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Source: ria.ru
“We have achieved one of the major aims for a SU-30 fighter flight along the route of our legendary predecessor Valery Chkalov, we have checked the system which I cannot now describe in detail, but this system allowed our crew in the SU-30 to locate the flying tanker 600 kilometres away with high accuracy”, said Commander-in-Chief.
ZHUKOVSKIY AIRFIELD (Moscow region), September 8th - RIA Novosti. The unique on-board navigation complex had been tested in the SU-30 flight following the same flight path as the legendary Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov, said Vladimir Mikhailov, the Air Force Commander-in-Chief, in his interview.
“We have achieved one of the major aims for SU-30 fighter flight along the route of our legendary predecessor Valery Chkalovwe have checked the system which I cannot now describe in details, but this system allowed our crew in the SU-30 to locate the flying tanker 600 kilometres away with high accuracy”, said Commander-in-Chief.
“Moreover, the system allowed us to monitor the flying tanker for about 800 kilometres after the in-flight refuelling”, he added.
According to Mikhailov, it is planned to install such navigation systems on all types of combat planes and airlifters. Air Force Commander-in-Chief also noted that the flight set the record on flight time and distance for SU-30 planes.
“Anatoly Kvochur and Sergey Korostiev flew over 13 thousand kilometres non-stop, having burned over 40 tons of fuel. a record flight for a SU-30, the total time of non-stop flight from take-off to landing was 14 hours and 12 minutes, while there also were preparatory works”, Mikhailov said.
Answering the question on whether any emergencies occurred during the flight, the pilot Anatoly Kvochur said: “The equipment was working wonderfully, nothing creaked or rattled, Sergey and I did not freeze or change clothes despite flying in arctic conditions most of the time”.
“There was only the one emergency: the weather, but the North has no set weather, so we had to slightly adjust the flight route”, he added.
The fighter was flown by the aircraft commander, the Hero of Russia, honoured test pilot of the USSR Anatoly Kvochur and a second test pilot, Recipient of the Order of Courage, Sergey Korostiev.
The SU-30 took off Zhukovsky airfield in Moscow area last night.
The Assistant to the Air Force Commander-in-Chief colonel Aleksandr Drobyshevskiy earlier told RIA Novosti that IL-78 military flying tankers accompanied the SU-30 in its non-stop flight lasting about 15 hours.
The non-stop flight route went right across Russian territory to Udd Island in Kamchatka where the legendary pilot Valery Chkalov landed his plane 70 years ago. According to the flight plan the SU-30 fighter took off from Zhukovsky airfield while the IL-78 flying tanker started from Vorkuta airfield. After the first in-flight refuelling over Igarka the planes continued the fly together. The second in-flight refuelling took place to the south of Yakutsk.
Further on the SU-30 passed Chkalov Island in the estuary of the Amur River with two orbits over Chkalov’s memorial. The next in-flight refuelling took place over the Neryungri area in Yakutiya. The flying tanker then landed at the military airfield in Irkutsk region while the SU-30 continued flying for Moscow. The second military flying tanker IL-78 flew towards it from the long-range aviation airfield in Diaghilevo, Ryazan region, refuelling the SU-30 near Tomsk and returning to Diaghilevo. The SU-30 continued the flight and landed in Zhukovsky, Moscow region, at Ramenskoe airfield.
The total distance of the SU-30 non-stop flight was 12,417 kilometres, four in-flight refuellings were made, reported the Russian Air Force.
Valery Chkalov was born on February 2nd, 1904 in the town of Vasiljevo (presently known as Chkalovsk). In 1919 he decided to join the Red Army’s forces, where he was a plane constructor in the aviation park in Nizhny Novgorod. From 1921-1924 he attended Yegoryevsk and Borisoglebsk aviation schools, Moscow aerobatic flight school and Serpukhov air shooting and bomb-dropping high school. In 1924 he joined a fighter squadron of the Order of Red Banner and was famed as a skillful aviator.
In 1930 he became a test pilot of the Air Force Scientific-Research Institute and tested over 70 aircrafts. Chkalov developed and implemented new stunts: such as the upward spin and slow roll. From July 20th – 22nd, 1936 together with Georgy Bajdukov and Aleksandr Belyakov he flew nonstop from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
From June 18th – 20th, 1937 he flew with the same crew from Moscow to Vancouver (USA) via the North Pole. On July 24th, 1936 Chkalov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was also awarded two Orders of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner. The legendary pilot perished while piloting a new fighter on December 15th, 1938. He was buried in Red Square by the Kremlin wall.
Source: ria.ru
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