RuAF News and Development Thread 9

[Grizzly01]

http://russianplanes.net/id79521

A 9-12 still in service.

Back at the end of March MiG-29s 9-12 participated in VVS exercise.
http://www.tvzvezda.ru/news/nocommen...eli_2803.html#

[TR1]

Back at the end of March MiG-29s 9-12 participated in VVS exercise.
http://www.tvzvezda.ru/news/nocommen...eli_2803.html#

Nice- you can see the patches on their tails from the repair work.

[martinez]

It looks like there already some structural mods to the 'Hellducks' - on the starboard fin and near the canard mounts.

Ken

what do you mean, those yellow parts? dont think so....

[Flanker_man]

what do you mean, those yellow parts? dont think so....

What are they then ?? - paint peeling off ???

What about the primer on the port wing root/canard mounting shoulder ??

Are these photos taken BEFORE the photos from Lipetsk ??

If so, I can understand that they were later painted over - but if they are taken AFTER the Lipetsk delivery - then surely they are later mods ??

Ken

[Berkut]

They are not based at Lipetsk now Ken. They were, but i think they are permanent in Voronezh now. The way it is, it sure looks like it is peeling.

[TR1]

NAPO still aiming at 10 airframes this year?

[TR1]

It seems India is dropping the Kaveri for the LCA!??

http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

I was under impression that decision was all but made a while ago when Kaveri could not keep up with LCA weight.

Wrong thread btw

[Berkut]

NAPO still aiming at 10 airframes this year?

Dunno, don't think they know themself. We will see.

[martinez]

What are they then ?? - paint peeling off ???

What about the primer on the port wing root/canard mounting shoulder ??

Are these photos taken BEFORE the photos from Lipetsk ??

If so, I can understand that they were later painted over - but if they are taken AFTER the Lipetsk delivery - then surely they are later mods ??

Ken

correct , paint peeling, though interesting why on LERX, nose chine and LE wings and grey paint only? My two cents, thick layer, maybe ram paint, LO measures from the head-on aspect.

The way it is, it sure looks like it is peeling.

Бютифл пикчр... спасибо

[Berkut]

correct , paint peeling, though interesting why on LERX, nose chine and LE wings and grey paint only? My two cents, thick layer, maybe ram paint, LO measures from the head-on aspect.

If it was thick RAM paint, wouldn't it make it *harder* to peel off? Certainly seems it is grey paint only, but i am not sure if it is LO measures.

PS: 10 MiG-31BM's this year: http://www.lenta.ru/news/2012/06/18/mig31bm/

[martinez]

If it was thick RAM paint, wouldn't it make it *harder* to peel off? Certainly seems it is grey paint only, but i am not sure if it is LO measures.

Thicker the paint the faster it can peel off, has worser adhesion, elasticity, permeability, simply properties...etc, it is like a rule of thumb when painting aircrafts, total thickness of conventional paint system is cca. 100-150μm. Ram paints are much more thicker, bcs paint thickness depends on wave lenghts absorbed, interesting this I learned here.... Not saying that always RAM paint cracks and peels off bcs of high thickness, but it is prone to that when applied improperly (or repaired, onfield maintainability, remember B-2, F-22, F-117 paint issues) what could have happen when seeing the Su-34. The painted structure near wing root/canard mounting, wing LE seems to be metal, then why paint it with a different grey anyway? Ram paint could be applied to lower aircraft RCS hot-spots.
Ok, my second option is vodka shortage when painting the Su-34 in the IAPO paintshop...

Something from the history
copy&paste
AV/1 back on the ramp at North American's Palmdale facility after flight number four, where too-thick paint had peeled away from portions of the airframe

[Berkut]

Thicker the paint the faster it can peel off, has worser adhesion, elasticity, permeability, simply properties...etc, it is like a rule of thumb when painting aircrafts, total thickness of conventional paint system is cca. 100-150μm. Ram paints are much more thicker, bcs paint thickness depends on wave lenghts absorbed, interesting this I learned here.... Not saying that always RAM paint cracks and peels off bcs of high thickness, but it is prone to that when applied improperly (or repaired, onfield maintainability, remember B-2, F-22, F-117 paint issues) what could have happen when seeing the Su-34. The painted structure near wing root/canard mounting, wing LE seems to be metal, then why paint it with a different grey anyway? Ram paint could be applied to lower aircraft RCS hot-spots.
Ok, my second option is vodka shortage when painting the Su-34 in the IAPO paintshop...

Something from the history
copy&paste
AV/1 back on the ramp at North American's Palmdale facility after flight number four, where too-thick paint had peeled away from portions of the airframe

Interesting, thank you. I looked at pics of older Su-34's and i do see some peeling on grey areas, but not as much. Looking through pictures, it seems that painting fashion (meaning all the grey areas we see on b/n 10) started on b/n 04 of the early production. The grey *in front* of the canards but on the shoulders is radar/signal transparent for sure, but i am not completely sure about area just behind the canards. Attached is an example of early frames peeling.

PS: Some or all prototypes had at some point all those grey areas as well. But that seems to vary from picture to picture.

[martinez]

Interesting, thank you. I looked at pics of older Su-34's and i do see some peeling on grey areas, but not as much. Looking through pictures, it seems that painting fashion (meaning all the grey areas we see on b/n 10) started on b/n 04 of the early production. The grey *in front* of the canards but on the shoulders is radar/signal transparent for sure, but i am not completely sure about area just behind the canards. Attached is an example of early frames peeling.

PS: Some or all prototypes had at some point all those grey areas as well. But that seems to vary from picture to picture.

Maybe we are making an elephant from a fly, those grey areas are just prone to paint peeling as they are on aircraft leading edges. The reason could be prosaic, fck-up paint technology, not suitable grey topcoat as it is peeling off the primer in sheets and too quickly, Interesting on picture below is that the the dielectric fairing in front of the cannards you`re talking about is painted with a yellow strontium/chromate primer. Do not know what antenna system is hidden there, but higher the transmit frequency the more sensitive is the antenna to metalic coatings as it would interfere with its performance. In other words a radio/iff antenna wouldn`t care, but a nav/gps antenna will be screwed up. The fairing behind the cannards is a metal one.

Found this Su-34 walkaround lately, sorry if posted here earlier.
http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/valkove...album/227985/?

[Berkut]

Maybe we are making an elephant from a fly, those grey areas are just prone to paint peeling as they are on aircraft leading edges. The reason could be prosaic, fck-up paint technology, not suitable grey topcoat as it is peeling off the primer in sheets and too quickly...

Yeah, that is why i am not completely bought into the RAM idea just yet.

Interesting on picture below is that the the dielectric fairing in front of the cannards you`re talking about is painted with a yellow strontium/chromate primer.

Yes, on the recent ones it seems that part is out of metal and painted in the standard yellow colors. On earlier frames however, that area is either painted white or grey, that is before rest of the frame gets camo. So there is something there for sure.

[haavarla]

Maybe we are making an elephant from a fly, those grey areas are just prone to paint peeling as they are on aircraft leading edges. The reason could be prosaic, fck-up paint technology, not suitable grey topcoat as it is peeling off the primer in sheets and too quickly, Interesting on picture below is that the the dielectric fairing in front of the cannards you`re talking about is painted with a yellow strontium/chromate primer. Do not know what antenna system is hidden there, but higher the transmit frequency the more sensitive is the antenna to metalic coatings as it would interfere with its performance. In other words a radio/iff antenna wouldn`t care, but a nav/gps antenna will be screwed up. The fairing behind the cannards is a metal one.

Found this Su-34 walkaround lately, sorry if posted here earlier.

Great stuff there martinez.
There is defently something inside those leading edges seen in those tumbs pics.
I vote for an enhanced IFF transponder of some kind..

[TR1]

Mi-26 shows its high altitude evac capability:

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...us/Elbrus4.jpg
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Elbrus20.jpg
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...us/Elbrus9.jpg
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...s/Elbrus24.jpg

[TR1]

http://kommersant.ru/doc/1962379

Ex-Indian SU-30s being offered to Vietnam. Vietnamese officials visited Belarus and expressed interest in buying all 18 airframes. Price is around 15 million per airframes, after a modest modernization. Belarus is not able to afford even this price right now, and Russia refused a credit line for the purchase.

[martinez]

Su-34 assembly.

http://gelio-nsk.livejournal.com/172070.html

gents, was wondering why are those inner slat sections of the wing leading edge already painted, any clues?

http://gelio-nsk.livejournal.com/172070.html

[Freehand]

I am wondering why the walkway is painted in that crazy pattern.

[TR1]

Soviet aesthetics.

[TR1]

http://lenta.ru/news/2012/06/21/ka32/

MCHS received 5 Ka-32A11BC from "Russian Helicopters" half a year ahead of schedule.

[dionis]

[haavarla]

Holy crap, awsome pics!
Beautiful as it is deadly, with those big club underneath.

[Berkut]

gents, was wondering why are those inner slat sections of the wing leading edge already painted, any clues?

I have seen that on earlier production frames as well, but i have no idea why it is like that.

Great Tu-22M3 pictures. I hope -22M3 upgrade will be a potent one, in vein of the latest B-1B block, and not just some screen slapped on IP.

[Jō Asakura]

Not doing badly for a 35 year old:



More:

http://ruforces-com.livejournal.com/19971.html

[totoro]

35 year old?? Shouldnt all tu22m that russia currently has be from 1985-1990? Since over 400 were produced since early 70s, and now there is perhaps a 100 or so in service.

That would make the fleet some 25 years old, on average.

[niksi]

35 year old?? Shouldnt all tu22m that russia currently has be from 1985-1990? Since over 400 were produced since early 70s, and now there is perhaps a 100 or so in service.

That would make the fleet some 25 years old, on average.

You are mostly right. It's been 35 years since the first flight of the M3 and that's what Jo might have been pointing out. Anyway, just follow the link he posted

[TR1]

Always wondered, why is the Mak missile approach sensor mounted on the top of the Tu-22 and the Su-24, and not bottom or rear- system only intended for air to air use?

[TR1]

vhttp://www.aviacor.ru/content/view/186/37/

Aviakor hands over 2nd An-140 to MOD.

http://www.mycity-military.com/imgs2...1-16-34%5D.JPG

Vid capture, Su-25 testing R-73.

[Jō Asakura]

That vid capture is from the tv report (link below) and offers a rare glimpse of activities @ Akhtubinsk.
Also stated is that the bases' facilities are being upgraded (including a new runway) for the start of PAK-FA's state trials in a couple of years' time:

http://tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/conte...02339-hh2o.htm