Russian firm agrees to assist IAF on Sukhoi repairs,overhaul

[Snauman]

Russian firm agrees to assist IAF on Sukhoi repairs, overhaul
18th July 2004

By IndiaExpress Bureau

Russian manufacturers of the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters have agreed to provide all assistance to the Indian Air Force for repair, overhaul and servicing of the multi-role aircraft, the entire fleet of which was grounded several months ago creating a near-crisis situation in the country.

The grounding of the entire SU-30 MKI fleet came after some of the planes experienced 'nicks' on the engine blades, which, the Russian experts said, were caused by foreign objects like stones or sand getting sucked inside the engine during take-offs or landings, according to a report in the premier journal 'Indian Defence Review' in its latest issue.

The journal quoted the aircraft's engine designer, Viktor Chepkin, as saying that though there was a "delay" in the delivery of special tools for independently repairing this damage, the engines were very user-friendly.

Mikhail A Pogosyan, General Director of Sukhoi Holding Company, said "our experts, who always work in very close cooperation with the IAF, have found out what caused the damage to the engine blades".

He said the logic of operation of a protective screen in the air intake of the engine has been explained to the Indian experts. "Besides, we have worked out certain measures to clear dents and scratches and all the necessary technical manuals and tools have already been supplied to the IAF".

"So, the engine problem can be considered to have been resolved", Pogosyan said.

 

[gf0012-aust]

That seems more of an issue of a badly designed FOD deflector.

 

[lalith prasad]

the problems have been rectified.

 

[gf0012-aust]

the problems have been rectified.

I remember speaking to an ex IAF pilot last year who now flies corporate aircraft for TATA.

He blamed most of the problems on the fact that the problems were a combo of a bad FOD inlet and the fact ground crew did not get into the habit of ensuring that the runways were clear of all FO.

Interestingly enough, the Mig29 which has a more useful FOD inlet has no problems even when rotating out of strips that the Su's use.

If the article is recent, it still points to a failure of FOD design and strip maintenance. Crystalline cracks in the fans are more of a problem with that debris and detritus management than a problem per se with the engine.

 

[Deltared075]

if the India want to produce the Su30MKI locally but still cannot repairs and overhaul? :help i wonder what kind of Su30MKI will come out from the production line....

 

[darklegent]

Interestingly enough, the Mig29 which has a more useful FOD inlet has no problems even when rotating out of strips that the Su's use.

ditto the Mig-29 was expected to take of from semi-perpared airstrips thus the mig-29 inlets were designed in such a manner that air cud be sucked in thru vents above the main wings. The safty margins for such a design requirements were incoperated into the soviet airforce requirement directive for the Mig-29. As of the Su-27 no such directive was issued at basic conceptual stage.

Regarding repairs overhauls and maintance, all of these were covered under the orginal production agreement. The links for the same are availible all over the net plz look it up urself.

Admin: We hope that last comment was not meant to be rude. It's dangerously close to getting a deletion

 

[yasin_khan]

Good news for IAF atlast now they can fly more comfortably their flying bus SU-30s.

 

[Salman78]

Even though there r so many Mig 23/27/21 and 29 flying with so many airforces around the world, IAF encountered major problems with spares and upgrades with their russian suppliers during 90's. Lets hope this does not become the case in the future for SU-30's.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Even though there r so many Mig 23/27/21 and 29 flying with so many airforces around the world, IAF encountered major problems with spares and upgrades with their russian suppliers during 90's. Lets hope this does not become the case in the future for SU-30's.

The problems with that generation (Russian 3rd generation) of aircraft was that the IAF also tried to get OEM parts rather than Russian originals (because the Russians charge excessive prices). When the original supply train of critical parts was unavailable, India was forced to go offshore into ex-warpac countries to try and source supplies.

You may not have read it in a prev post, but a few years ago I worked as an aerospace consultant for a milspec cable and connector company. Literally every 2 months we would be contacted by Indian middlemen trying to get us to either supply discarded US milspec cable (which cannot be onsold, but must be certified and witnessed for destruction - or sent back to the US) or they would ask us to source Russian aircraft for disposal. My theory on their problems still stands - and to some extent has been vindicated by the Bison programme (and the fact that no Mig 29's have suffered reciprocal accidents) is that all those aircraft suffered from Kapton degradation. As it ages it becomes brittle, as it becomes brittle it can lead to a dead short, and if the dead short occurs inside a fuel tank sender or near a critical component, then a catastrophic failure will occur.

Very few modified Mig21 Bisons have crashed - and thats because the entire harness system was replaced - hence NO Kapton.

The Mig 21/23/27 problems are a bit more complex than usually portrayed.
Interestingly enough, at the last 3 Australian International AirShows I was approached by chinese prospectors also seeking access to US Milspec cable, or trying to get hold of the old harnesses from our P3 Orion upgrade programme. They were also prepared to buy all of our old Kapton cable - even though it's illegal to use it and there is an international destruction order on it. They even tried to buy it as scrap metal. Indian buyers 3 years ago also tried to buy the P3 harnesses as they said they needed it for the IL-38 Mays - apparently the Mays are a direct copy of the Orions/Electras in some areas.

 

[darklegent]

Quote:
Interestingly enough, the Mig29 which has a more useful FOD inlet has no problems even when rotating out of strips that the Su's use.



ditto the Mig-29 was expected to take of from semi-perpared airstrips thus the mig-29 inlets were designed in such a manner that air cud be sucked in thru vents above the main wings. The safty margins for such a design requirements were incoperated into the soviet airforce requirement directive for the Mig-29. As of the Su-27 no such directive was issued at basic conceptual stage.

Regarding repairs overhauls and maintance, all of these were covered under the orginal production agreement. The links for the same are availible all over the net plz look it up urself.

Admin: We hope that last comment was not meant to be rude. It's dangerously close to getting a deletion

I have never been rude and none of my post have been arogant.
I wud apologise to any one who feels offended.
By the way which comment were u referin too admin, just for records buddy.

Admin: Apols if it was amisunderstanding on my part, but as you can see many times in here, posts are very difficult at conveying emotions and intent, mix in cultural differences and expression differences and it can lead to misunderstandings.

The links for the same are availible all over the net plz look it up urself.

. I had read the prev as being condesecending. If that was not your intent, then I accept that there was a comms "disconnect".