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Sukhoi P-42

P-42 is a record aircraft, converted in 1986 from the lead serial Su-27-T10-15 aircraft. The P-42 broke 27 records set by the F-15 Streak Eagle, including time-to-height for 3000m, 6000m, 9000m, 12000m, and 15000m. A new height record was recorded of 19,335m, and a take-off distance of less than 500m. Most of these records still stand today, nearly 30 years later.

By the time of the triumphal participation in the air show in Le Bourget, the Su-27 aircraft had already received international fame: in 1986-1988. it was set 27 world aviation records of climb and flight altitude. True, for the time being, the Soviet side did not disclose the true name of the “champion” - in the FAI protocols, the plane appeared under the modest P-42 code. The fighter was still a secret. Before the world premiere in Paris, it was still a long 2.5 years.

The first publications on establishing world aviation climb records on the new Soviet P-42 jet aircraft appeared on the press at the end of 1986. In short notes, it was reported that on October 27, 1986, pilot V.G. Pugachev made a record flight, gaining a height of 3000 m in 25.4 s, and on November 15 reached an altitude of 6, 9 and 12 km in 37.1, 47.0 and 58.1 s respectively, improving the records of the American pilot R. Smith, who had been flying F-15, by more than two seconds, having improved over ten years. Records were set in two categories at once - in the class of jet aircraft and in the class of business aircraft weighing 12-16 tons. The latter circumstance caused great surprise among readers experienced in aviation matters, who quickly realized that a new Su-27 fighter was hidden under the P-42 code. The thing is, that a 20-ton class fighter did not fit into the category of aircraft weighing up to 16,000 kg (and, as it became known later, the FAI protocols indicated the P-42 take-off weight of 14,100 kg, which is two tons less than the empty Su-27). However, everything was very simple.

For record flights, the leadership of the MH. P.O.Sukhogo decided to prepare one of the first serial samples of the Su-27 - the T10-15 aircraft (serial - 05-01), which had by then passed the full test program assigned to it. The unusual name of the machine, General Designer M.P.Simonov later explained as follows: “They called it P-42 as a tribute to the great turning point in the Battle of Stalingrad in November 1942. Then, when defending the Volga stronghold, Soviet aircraft played a big role in defeating the enemy "

The main external differences from the base Su-27

• Radar-transparent nose fairing replaced by a lighter metal.
• A significant part of avionics was missing, including external elements removed, in particular, the optical unit of the optical-location station is missing.
• Fixed Air Intakes
• Keels Reduced in Height
• Missing dorsal ridges
• Missing tail boom

In preparation for the test flights, a strictly limited amount of fuel was poured into the aircraft tanks, which was only enough to enter the regime and complete the landing. The fighter engines were able to force, while the thrust of each increased by more than 1000 kgf (the FAI protocol indicated the thrust of 2x13600 kgf, and the engines themselves were presented under the code name R-32). The measures taken made it possible to achieve a unique thrust-to-weight ratio of the machine at the start. Due to this, the P-42 was able to accelerate and even cross the sound barrier in the vertical climb mode.

As a result of the changes, the take-off weight of the P-42 was reduced to 14100 kg. The large thrust-weight ratio, however, gave rise to one very peculiar problem: the brakes did not hold the P-42 at the start, when the engines were brought to the fast and the furious. In this regard, an unconventional solution was implemented: the aircraft, using a cable and an electronic lock, was hooked to a powerful caterpillar tractor, protected from the effects of the hot gases of aircraft engines by massive armor plate. The tractor drove onto the runway and with its multi-ton weight restrained the roaring car from premature stragging. At the right moment, the castle uncoupled the cable, freeing the way for the aircraft, movie cameras and stopwatch turned on, and the P-42 made a swift attack on the storm of world records.

In total, in 1986-1988. On the P-42 aircraft, 27 world aviation records of climb and flight altitude were set.