Aircraft industry is one of the most developed industries not only in the Soviet Union, but also in modern Russia. Over the many decades of continuous development of aircraft manufacturing, a great many models have been created for both serial and experimental production. However, some of them could be used simultaneously for both civilian and military purposes. In this article we will talk about the Su-100 aircraft. The aircraft with this marking was created by the Aviation Plant named after Yuri Gagarin (Komsomolsk-on-Amur).
Design features
Consider the features of this passenger side. Su-100 is an aircraft built on the basis of the normal layout scheme, that is, in fact, it is a turbofan low-wing equipped with two engines and equipped with a swept wing and single-tail plumage. The wing has single-slot flaps. The nose fairing, some elements of the wing mechanization and the streamlined part of its root section are made of special composite materials.
Instead of the usual steering wheel for many pilots, the designers provided a side control handle in the vessel. In addition, the Su-100 is an aircraft equipped with algorithmic protection that prevents the risk of a tail touching the runway (runway). This technical feature made it possible to completely avoid the use of shock absorbers of a mechanical type.
Historical reference
For the first time, the Su-100 aircraft, the photo of which is shown below, was delivered for static testing on February 17, 2006. They passed at the Central Aerodynamic Institute. Professor Zhukovsky. And after a year and a half the official presentation of the first copy took place.
In November 2008, the Su-100 (aircraft) "Superjet" on the basis of the Siberian Research Institute of Aviation named after Chaplygina first passed the resource tests.
The ship made its first flight on December 24, 2008. The machine was piloted by test pilots Leonid Chikunov and Nikolai Pushenko. Onboard spent two and a half hours in the sky. The flight altitude did not exceed 6000 meters.
In the summer of 2009, the aircraft was exhibited at the international air show held in Le Bourget.
Mass production preparation
From October 2008 to August 2010, the Su-100 passed the full scope of tests. Wings, fuselage, plumage, control system, landing gear assemblies, engine mounts, pylon, doors, passenger compartment glazing for passengers and cockpit, and other important machine components and components were tested for strength. Based on these studies, all the necessary data were obtained that made it possible to conclude that the Su-100 is safe. All this led to the fact that the SSJ100 family was further developed.
On February 3, 2011, the Su-100 received a certificate from the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee. And exactly one year later the car was awarded the EASA certificate. It was Sukhoi Superjet that was able to become the first passenger aircraft in Russia, which passed extremely stringent certification in accordance with the rules of aviation CS-25 EASA.
Varieties
To date, the modifications of the Su-100 civilian aircraft are as follows - Sukhoi SuperJet 100LR and Sukhoi SuperJet 100SV. But if the first model indicated is an operated machine (it made its first flight on March 4, 2014), then the second one has just passed the stage of outline design. As conceived by experts, the SSJ-100SV (Stretched Version) will have to have an elongated fuselage, and carry from 110 to 125 passengers. Its takeoff weight will be about 55 tons. Start of operation is scheduled for 2020.
Customer loyalty
SSJ-100 Maintenance is a separate topic for discussion. It is this aircraft that is the first one whose manufacturers provide their customers with not just scheduled maintenance of equipment, but comprehensive after-sales support.
It goes without saying that Russian carriers highly appreciated such a step by the domestic manufacturer on such an important issue, because such an approach has long been carried out by various foreign companies. Therefore, this fact in many respects determined the loyal attitude to the aircraft of all its users, and more precisely - air carriers.
Digital data
The modern Su-100 is a civilian aircraft. Consider its specifications on the example of the SuperJet 100-95B:
- length - 29.94 meters;
- height - 10.28 meters;
- wingspan - 27.8 meters;
- fuselage diameter - 3.24 meters;
- take-off weight (maximum indicator) - 45880 kg;
- landing weight (maximum) - 41,000 kg;
- the largest commercial load - 12,245 kg;
- empty weight - 24,250 kg;
- cruising speed - 830 km / h;
- maximum speed - 860 km / h;
- flight altitude - 12,200 m;
- flight range - 3048 km;
- number of passengers - up to 108 people;
- take-off run - 1731 m;
- fuel reserve - 15805 liters.
Crashes
Over the entire existence of the Su-100, three emergency situations occurred with its direct participation. The first tragedy occurred on May 9, 2012 near Jakarta, when an airplane with tail number 97004 collided with a mountain. 45 people (passengers and crew) were killed.
On July 21, 2013, the side of 97005 was landing on the runway with an unreleased landing gear. After this incident, the car was repaired and again allowed to operate.
On October 25, 2015, the plane was damaged while towing to the terminal at number 1 at the airport of Iceland. The ship hooked on a telescopic gangway. No harm done.
Combat version
The Su-100 (the aircraft described in this article) also has a combat performance. Not all of us know that already in the quite distant 1963 Sukhoi design bureau, a supersonic strategic bomber-bomber with the indicated code was designed. The internal marking of the aircraft was T-4.
At that time, the car was truly fantastic, because it was armed with cruise missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. In Western countries, the plane was nicknamed the "Russian miracle." By the way, even today, “hundred” there are no analogues in the world in terms of technical characteristics.
Features of the T-4
This aircraft was the first to use an electric remote control system that controls steering surfaces. It was she who provided the required characteristics of the machine.
The crew cabin did not have a protruding flashlight. During the flight, the nose of the fuselage rose so high that the pilots did not have an extensive view through the front glass, so the flight passed in the mode of using visualization devices. At the time of take-off or landing, the bow deviated down along with the radar station.
The pilot and the navigator sat on one straight line, being placed one after another. Behind the cabin is a compartment in which the equipment of the electronic complex was located.
The machine had the main landing gear, which were located in special engine nacelles. Engines were placed in pairs under each wing. The aircraft was first used mixed air intake.
The aircraft had advanced navigation and piloting systems, with the help of which it was possible to control the machine in absolutely any environmental conditions and any day or night.
T-4 was able to make a rather long flight at a speed of 3200 km / h. At the same time, the flight altitude could be 20 kilometers, and the continuous flight range was about 6000 kilometers. Therefore, it is easy to understand the Americans, who were afraid of this plane as fire, because its capabilities made it possible to easily launch a nuclear missile strike at strategically important US objects, covering the distance between the USSR and America in a short period of time.
Due to the strong friction against the air during the flight, the aircraft body is subjected to extreme heat. In this regard, titanium and a stainless steel grade of the highest quality were chosen as the main structural element. This decision allowed to significantly reduce the weight of the aircraft and, accordingly, fuel consumption.
Modifications of the SU-100 combat aircraft were different. For example, there was a variant of the machine called the T-4 M, in which the wing sweep was changed and the power plant was modernized. The option was developed and the T-4MS. But both of these aircraft were rejected by the country's leadership.
The reasons for the closure of the projects were the following:
- the work was considered futile;
- The Sukhoi Design Bureau did not have the proper production capacity to carry out extended state flight tests.
- the high cost of the aircraft, although it did not require mass production.
Conclusion
Summing up, we note that the Su-100 is an aircraft that is still under the close attention of engineers and users. According to experts, the demand for the machine will continue to grow, which is quite logical, given the ratio of its cost, reliability and quality.