Exposition | Riga Airmuseumhttp://ru.airmuseum.lv/blog/2014-09-11T21:52:05+00:00Riga Airmuseum is unique in the Baltic countries and one of the largest in Europe. It's collection of Soviet aircraft is also the greatest in in outside of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).Sukhoi Su-7U2014-09-11T21:52:05+00:00aleksiy/blog/author/aleksiy/http://ru.airmuseum.lv/blog/sukhoi-su-7u/<div>
<p>At the beginning of 1960's Sukhoi Design Bureau finished to develop its new fighter-bomber Su-7B («Fitter») and another important task arised — to make two-seat training variant of this type. This objective was urgent because Su-7B was hard to control, especially on landing and critical flight stages. Two-seater, designated Su-7U («Moujik»), destined to make training process easier and quicker for pilots.</p>
<p>Nevertheless Sukhoi team managed to release first Su-7U prototype only in October, 1965 due to its high workload connected with evaluation of Su-7B and another projects. Trainer was a bit longer than Su-7B, also was unmounted one of the two cannons in order to reduce weight. The rest of the armament remained mostly the same. Crew seats were located behind each other under the separate canopies. Rear canopy was equipped with large retractable mirror to improve instructor's field of view on take-off or landing. Also instructor had full set of instruments and controls and was able to interfere in flight whenever he decided. Emergency ejection system allowed crew to leave aircraft in dangerous situations separately and safely.</p>
<p>Su-7U production commenced at Komsomolsk-na-Amure Aviation Factory in 1966 and continued till 1971, together with Su-7BKL and Su-7BMK manufacturing. Two-seater' export modification Su-7UMK was bought by Algeria, Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, Poland, Czechoslovakia and took part in 1970-80's wars and conflicts. Soviet Air Force used Su-7U for very long time — till beginning of 1990's, because of its similar performance with Su-7B's successor Su-17.</p>
<p>Museum's Su-7U serialled 43-red and has production number 2318.</p>
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<p>Sukhoi Su-7U technical data:</p>
<table style="width: 100%;" class="tth_table" border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Crew</td>
<td>2</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Length, m</td>
<td>17.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Height, m</td>
<td>4.99</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Wingspan, m</td>
<td>9.31</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Wing area, m<sup>2</sup></td>
<td>34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Empty aircraft weight, kg</td>
<td>9100</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Normal take-off weight, kg</td>
<td>13510</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Engine</td>
<td>1 х AL-7F-1, thrust 8370 kgf (with afterburner 9600 kgf)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Fuel uplift</td>
<td>3600 litres in internal tanks + 4 x 600 litres in auxiliary drop tanks</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max speed at altitude, kts</td>
<td>1120</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max speed at low level, kts</td>
<td>562</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max altitude, ft</td>
<td>56600</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max range, miles</td>
<td>780</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Take-off/landing run, m</td>
<td>1100/1400</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max overstress</td>
<td>4.5</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Armament</td>
<td>1 x NR-30 cannon (30 rounds)<br />2 x unguided rockets S-24 (240 mm caliber) or<br />4 x unguided rocket pods (up to 128 rockets) or<br />various bombs (or napalm pods) with total 2000 kg weight</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>Sukhoi Su-7BKL2014-09-11T21:46:38+00:00aleksiy/blog/author/aleksiy/http://ru.airmuseum.lv/blog/sukhoi-su-7bkl/<p>In 1960's there was wide spread opinion among military specialists that military jets have to be able to fly on soft-surface runways during war conflicts. Because main (concrete) runways could be easily put out of operation by the enemy strikes. This idea influenced on new variant of the wide-spread Sukhoi Su-7B fighter-bomber — Su-7BKL (NATO-code «Fitter»).</p>
<p>First prototype of this modification performed its maiden flight in 1962. In Su-7BKL was invented new wheels-and-ski landing gear, gunpowder accelerators, two-canopy breaking parachute, increased amount (six) of weapons pylons, upgraded bombsight. New gears were adopted for taxiing, take-off and landing on soft-surface aerodromes. Front gear received tyre with increased diameter and on main landing gear were installed small steel skis, together with wheels. During take-off or landing on hard surface were not working due to their suspension, not allowing to touch the runway. But they started to work when wheel became to deepen into soft soil. Skis helped to distribute pressure and not allowed wheels to get deeper and to brake aircraft movement.</p>
<p>Komsomolsk-na-Amure Aviation Factory started to produce new upgraded variant in 1965 and finished in 1972. At the same time another Su-7B variants were produced — Su7BM/BMK/UM and UMK. Su-7BKL's were used by Soviet, Polish and Afghanistan Air Forces. Afghanistan widely used another variant — Su-7BMK, but due to high combat losses and lack of spare parts, small amount of BKL's were exported to there in 1980's.</p>
<p>At the end of 1960's Su-7B and its variants were upgraded with electronic countermeasures pods to confuse planned rival's air defence. On the right underwing pylon was attached SPS-141 (142, 143) system pod. This ECM system provided less probability the aircraft to be shot down. On the opposite side usually was attached UB-16-57 pod with unguided rockets.</p>
<p>Our Museum has Su-7BKL serialled 27-white (production number 5710) which was given by Riga Suvorov school in the middle of 1980's.</p>
<p><img src="http://img.airmuseum.lv/media/uploads/img/000089.jpg" height="479" width="639" /></p>
<p>Sukhoi Su-7BKL technical data:</p>
<table style="width: 100%;" class="tth_table" border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Crew</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Length, m</td>
<td>16.80</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Height, m</td>
<td>4.99</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Wingspan, m</td>
<td>9.31</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Wing area, m<sup>2<sup></sup></sup></td>
<td>34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Empty aircraft weight, kg</td>
<td>8890</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Normal take-off weight, kg</td>
<td>13570</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Engine</td>
<td>1 х AL-7F-1, thrust 8370 kgf (with afterburner 9600 kgf)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Fuel uplift</td>
<td>4200 litres in internal tanks + 4 x 600 litres in auxiliary drop tanks</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max speed at altitude, kts</td>
<td>1160</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max speed at low level, kts</td>
<td>577</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max altitude, ft</td>
<td>58600</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max range, miles</td>
<td>890</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Take-off/landing run, m</td>
<td>1100/1400</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Max overstress</td>
<td>4.5</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tth_row">
<td width="200">Armament</td>
<td>2 x NR-30 cannons (30 rounds each)<br />4 x unguided rockets S-24 (240 mm caliber) or<br />6x unguided rocket pods (up to 192 rockets) or<br />various bombs (or napalm pods) with total 3000 kg weight</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>