 is $3 million (in 2000s prices).
I also came across an assessment that the Su-25 was four times cheaper A-10 (which roughly agrees with the above figures). I suggest you accept it.

. View from the trench

If we move from paper to specific ravines, i.e. from comparing numbers to combat realities, the picture turns out to be more interesting.

Now I’m going to say a seditious thing for many, but don’t rush to shoot tomatoes - read to the end.
The solid combat load of the A-10 is, in general, meaningless. For the job of a stormtrooper is “ appeared - combed the enemy - dumped”, until he came to his senses and organized air defense.
The attack aircraft must hit its target on the first, or maximum on the second, approach. On the third and other approaches, the effect of surprise has already been lost, the unhit “targets” will hide, and those that do not want to hide will prepare MANPADS, heavy machine guns and other things that are unpleasant for any aircraft. And enemy fighters called for help may also arrive.
And for these one or two (well, three) runs, seven tons of the A-10’s combat load is excessive; it won’t have time to dump everything specifically on the targets.

The situation is similar with a cannon, which has a huge rate of fire on paper, but allows you to fire only short bursts lasting one second (maximum two). In one run, the Warthog can afford one burst, and then a minute of cooldown of the barrels.
The second burst of the GAU-8 is 65 shells. For two passes the maximum consumption of ammunition is 130 pieces, for three passes - 195 pieces. As a result, out of an ammunition load of 1350 shells, 1155 unused shells remain. Even if you fire in two-second bursts (consumption of 130 pieces/sec), then after three passes there are 960 shells left. Even in this case, 71% (actually 83%) of the gun’s ammunition is essentially unnecessary and redundant. Which, by the way, is confirmed by the same “Desert Storm”, the actual consumption of shells was 121 pieces. for departure.
Well, oh well, he doesn’t have enough reserves - let’s leave it to him so that he can shoot down helicopters along the way; we need to dispose of the depleted uranium 238 that the Americans don’t need somewhere.

Well, you say, we can not take the full combat load (we’ll take the same amount as Grach), but fill in more fuel and even grab a couple more PTBs (outboard fuel tanks), seriously increasing the range and time spent in the air. But the large combat radius of the A-10 hides another problem.
B O longer range is unpleasant for a subsonic aircraft reverse side. The higher the flight range, the farther the airfield is from the battle site, and accordingly, you will have to fly to the aid of your troops. O more. Okay, if the attack aircraft is patrolling in the “front line” area at this time... what if this is an emergency flight from the ground?
It’s one thing to fly 300 kilometers at a speed of 750 km/h (Su-25 departure), and completely different to fly 1000 km (and about that much and even a little further you can drag an A-10 with 4 tons of combat load, full tanks and a pair of anti-tank tanks ) at a speed of 560 km/h. In the first case, a ground unit, pinned down by fire, will wait 24 minutes for an attack aircraft, and in the second, 1 hour 47 minutes. What is called - feel the difference (c).
And the military comrades will “cut” the zone of responsibility for the attack aircraft on the map according to the radius of action. And woe to those American infantrymen whose units will be located at the edges of the radius.

But we forgot that an American attack aircraft with a lot of fuel (and the ability to refuel in the air) can “hang” over the front line for a long time, ready to work when called from the ground. Here, however, the problem of calling from the other end of a large area of ​​​​responsibility still remains... But maybe you’ll get lucky and the guys attacked somewhere nearby will call.
Fuel and engine life will indeed have to be wasted, but this is not the worst thing. There is another serious BUT. This scenario is poorly suited for a war with a peer enemy that has front-line fighters, AWACS aircraft, long-range air defense systems and over-the-horizon radars in the combat zone. With such an enemy, hanging over the front line “waiting for a call” will not work.
So it turns out that the paper seemingly serious advantage is practically nullified real life. The A-10's range and combat load capabilities seem excessive. It’s like driving a nail (destroying an important point target on the front line) with a microscope... You can take a regular hammer (Su-25), or you can take a sledgehammer (A-10). The result is the same, but the labor costs are higher.

At the same time, everyone should remember that the Su-25 is much cheaper. For the price of one A-10 you can buy 4 Su-25s, which can cover the same (if not larger) area of ​​responsibility with a much higher response speed.

Now, let's think about what is most important for a stormtrooper.

The attack aircraft must a) accurately and quickly hit the target, b) get out of the fire alive.

On the first point, both aircraft have problems (and even their current modifications, the A-10S and Su-25SM). Without preliminary high-quality target designation from the ground or a drone, it is often impossible to detect and hit a target on the first approach.
And for the A-10A and Su-25 we are comparing, this is even worse, since there was no normal sighting system (about this and the problems encountered in Iraq - here).
The attack aircraft carried neither an optical-electronic sight (for TV-guided missiles, the A-10 pilot searched for the target on a monochrome screen of poor resolution through the missile's homing head with a narrow field of view), nor a radar. True, the "Rook" at the same time had its own laser rangefinder-target designator "Klen-PS", with the help of which it could use air-to-surface guided missiles with laser seekers (S-25L, Kh-25ML, Kh-29L). "Warthog" could use laser-guided bombs only with external lighting laser targets.

Launch of a Kh-25ML guided missile from a Su-25 attack aircraft

On the second point (“getting out of the fire alive”) the Su-25 clearly has an advantage. Firstly, due to higher survivability. And secondly, due to a much higher maximum speed and better acceleration characteristics.
And now, for example, we also install .

. Different approach

While writing this article, I remembered one episode from the movie "Snatch".

In this case, I strongly associate the healthier and heavier A-10A (with a fatal blow™) with the luxurious George, and the small and wiry Gypsy Mickey with the Su-25.

It seems that the planes are of the same class, but you start to understand and realize that in fact the cars are very different. And their differences are due to different approaches and concepts of application.

"Thunderbolt" is more of a protected flying "tank destroyer" designed for for a long time staying in the air and free hunting. Powerful and heavily loaded, carrying a ton of ammunition for all occasions. Its weapons complex (the heavy-duty GAU-8/A cannon and AGM-65 Maverick guided missiles) was primarily “sharpened” to attack tanks, in order to level out the Soviet tank advantage on the ground (which emerged in the late 60s and took shape in the 70s). 1940s), and only then - for direct support of troops.

"Rook" was created as a workhorse for the furnace. As a hardy, cheap and unpretentious aircraft for war, which was supposed to solve the problem of supporting ground forces “cheaply and cheerfully”, coming as close as possible to the enemy and treating him with bombs, NURS and a cannon... And in some cases, using missiles with a laser seeker to destroy point targets goals.

As we see today, the idea of ​​a “plane around a gun” did not justify itself (especially considering that the vast majority of the A-10A’s targets were destroyed by Maverick missiles), and in the next modification the A-10C went to altitude, receiving sighting containers as “eyes” and precision weapons as a “long arm” and retaining atavisms in the form of a gun and armor.
And the concept of remote warfare and loss reduction actually pushed it out of the “attack aircraft” into the niche of fighter-bombers, which, in my opinion, largely determines its current problems. Although sometimes the Warthog “takes to the old ways” and irons ground targets (preferably more defenseless) ... but still, it seems that the Americans seriously intend to bury the attack aircraft as a class again.

Ours do not intend to abandon the Su-25. Not long ago, the Hornet design and development work was opened for a new promising attack aircraft, and then they started talking about the PAK SHA program. True, in the end, having studied the capabilities of the modernized Su-25SM3, the military seemed to have decided for now to abandon the new platform and squeeze the potential of the old Su-25 dry, modernizing all the remaining aircraft in the Air Force under the SM3 program. Maybe even the production of the Su-25 would have been launched again if the plant for their production had not remained in Georgia after the collapse of the USSR, and the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (which at one time produced the Su-25UB, Su-25UTG and plans to produce the Su-25TM) production of the Su-25 has already been curtailed.
Despite the occasional delusional thoughts about replacing the Su-25 with a light attack aircraft based on the Yak-130, our military is not going to give up attack aircraft. And God willing, soon we will see a replacement for the good old Rook.

No matter how hard military visionaries try to rid the battlefield of the ordinary soldier... the onset of these times is not yet in sight. No, in some cases you can fight with robots, but this solution is very “niche” and not for a serious war.
In a large-scale war with a comparable enemy, all of today’s expensive fake whistles will quickly become a thing of the past. Because anyone who will strike with high-precision missiles/bombs costing $100,000 or more on bunkers with a cost of 50,000 rubles and 60 man-hours of work is doomed. Therefore, all this talk about high-precision weapons, replacing attack aircraft with drones, 6th, 7th and 8th generation aircraft, “network-centric warfare” and other joys will quickly cease in the event of a serious and large-scale mess. And the attack aircraft will have to return to the battlefield again, the seats in the cockpits of which will have to be taken by Ivans and Johns...

The T-8M product of the Sukhoi design bureau is better known as the Su-25T. This vehicle is designed specifically to destroy armored vehicles, ships, bridges, manpower, as well as any enemy air targets. This combat vehicle has the ability to operate under any weather conditions and at any time of the day. Combat missions can be carried out at altitudes from 30 to 5 thousand meters. Optimally, the aircraft conducts fire work at a depth of 450 kilometers behind the front line.

The first Su-25T aircraft took off from the ground in the summer of 1984, and serial production of the vehicle began in 1990. These devices were manufactured at an aircraft factory in Tbilisi. The Su-25T was first presented to the public in the winter of 1991 in Dubai. As for tests at the state level, they continued until 1993. After testing, the aircraft entered service with the Russian Air Force.

Design features of the Su-25T attack aircraft

This aircraft is made in a single-seat version and differs from the standard original aircraft in that instead of a co-pilot there is a fuel tank and a compartment in which radio equipment is located. This type of aircraft was equipped with a new sighting system called “Shkval”. Since it was located in the forward part of the fuselage, it had to be enlarged. The changes also affected the location of the guns: they were moved under the fuel tanks.

The middle part of the fuselage of the vehicle is made in the same way as in the previous version. This department includes the engines and air intakes of the car. The tail section of the vehicle is equipped with a soft fuel tank and a full range of control systems and radio equipment. The nacelles to which the power plant is attached were redesigned for new engines of the R-95Sh type. As for the wing, it remained the same and was not improved, only the brake flaps were changed. On the wings of the Su-25T there were five special holders that could carry weapons weighing 1 ton.

There are two types of aircraft tail: horizontal and vertical. As for the stabilizer of the device, it can be located in three positions depending on the task, namely: flight, maneuver or takeoff and landing mode. The position of the stabilizer is changed using a hydraulic cylinder.

The Su-25T model aircraft has a landing gear with three legs, which are retracted into special niches. The front support is slightly offset to the left, this was done to position the guns. The front pillar has one steerable wheel, which has a protective shield against dirt. As for the supports under the middle part of the device, they are exactly the same as in the previous version of the aircraft, and the wheels are equipped with braking systems. The release and lifting of the chassis is controlled by a hydraulic system. For more effective braking, the aircraft has an additional parachute system, which is located in the rear of the aircraft. This system is represented by a double-dome parachute.

The pilot's cabin is completely sealed and has an excess pressure in the middle, which is 0.25 kg/cm 2 . This allows the pilot to feel more comfortable and fly the plane to an altitude of 10 thousand meters. The cockpit is all-welded and equipped with titanium armor, which allows you to protect the pilot even from a direct hit from a 12-mm projectile.

All machine controls are automatic, but the main work in flight is performed by the elevators and controls, as well as the ailerons. For easier and more comfortable control, all systems are equipped with hydraulic boosters. As for the control wiring, it is made according to a rigid circuit, which increases its survivability. But the most important thing in control is that the plane has a system that allows automatic flight. This SAU-8 type system ensures stabilization of the vehicle at angles and roll; in addition, it is capable of stabilizing flight. The plane can automatically move both horizontally and vertically. This equipment is capable of landing approaches up to a height of 50 meters.

The hydraulics of the machine differ only in the presence of a booster, which is located in the longitudinal channel along with the control system.

As for the power plant, it consists of two new turbojet engines of the R-195 type. The engines themselves do not have an afterburner system and are not equipped with nozzle adjustment. The drive box is located under the power plant and is equipped with an electric start that operates from an autonomous system. These engines produce a towing capacity of 4300 kg. In addition, they have low level IR radiation. The machine's nozzles are equipped with a central body, which promotes better cooling by blowing cold air through it, which comes from the air intakes. On the Su-25T aircraft, it is possible to replace the engines with others of the R-95Sh type.

The fuel system, through pumps, ensures the supply of fuel to the power plant regardless of the position of the aircraft in flight. The vehicle's fuel is located in four fuel tanks in the fuselage and one more in the wings of the vehicle. The total capacity of the tanks is almost five tons of fuel. For greater survivability in combat conditions, each engine has its own autonomous tank, and the looped system provides the power plant with fuel from any tank. To prevent the tanks from exploding, they are filled with 70 percent polyurethane foam. For transporting the vehicle, it is possible to install additional outboard tanks with a capacity of 4 tons of fuel.

To rescue a pilot in an emergency, a Su-25T aircraft is equipped with an ejection system that operates effectively in any flight mode and at any altitude.

Power supply is provided by generators installed on the engines. The peculiarity is that the aircraft has a system of direct and alternating current, which is used for different systems. The current voltage is 115 volts and the frequency is 400 Hz. As for the lighting equipment, it is similar to the previous version.

Characteristics of the Su-25T:

Crew: 1 person

Length: 15.33 m (with LDPE)

Wingspan: 14.36 m

Height: 5.2 m

Wing area: 30.1 m²

Empty weight: 9,500 kg

Normal take-off weight: 16,500 kg

Maximum take-off weight: 19,500 kg

Fuel weight: 4890 kg

Engines: 2x TRD R-195

Thrust: 2x 40 kN (4,500 kgf)

Armament of the Tu-25T:

Small arms and cannon: double-barreled 30-mm GSh-30 cannon with 200 rounds of ammunition (built-in)

Guided missiles:

• air-to-air missiles: 2 x R-60M; 2 x R-73
• air-to-surface missiles: 16 x ATGM “Vikhr”; 6 x X-25ML (MT, MR, MP, MPU); 8 x S-25L; 2 x Kh-29L (T, ML, TE, TM, TD); 2 x X-58E (U).

Unguided rockets:

• NAR blocks - 8 x B-5 blocks with S-5 NAR (256 NAR);
• 8 x NAR B-8 blocks; x NAR S-8 (160 NAR);
• 8 x NAR B-13L units; x NAR S-13 (40 NAR);
• 8 x NAR S-24 B; x NAR S-24 OFM;
• 8 x NAR S-25; x NAR S-25 OFM.

Bombs: free-falling and adjustable for various purposes, cluster bombs

• 2 x KAB-500Kp;
• 10 x AB-100; 32 x AB-100 together with MBD-2-67U
• 10 x AB-250;
• 8 x AB-500;
• 8 x RBK-250;
• 8 x RBK-500;
• 8 x KMGU-2;
• 8 x ZB-500;

Su-25UTG

In connection with the completion of work on the heavy aircraft carrier-cruiser TAKR project 1143.5 called “Tbilisi” (the first of the series), it was decided to create a ship-based fighter Su-28. But for negative reasons, the aircraft project was stopped. It was replaced by the base model, the Su-25UB. Engineers from the Sukhoi Design Bureau made this decision after flight tests in the summer of 1984. Tests were carried out for the Su-27 - take-off from a ski-jump at the Nitka base complex. At the same time, the Su-25 (T8-4) was tested. He showed himself quite well. It was based on the results that the engineers from the design bureau decided to use it as a basis for creating a carrier-based trainer aircraft - the T8-UTG, or Su-25UTG.

To develop the new aircraft, one production Su-25UB was allocated, and N.P. was appointed lead flight test engineer. Petrukhina. The aircraft was assembled immediately, taking into account future improvements to strengthen the structure. Serial production was planned to be carried out at the aircraft plant in Ulan-Ude, starting in 1988. In March, the fighter was sent under its own power to the LIS OKB. There they installed a hook and KZA calibration on it. Tester I.V. took the modernized model into the sky. Votintsev.

In October, the aircraft was transported to the city of Saki to conduct a test program of landing with a hook on the arresting arrester cable. All test flights were carried out by V.G. Pugachev, I.V. Votintsev, S.N. Melnikov, E.I. Frolov, A.V. Krutov (LII tester), A.B. Lavrikov and A.I. Fokin (military testers). For the first time, T8-UTG1, piloted by test pilots Kruglov and Votintsev, landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier Tbilisi. The entire ship-based test program was carried out from 1991 to 1992. The ship was relocated to Severomorsk.

In Ulan-Ude in 1990, 12 copies of a small production batch of Su-25UTG were created and produced. They were transported to Severomorsk for transfer to the Northern Fleet aviation as part of the training program for Su-27K pilots. In the period from 1991 to 1995, another batch of five Su-25UTG was assembled at the plant. This game was the second and last.

Technical description of Su-25UTG

The aircraft was created for pilots to carry out landing and takeoff on a ground complex with a short take-off mechanism - an inclined ramp-springboard, practicing landing - an arresting arrester and monitoring pilots and cadets of combat units and flight schools.

The flight performance characteristics of the Su-25UTG are practically no different from the characteristics of the training Su-25UB. Thanks to the flight and navigation equipment installed on the aircraft, it is possible to practice take-off and landing of the aircraft under any weather conditions for training flights.

The Su-25UTG is very similar to the production Su-25UB in terms of aerodynamic layout, power plant and its systems, overall weight characteristics, equipment, aircraft systems and airframe design with landing gear structure.

The process of training flights of the Su-25UTG consists of fulfilling the assigned flight training tasks:

Taking off from a springboard.

Landing on an aerofinisher using a catch hook.

Development of piloting techniques at any time of the day and under any weather conditions.

Performing instrument flights and conducting “blind flights”.

Training in the principle of action in the event of an emergency or a simulated failure of navigation and flight equipment.

Aircraft navigation (day and night).

Initial training in flight centers and schools.

The Su-25UTG combat production aircraft has a number of differences from the basic training model. The differences mainly relate to the elements and systems of construction. The Su-25UTG lacks units of sighting equipment and weapons control systems, installations with guns, beam holders and pylons, armored engine shields, radio communication stations, blocks and elements of the defense system. But at the same time, a landing hook was installed in the rear of the fuselage, which is a braking hook with side stabilizers and a lifting damper. A modified fuselage tail boom was attached, capable of absorbing the loads from the landing hook.

Since the parachute-brake unit was removed, the end of the tail boom had to be shortened. The niche intended for the cannon installation was sewn up (located in the head part). A forward viewing periscope (POP-1) was installed in the second cabin, and armored hatches in the central part were replaced with aluminum alloy slabs. Instead of the removed combat consoles, blanks and rangefinder windows were installed.

When the aircraft was relocated, they decided to retain the option of installing four fuel drop tanks. Each of them could hold 800 liters. PTB-800 were placed two under each wing; taking into account a possible emergency situation, they can be dropped.

When an airplane takes off from a ski-jump, it is brought to flight angle of attack values ​​taking into account the curvature of the ski-jump. Thanks to this, the take-off run length is significantly reduced. Before takeoff, the pilot taxis and puts the plane on the delay, then turns on the maximum engine operating mode and lowers the stabilizer to the takeoff position. After the command, the aircraft is released from the arrestor and accelerates along the runway towards the springboard. The angle of attack is brought to the take-off position after leaving the springboard, and after three seconds it accelerates to flight speed.

The GLOS (ground-based optical landing system) is responsible for the process of entering the aircraft into the landing zone. Once in the beam of the optical system, the pilot, using instruments, switches the machine to altitude reduction mode along a given glide path. The flight along it is carried out at a calculated angle of attack while maintaining maximum speed. The process occurs until the landing gear wheels touch the runway.

During landing, the brake hook slides along the top of the runway and catches on the arrester cable. After hooking the cable, the plane covers a distance of 90 meters with the most great value overload during braking (4-5 units).

Application in the Air Force

Previously, the aircraft was in service with the USSR and Ukraine. The aircraft served in the Soviets until its collapse, after which five Su-25UTGs went to Ukraine. In 1993 they were transferred to the 299th naval assault aviation regiment. In 1994, 3 copies were exchanged for Russian Su-25UB, and two were sold to China and the USA.

On at the moment the remaining Su-25UTG are in service with the Russian Air Force.

Su-25 is an armored subsonic military aircraft. This aircraft copes well with its task, namely, hitting ground targets. The Su-25 aircraft is capable of operating at low altitude. The maximum flight altitude is 10,000 m.

The aircraft is designed according to a standard design. Design features can be seen in the close-up photo below. It has high wings, made in the shape of a trapezoid. Each wing is equipped with mechanization in the form of pre- and flaps, brake flaps (located at the ends of the wings). Thanks to such mechanization, this attack aircraft is characterized by excellent maneuverability. The airliner has two engines, which are located under the wings, in the area where the wing joins the fuselage. It has a single-fin tail. The Su-25 attack aircraft has reliable engines.

Su-25 aircraft

The first models were equipped with the R-95Sh. But subsequently the developers carried out modernization. More modern models were equipped with R-195 with improved technical characteristics. The new engines were able to withstand more powerful projectiles. In addition, they were characterized by lower visibility in the infrared range. The engine has a specific design, which is designed to minimize the likelihood of its failure. And since this aircraft model has two engines, the likelihood of both failing at once is minimal. This airliner model has four tanks. The developers have done everything possible to ensure maximum safety for them. The developers also provided the ability to hang more fuel tanks.

During the development of the rook Su-25 airliner, special attention was paid to ensuring maximum protection for the pilot and the airliner. The developers sought to make the aircraft as survivable as possible and resistant to various types of influences. For these purposes, every important system was duplicated. Also, special attention was paid to the cockpit. In this airliner, the pilot is protected by titanium armor, the thickness of which is 30 mm. Armored glass is used on top as protection. This glass provides the pilot with protection from fire from 12 mm weapons. The cockpit has a chair with a catapult function. It is capable of ensuring the rescue of the pilot even at high speed of the attack aircraft.

It is impossible not to note the weapons, which are represented by a powerful complex. It consists of:

• aircraft guns;
• guided missiles;
• unguided missiles;
• air bombs

Russian attack aircraft Su 25 "Grach"

The developers have provided the ability to install up to 32 types of weapons on the aircraft. The aircraft has a mounted cannon (30 mm). All other bombs, guns and missiles can be installed on the attack aircraft based on the specific combat use. There are 5 suspension points under each wing. It is possible to use 10 or more aerial bombs (unguided), which weigh up to 500 kg. You can also install rockets and 3 different types of unguided rockets. So that the pilot can control all these weapons, the attack aircraft is equipped with a laser target designator. The pilot can use this indicator to highlight the target until it is hit. Such armament of the Su-25 provides good support to the troops.

This attack aircraft model has a 3-wheel landing gear, thanks to which it is possible to take off and land on poorly equipped airfields. After the use of this aircraft in Afghanistan, it became clear that it was necessary to modernize the navigation equipment. Visual navigation has proven to be insufficient in the modern military situation. Therefore, radio-electronic equipment was installed on the latest models. The modernized attack aircraft have become the “workhorse” of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria.

Technical characteristics of the Su-25

The length of this attack aircraft 15.36 m. Height is 4.8 m. Wingspan – 14.36 m. The area of ​​one wing is equal to 33.7 m. Such an attack aircraft weighs 9500 kg. Normal take-off weight is 14,600 kg, and the maximum take-off weight is 17,600 kg. This aircraft model is capable of reaching speed up to 975 km/h. At low altitude the range of action is 750 km, and at high altitude – 1250 km. The maximum altitude at which combat use of the Su-25 is possible is 5000 m. The plane is designed for 1 person (pilot).

History of creation

In the second half of the 20th century, the Soviet army did not have a reliable maneuverable attack aircraft, which was intended to support troops. After large-scale exercises in the 70s, the need to create an attack aircraft became obvious. The aircraft available at that time did not have reliable protection and were not resistant to anti-aircraft artillery. It was necessary to create a model similar to the Il-2, but the new attack aircraft had to be made at a new technological level. An attack aircraft was created, which first took off in 1975. He took part in military operations in Afghanistan. Here the attack aircraft performed well even in difficult conditions.

Gradually, this attack aircraft was improved and modernized. In 1984, additional cassettes with IR traps were installed. 2 years later, in response to the appearance of enemy MANPADS aircraft with the latest navigation system, the Su-25 developers set about increasing the survivability of the attack aircraft. We changed the pipeline laying system and strengthened their protection. A fire extinguishing system was installed in the tail section. For eight years, these aircraft took part in military operations in Afghanistan. 60,000 sorties were flown. As a result, 23 aircraft were lost. The planes demonstrated their survivability by landing at an airfield with 150 or more holes. None of these attack aircraft were lost due to the death of the pilot or explosion of tanks.

Technical description of the Su-25K aircraft of the 8th production series

The Su-25 aircraft is a single-seat, twin-engine, subsonic high-wing aircraft with a moderately swept wing and a normal tail unit. The plane is partially armored. Designed for striking ground targets in normal weather conditions. Two R-95Sh turbojet engines designed by Tumansky are installed in the nacelles located on the sides of the middle part of the fuselage; the engines do not have afterburners. The aircraft's airframe uses alloys based on aluminum (60%), titanium (13.5%), magnesium (2%), steel (19%), as well as composite and other materials (5.5%).

Fuselage

The fuselage is a semi-monocoque structure, divided into four sections: nose, front, central, tail. Structurally, the fuselage consists of frames, auxiliary frames, spars, stringers and skin.

The bow section is from frame No. 1 to frame No. 4. The bow section houses static atmospheric pressure sensors, angle of attack sensors, and equipment for the Klen-PS sighting system; in the front part of the section there is a transparent window for a laser rangefinder-target designator. Air pressure receivers are also attached to the bow. Navigation equipment is located in a large, unsealed compartment at the rear of the bow section; access to the compartment is through four hinged panels.

The front section is between frame No. 4 and frame No. 11. Here are the cockpit, the front landing gear niche, the gun and the avionics compartment. The cockpit is welded from titanium armor with a thickness of 10 to 24 mm. On the rear wall of the cabin there are guides for the K-36L ejection seat - a simplified version of the K-36D/DM seat. The headrest of the chair is also covered with armor.

The dashboard is of the classic type. To the left of the seat there are two throttles, controls for radio communications equipment, landing gear wheel brakes and air brakes, as well as switches for the Klen-PS sighting system and a number of weapon systems, a valve for the anti-g suit line, and a valve for the oxygen system. On the cover of the lantern to the right of the chair there is an emergency release handle for the lantern. To the right of the seat on the side console there are switches for the electrical system, heating the windshield of the canopy, and the fuel system. The cockpit instrumentation includes conventional flight and navigation instruments, engine monitoring instruments, and control indications. A combined sight for cannon firing and bombing with a video control device is installed above the instrument panel.

The canopy has a fixed canopy and a folding segment. The front glazing of the visor is made of several layers of silicon glass and one layer of plexiglass (total thickness 65 m), the heating of the windshield is electric.

The glazing of the folding segment is plexiglass. The lantern frame is made of aluminum alloy. A periscope for viewing the rear hemisphere is attached to the cover of the canopy along the axis of the aircraft, and there are two rear-view mirrors on the sides. The movable segment of the lantern is manually tilted to the right. The cabin is not pressurized, but is inflated to a pressure of 3-5 kPa. On the left side of the outer surface of the fuselage there is a retractable ladder for access to the cockpit. In the compartment under the cabin between frames No. 4 and No. 7 there is a double-barreled 30 mm caliber gun and ammunition, as well as equipment for the DISS-7 Doppler drift velocity meter. The gun is attached to the bottom of the cabin and the auxiliary frame. The hinges of the nose landing gear are also attached to the bottom of the cabin. The niche of the front chassis is closed by two doors; the niche is located behind the gun and expands towards the compartment with avionics.

The central part of the fuselage, between frames No. 11B and No. 21, is a center section with two integral fuel tanks. Tank No. 1 is located between frames No. 11B and No. 21, the tank capacity is 1128 liters. Tank No. 2 is located between frames No. 18 and No. 21, tank capacity is 1250 liters. Both tanks are equipped with a polypenurethane filling system, which prevents detonation of fuel vapors and fire in the event of a bullet or shell fragment entering the tank. Below the power frame of the center section there are compartments of the main landing gear. The upper surface of the landing gear niche is also the wall of the engine air intake. Each niche is closed with three doors. The control system rods, fuel and pneumatic lines, and electrical wiring harnesses are located in the garrot.

Between the unregulated engine air intakes and the fuselage there are 60 mm wide slots to drain the boundary layer of air. The plane of the inlet section of the air intake has an inclination of 7 degrees to the vertical to optimize air flow when flying at high angles of attack. Structurally, the air intake is made of frames, spars and double skin. The air conditioning system air intake is located in the right engine air intake.

The tail section of the fuselage is between frame No. 21 and frame No. 35. The engines are attached to frames No. 20 and No. 27. The skin of the lower part of the engine nacelles is removable. Engines are dismantled from below. Air for engine cooling is drawn through a large air intake located at the top of the engine nacelle. The tail section also has a garrot with control rods, pipelines and electrical wiring inside. The drogue parachute container is attached to frame No. 35, the very last frame of the airframe's power set.

Horizontal tail

The horizontal tail consists of two planes and two elevators. The power set of the plane consists of spars, frames and ribs. The elevator is mounted in three units. The steering wheels are deflected synchronously, the deflection range is from +14 to -23 degrees. There is a trim switch on the right elevator. The rudders are statically and aerodynamically compensated. The stabilizer planes are set in three positions: takeoff, landing and flight. The stabilizer is installed above the wing and engines to increase aerodynamic efficiency.

Vertical tail

The vertical tail consists of a fin and rudder. The rudder is divided into two sections, small (upper) and large (lower). The smaller part is deflected by signals from the automatic course vibration damping system; the larger part is controlled by pedals. The upper part of the keel skin is made of dielectric material; the antennas are covered with radio-transparent skin. At the toe of the keel there is an air intake for the emergency electric generator. The Tester-U3 flight parameters recorder is located deep within the keel, along with the control rods and electrical wiring. The lower section of the rudder has a deflection range of +/- 25 degrees, it is aerodynamically and statically balanced. The upper section is also aerodynamically and statically balanced. A trimmer is installed on the lower section.

Wing

The wing planes are attached to the fuselage at an angle of -2 degrees 30 minutes (in cross section). The planes are connected to the center section. Structurally, the plane is divided into a central part, front and end sections. At the ends of the planes there are gondolas with split air brakes (“crocodiles”); the gondolas contain radio antennas, landing lights, and navigation lights. The space between frame No. 1 and frame No. 10 is an integral fuel tank. On the lower surface of the plane there are attachment points for five pylons for suspending external loads. Four internal pylons are universal type BD3-25, the fifth is PD-62-8.

The aileron control rods and electrical wiring run through the wing toe. The slotted slat consists of five sections, the sections are connected to each other at two points. The third section forms the prong. In the takeoff position, the slat deflects at an angle of 12 degrees, in the combat position - at an angle of 6 degrees. The ailerons and flaps are attached to the rear spar. The ailerons are mounted on three hinges and controlled using BU-45A boosters.

The range of aileron deflection angles is +/-18 degrees. The flaps in the combat position are deflected by an angle of 20 degrees, in the landing/takeoff position - by an angle of 40 degrees (outer sections) and 35 degrees (inner sections).

The end nacelles are attached to the ends of the main wing spars. On the lower surface of the gondola there is a PRF-4M landing light; next to the headlight there is a vertical shield that prevents illumination of the cabin. In front of the gondola there are aeronautical lights and radio system antennas. The maximum deflection angle of the air brake sections is 55 degrees.

Chassis

The landing gear is tricycle, with a nose support. All supports are completely retracted into the fuselage. The nose support is first turned 90 degrees, then back. The main supports are removed by turning to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The landing gear legs are fixed in both the retracted and extended positions. The design of the support allows the aircraft to be operated from unpaved runways. All supports are equipped with two-chamber hydropneumatic shock absorbers, the shock absorber stroke of the nose support is 340 mm, the shock absorbers of the main supports are 400 mm. The nose gear is shifted 500 mm to the left relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The nose gear is controlled, the wheel rotates within +/- 30 degrees. A large shield is mounted on the nose gear wheel, which reduces the likelihood of foreign objects flying out from under the wheel during taxiing getting into the engine air intakes. The landing gear niches of all three legs are completely covered with flaps. The landing gear is retracted/released from the second hydraulic system, emergency release is performed from the first hydraulic system. When the landing gear is fully extended, two of the four landing gear doors close.

Two drogue parachutes, each with an area of ​​25 m2, help reduce the landing distance. The main domes are produced by means of springs and two exhaust domes with an area of ​​0.05 m2 and 1 m2.

Hydraulic system

The aircraft is equipped with main and auxiliary independent hydraulic systems. The basis of the hydraulic system powers the rotation drive of the nose landing gear wheel, the first chambers of the BU-45A boosters, the drives for the air brakes, slats and flaps, and the adjustable stabilizer. The main hydraulic system produces an emergency landing gear release. The auxiliary hydraulic system retracts/extends the landing gear, powers the second chambers of the BU-45A boosters, brakes the main landing gear wheels, and drives the aircraft's heading vibration damping system.

Each hydraulic system includes an NP-34-1M pump driven by an engine (the main hydraulic system pump drive is from the left engine, the auxiliary hydraulic system pump is from the right engine), a hydraulic accumulator, a working fluid reservoir, filters, pipelines, valves, sensors and other fittings. The working fluid is AMG-10, the capacity of each system is 18 liters, the maximum pressure is 20.3-22 MPa, the normal pressure is 18 MPa, when the pressure in the system drops to 12 MPa, a failure alarm is triggered.

Air conditioning system

The air conditioning system optimizes the temperature and maintains a slight excess pressure in the cabin (the cabin is not pressurized). The air conditioning system blows the front visor of the cockpit canopy to prevent fogging, cools the compartments with electronic equipment, and pressurizes the anti-g suit. Hot air for heating the cabin is taken from the last stage of the compressor. By mixing hot air with cold air from the air conditioning system, a normal temperature is maintained in the cabin. The temperature is maintained automatically or manually.

Oxygen system

The oxygen system is designed to supply oxygen to the pilot at altitudes above 2000 m both in the cockpit and during ejection. The oxygen system includes two subsystems: the main (onboard) and the ejection seat oxygen system. The on-board system is powered from four 5-liter cylinders (cylinder pressure 15 MPa), located on the wall of the nose landing gear niche. At altitudes from 2000 to 7000 m, a mixture of air and oxygen is supplied to the pilot’s oxygen mask; above 7000 m, pure oxygen is supplied. The emergency oxygen system BKO-3V3 provides oxygen supply within three minutes after ejection; the system is activated manually or automatically.

Fuel system

The jet fuel used is PL-4, PL-6, TO-1, TS-1, RT (in emergency mode the engine can run on diesel fuel for six hours). The fuel system consists of two subsystems: the main subsystem and the subsystem designed to start engines. There are two fuel tanks in the fuselage - No. 1 at the front and No. 2 at the rear. Tank No. 2 is divided into two parts, the smaller of which is located in the center section. The pylons under the wing provide the ability to hang four fuel tanks. The capacity of the fuselage tanks is 2386 l, the capacity of the wing tanks is 1274 l, the tank capacity is 800 or 1500 l. The bottoms and side walls of the fuselage tanks are armored. All tanks are inflated with air taken from the eighth stage of the engine compressor and from the air intake located on the fuselage. The fuel system includes a DCN-44DT pump, a SN-6 injection pump, an ICN-91B pump, an NR-54 regulator, filters, valves, valves, pipelines, temperature, pressure and fuel consumption sensors, as well as a control indication on the dashboard in cabin.

Refueling is carried out centrally through the filler neck in tank No. 1 or separately through individual tank necks. The emergency alarm is triggered when the remaining fuel is 300 liters.

Control system

Control of heading, roll and pitch is carried out traditionally - by rudders, elevators and ailerons. The rudder, right aileron and right elevator are equipped with trimmers and adjustment plates. The aileron control loop includes irreversible boosters BU-45A, and the roll control loop has a spring load.

The upper section of the rudder is controlled independently of the lower one by a signal from the SBU-8 automatic roll vibration damping system, the steering section is driven by the RM-130 hydraulic booster. The control system wiring is made of aluminum and steel rods; the wiring in the places most vulnerable to fire from the ground was duplicated. Rearrangement of the stabilizer is carried out by two hydraulic drives (one per half of the stabilizer).

Fire extinguishing system

The fire extinguishing system includes the SSP-21 fire alarm system and the UBSH-4-2 engine compartment fire extinguishing system.

Three UTBG ionization sensors are installed in each engine compartment; the emergency indication is located on the instrument panel in the cockpit. The fire extinguishing system is activated manually. Each compartment contains two ball cylinders with a capacity of 4 liters with freon (pressure in the cylinders 6.9014.2 MPa).

Electrical system

The electrical system includes a direct current network with a voltage of 28.5 V, a three-phase alternating current network with a voltage of 36 V and a frequency of 400 Hz, a single-phase network with a voltage of 115 V and a frequency of 400 Hz.

The DC power grid is powered by two starter-generators driven by engines; two nickel-cadmium batteries with a capacity of 25 Ah are installed as an emergency DC power source. The DC power network also includes a stabilizing converter, voltage regulator, fuses, and emergency overload protection devices.

The 115 V AC power supply is supplied by two GO-4PCh-4 electric generators driven by an engine.

The power supply for a three-phase AC network with a voltage of 36 V is provided from two amplifier-converters PTO-1000/1500M

All three networks have connectors for power supply from external source, the connectors are located on the outside of the left air intake.

The lighting system includes cabin lighting (red light), SAS-4 signaling subsystem, aeronautical lights, and landing lights.

On-board equipment

The onboard equipment includes flight and navigation equipment, radio communications equipment, and a weapons control system.

Flight instruments and engine monitoring instruments are conventional. The UUAP-72M-15 angle of attack indicator and vertical overload indicator have been added to the standard kit. Data on true airspeed comes from the main air pressure receiver PVD-18G-3M and the backup PVD-7.

The cockpit is equipped with indicators of the ARK-15 radio compass, RV-15 radio altimeter, MRP-56 marker radio receiver, transponder and interrogator of the state system. identification.

The KN-23-1 navigation system includes the RSBN-6S short-range navigation radio system, the IKV-1 inertial heading system, the DISS-7 Doppler drift velocity meter, the V-144 on-board computer and a number of other devices. The system allows joint operation with ground-based radio beacons RSBN-2N and RSBN-4N in navigation mode and the PRMG-4 system in landing mode. The coordinates of three turning points of the route, the coordinates of four targets and four landing airfields can be entered into the navigation system. An approach in automatic mode is possible up to a height of 60 m. In automatic mode, the RSBN system provides navigation at a distance of up to 360 km, and is operational within an area of ​​1200 hectares 1200 km.

Radio communication system

The radio communication system includes a transceiver radio station R-862 VHF range (operating ranges 100-149.975 MHz, 220-399, 975 MHz), which is used for negotiations in the air and communication with the ground, the minimum radiation power of the radio station is 30 W. The R-828 radio station is designed for communication with ground forces units, the minimum power of the emitted signal is 10 W. The emergency radio station R-855 is included in the ejection seat kit, operating frequency range is 20-59.975 MHz. The SPU-9 intercom system is designed for communication with technical personnel at the airfield; acoustic signals from a marker radio receiver, a radio compass, a missile launch warning system, and a radio station are sent through the headphones of the SPU-9 system.

The weapon system includes the ASP-17VS-8 small arms/bomber sight, the Klen-PS laser rangefinder-target designator, the BSU-M3-8 computer, the Metka air-to-surface missile guidance system, the SSh-45A-1 -100 sight video control device , photo-cinema machine gun AKS-5-75. The weapon system ensures the destruction of ground and air targets from an onboard cannon, bombing from horizontal flight, diving and pitching, and the destruction of ground targets with missile weapons in normal weather conditions.

The Tester flight parameters recorder and the MS-61M memory device are designed to record and store 265 flight parameters and parameters characterizing the operation of bot systems.

Engine

The Su-25 attack aircraft is equipped with two R-95Sh turbojet engines without afterburners, and the engine air intakes are unregulated. The R-95SH engine is a variant of the R-13F-300 turbojet engine.

The compressor has three low and five high pressure stages. An annular combustion chamber with two igniters and ten nozzles. The turbine has two stages. The drive box is located on the side at the bottom of the engine. The right engine oil tank is armored.

The engine compartment is ventilated and cooled by atmospheric air, which is taken through an air intake located on the upper surface of the engine nacelle.

Armament

The only built-in weapon is the VPU-17A installation with a double-barreled GSh-30-2 cannon (AO-17A, product 9A623). The initial speed of the cannon projectile is 870 m/s, the rate of fire is 3000 rounds per minute, the ammunition load is 250 shells. The gun and shell box are located on the left lower part of the forward fuselage section.

The suspended weapons are placed on ten underwing pylons: eight internal universal pylons BD3-25 and two external pylons PD-62-8 with APU-60-1MD aircraft launchers. External pylons are used only for the suspension of short-range R-60 or R-60M air-to-air missiles.

The BD3-25 pylon allows you to hang one free-falling or adjustable aerial bomb weighing 500 kg, up to four aerial bombs weighing 50 kg or 100 kg each on multi-lock bomb racks MBD2-67U. KMGU-2 small cargo containers, RBK-250 and RBK-500 cluster bombs and other aerial bombs can also be suspended from the BD3-25 pylons. Up to nine BetAB50 concrete-piercing aerial bombs weighing 45 kg each are suspended on the B3-25 pylon via an adapter. The Kh-25ML guided missile is suspended on the B3-25 pylon via the APU-68UM2, the Kh-29L - via the AKU-58E. NAR units UB-32A and UB-32M (57-mm S-5 missiles), B-8M1 (80-mm S-8 missiles), B-13L (122-mm S-13 missiles), as well as NAR S -24B 240 mm caliber are suspended on pylons through APU-58UM2 or APU-68UME2 aircraft launchers. S-25 missiles of 340 mm caliber are launched from the PU-O-25 launcher, which is suspended from the B3-25 pylon.

There is a suspension on the B3-25 pylon of the SPPU-22-01 suspended cannon container with one double-barreled gun GSh-23-1 (rate of fire 3000-4000 rounds per minute, ammunition capacity 260 rounds). The gun installed in the container is movable in a vertical plane, the maximum angle of deviation to the lower hemisphere is 30 degrees. It is possible to hang the container “back to front” for firing at the rear hemisphere; in this case, the maximum deflection angle of the gun is 23 degrees.

The button for firing PPI-26 IR traps from ASO-2B units is located on the engine control handle in the cockpit. On the third pylon it is possible to hang a container with an SPS-141MVG “Gvozdika” jamming station, or improved versions of the SPS-142 and SPS-143.

For maintenance and refueling, a special mobile point AMK-8 is used.

TTX Su-25

DIMENSIONS

wingspan 14.36 m

aircraft length (with PVD boom) 15.53 m aircraft height 4.59 m

wing area 30.10 m2.

MASSES AND LOADS , kg

maximum takeoff 17,600

normal takeoff 14,530 (late series aircraft)

maximum landing 13,300

normal landing 10800

empty aircraft 9315 (late series aircraft)

fuel in internal tanks 3000

POWER POINT two turbojet engines P 95II 1 (2x4100 kgf) or R-195 (2x4300 kgf).

FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS

maximum speed 970 km/h

Mach number limitation 0.82 (0.71 for early series aircraft)

practical ceiling 10000 m

practical range with four anti-tank tanks on the ground 750 km

at an optimal altitude of 1950 km

range of action with a combat load of 3000 kg - 500 km

take-off length 500 - 900 m

run length 600 - 800 m

take-off speed 240-270 km/h

landing speed 2250-260 km/h

maximum operational overload 6.5G

TTX Su-39

DIMENSIONS

wingspan 14.52 m

aircraft length (with PVD boom) 15.35 m

aircraft height 5.20 m

wing area 30.10 m2

MASSES AND LOADS , kg

maximum takeoff 20,500

maximum landing 13,200

fuel in internal tanks 3840

POWER POINT two R195Sh turbojet engines (2x4300 kgf)

FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS

maximum speed at sea level 950 km/h

M number limit 0.82

practical ceiling 10000 m

ferry range 2250 km

range of action with a combat load weighing 2 tons at the ground 400 km

at an optimal altitude of 630 km

take-off length 650 m

run length 750 m

maximum operational overload 6.50