RuAF News and Development Thread part 13

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

15 years 3 months

Posts: 6,441

New thread Guys.
Really lookin forward to see all the candy and news from MAKS 2013.

Which contract likely to be signed at MAKS this year?

Original post

Member for

14 years 4 months

Posts: 2,114

Hello there! Su-30SM bort 55
http://russianplanes.net/id116163

MiG-29M2 747.
http://russianplanes.net/id116162
Quite bummed to hear about the MiG-35 delay, would that mean that all those under construction at MiG have already found a home? Interesting the pricetag, just 30 million each! I guess by 2016 the AESA will be fully developed, so probably the order for RuAF will be equipped as such ( barring something happening meaenwhile)
On the other hand, perhaps some RuAF MiG-29s ( low hours S and 9.13 i presume- any idea what is the breakdown of the S/9.13/9.12/UB fleet?) will finally be upgraded to SMT standard? At least that will keep MiG busy.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,269


Quite bummed to hear about the MiG-35 delay, would that mean that all those under construction at MiG have already found a home?

Hey mack8, sorry, I'm a bit out of the loop, how many are under construction already? Could this have anything to do with the proposed/announced sale of six airframes to Serbia?

Member for

14 years 4 months

Posts: 2,114

Hi Ink,
The annual report from Sokol (2012) has a few details about the syrian order, especially the comments under the article seems to indicate most of the work on the syrian MiG-29M2 (or rather, work on the subasemblies) is done or in advanced stages for most of the first 12 aircraft (not clear if the syrian contract was for 12 or 24). While the order itself seems to have been cancelled, there must be several airframes ready or almost ready.
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/541157.html
Also, see these photo reports, AT LEAST two MiG-29M2s are practically ready.
http://samoletchik.livejournal.com/57958.html
http://fotografersha.livejournal.com/397682.html

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,269

Hi Ink,
The annual report from Sokol (2012) has a few details about the syrian order, especially the comments under the article seems to indicate most of the work on the syrian MiG-29M2 (or rather, work on the subasemblies) is done or in advanced stages for most of the first 12 aircraft (not clear if the syrian contract was for 12 or 24).

It has been widely rumoured that the airframes destined for Serbia will come from those originally intended for the now cancelled Syrian order - I just wondered whether the fact that these MiGs had "found a home" would affect RuAF procurement. Somehow that seems a little bizarre... though, now that I think of it, not too out of keeping with the established RuAF tendency* to take up failed foreign orders (see: Algeria's SMTs).

* admittedly a bit rich calling it a tendency, but there you go.

Member for

13 years 5 months

Posts: 9,579

It has happened additionally with Libyan Yak-130s.

Though in that case the RuAF was already buying Yak-130s that were largely identical, unlike the Algerian situation.

Member for

13 years 5 months

Posts: 9,579

The grey really fits the Su-30 IMO.

Might just be my favorite scheme used for that plane, worldwide.
Used to be the Malaysian birds.

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 480

i agree,
would love to see "superfulcrum" in this scheme. Specially with Serbian AF markings :-)

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

yak did great at pas13, seriously undernoticed great performance.

Member for

12 years 4 months

Posts: 2,171

The grey really fits the Su-30 IMO.

Might just be my favorite scheme used for that plane, worldwide.
Used to be the Malaysian birds.

Eh, Algerian blueish camo? Heck, even the boring standard grey is better than this abomination. Ugh.

I don't get the SMT deal either. Judging by the price and no specifics it seems they are actually building (or at the very least finishing) new frames. Stop ******* around dammit and just upgrade the already in service 9.12/13's. Indian's literally payed half of the cost per frame to upgrade theirs to same standard. In other words one could have upgraded AT LEAST 32 frames instead of getting 16.

The 9.19/9.20 upgrade is great, approach to it isn't.

Member for

14 years 4 months

Posts: 2,114

What i would really like to know about this SMT deal, when they talk about the 16 on order do they refer to upgrading the in-service SMTs to the standard we saw in trials a few days ago (but if so, the price looks ridiculously high- although could that price be referring to the price for upgrading ALL 32, if the option is exercised?), or perhaps they will upgrade 9.13S and/or 9.13 with lowest hours (but again price wise, see above), or these will be legacy airframes from MiGs stock, but as we know from several years ago apparently they finished all the legacy airframes ( presumably the 70 or so 9.12 and 30 or so 9.13, plus some UBs), perhaps they still had some CKD kits left, i'm only saying that because i've read in some sources that North Korea was apparently planing license (or kit) production of the MiG-29, but obviously the fall of USSR stopped that. Finally, these will be new built, but this is the least possibility imo, as again, they said a few year ago that any new MiG-29s will have to be from the new unified family, and of course, it doesn't make any sense to build completely new SMTs!

I'm inclined to believe MiG still had some legacy (unfinished?) airframes or perhaps kits left, but you never know. Can any of our russian aviation experts with inside knowledge help us here? Paralay? Flateric?