VVS Air Force Videos

GarryB wrote:Having the catapult launch would actually make them safer to launch from between engine nacelles than R-27s in practise.

I hope they have them on those two pylons there.  In that photo I posted, it shows the furthest rear mounted R-27 and then there's another pylon forward of that for another missile which I didn't know existed until I saw that pic.  But you're right, having a catapult to safely toss them away from such a volatile area right between the engines would be a better idea, I would think.

BTW, speaking of that R-27 tucked between the two engines, I found it fascinating that they would have one on there during one of their amazing acrobatic air shows.  If you look at this video, aside from the heart-stopping performance of the Su-35, why on earth is there an R-27 mounted on that one rear pylon between the engines during an airshow?! I'm guessing the missile is almost certainly inert?  Even so, any idea if there's a reason for that?

You can clearly see it right at minute 0:36 of this video.

The centreline pylons are normally for carrying R-27s... the early model Su-27s could not carry fuel tanks or weapon pods so the centreline and inner wing and under engine pylons were all intended for the R-27 with the outer 6 pylons (two wing plus one wing tip on each side) were for R-73s.



And expert would notice the two outer wing missiles are R-73s, but the other wing mounted missile and the engine nacelle mounted missiles are the smaller R-27, while the two missiles between the engines are the bigger R-27E missiles...



This is a Venezuelan aircraft I think based on the name of the image and has four R-73s on the outer wing pylons and four dumb iron bombs on twin bomb pylons and then the inner wing pylons are two Kh-31s, with two R-27 missiles on the engine nacelles, while down the centreline there are two R-77 missiles mounted singly on each of the two pylons located there.

The pylons for the R-77 have a pneumatic arm to push the missile clear of the aircraft cleanly.

GarryB wrote:The centreline pylons are normally for carrying R-27s... the early model Su-27s could not carry fuel tanks or weapon pods so the centreline and inner wing and under engine pylons were all intended for the R-27 with the outer 6 pylons (two wing plus one wing tip on each side) were for R-73s.



And expert would notice the two outer wing missiles are R-73s, but the other wing mounted missile and the engine nacelle mounted missiles are the smaller R-27, while the two missiles between the engines are the bigger R-27E missiles...



This is a Venezuelan aircraft I think based on the name of the image and has four R-73s on the outer wing pylons and four dumb iron bombs on twin bomb pylons and then the inner wing pylons are two Kh-31s, with two R-27 missiles on the engine nacelles, while down the centreline there are two R-77 missiles mounted singly on each of the two pylons located there.

The pylons for the R-77 have a pneumatic arm to push the missile clear of the aircraft cleanly.

That's pretty cool, and what a friggin weapon's load!  Looks like those center line pylons are fine for R=77s an R-27s as well which makes it quite versatile.

But did you notice the video and the one R-27 in the same place as the pic I posted a couple of posts ago?  Why during an airshow?  What do you think?  Is there a purpose for that or it probably just happened and is it inert or active?  Could it be a smoker?  Never seem those act as smokers and not the right place anyway.  Plus it's not only this video, I've seen it in several airshows which means it's for a reason.

Another question I have for anyone who might know - any idea why all the MiG-29s/35s. Su-27s, some Su-30s, Su-34 and Su-35s have the top front of the nose fuselage right in front of the canopy painted black?  Is that an anti-glare reason?

See that area on a lot of the models painted black and trying to figure out the purpose.

But did you notice the video and the one R-27 in the same place as the pic I posted a couple of posts ago? Why during an airshow? What do you think? Is there a purpose for that or it probably just happened and is it inert or active? Could it be a smoker? Never seem those act as smokers and not the right place anyway. Plus it's not only this video, I've seen it in several airshows which means it's for a reason..

Actual operational Su-27s often operate with wing tip R-73s and centreline R-27s... the wing tip and centreline positions are low drag as they don't have pylons fitted which makes them lighter.

Aircraft in Syria often have wing pylons fitted and missiles on their wings but rarely have full pylons as shown above...

For an airshow sometimes they have smoke generators in the dummy missiles carried... again having wing tip mounted missiles emphasises the manouvers the aircraft performs and a smoke generator between the two engines creates a centreline line of smoke to show where the aircraft is moving in terms of loops and lines and turns etc etc.

That's pretty cool, and what a friggin weapon's load! Looks like those center line pylons are fine for R=77s an R-27s as well which makes it quite versatile.

As mentioned the R-77 is relatively new to the Russian Air Force and recently a twin mount has been seen on the centreline of the Su-35 I think... so four R-77s between the engine nacelles... a boost in weapon potential.

See that area on a lot of the models painted black and trying to figure out the purpose.

Same reason some sports players put black paint under their eyes... reduces glare when looking towards lights or sunlight...

Western cockpits are generally black for the same reasons but Soviet and Russian cockpits are pale green to reduce glare but also make the cockpit lighter and easier to see in lower light levels...

George1 wrote:

1 minute clip of that beast is just not enough, lol. I think that is the only aircraft I've seen that has the in-flight refueling probe mounted directly in the center of the fuselage. It must be a lot easier to catch the basket with it in that position instead of on either side or on the spine etc.

Tu-95/142s also have them in the center:

Honestly I am surprised the Russians haven't developed an autopilot system that automatically docks the aircraft and controls both aircraft during the refuelling.

They had an auto landing system for the Yak-141, with an auto ejection system in case it started to yaw or roll, (the auto ejection system was also used on the previous Yak-38Ms and 38s and saved a lot of lives...).

They had an auto docking system for cargo ships delivering supplies to MIR too...

Tu-95/142s also have them in the center:

I seem to remember the Tu-22s and the Tu-22Ms that were fitted with inflight refueling probes also have them in the centre too, and that the mockup of the Tu-22M3M also seems to have a retractable one in the centre.

GarryB wrote: and that the mockup of the Tu-22M3M also seems to have a retractable one in the centre.

Yeah the retractable ones like the one in the Tu-160 in that video is what I was mostly referring to and not necessarily the fixed ones on the older Bears and such. Most of the retractable ones are almost always on the right or left side of the canopies on almost all previous fighters. Never seen it come out of the top, front like that. I suppose it has to do with having enough room for the radar first.