Sukhoi Su-27/30/33/35/37 Flanker series & Su-34 Fullback - History, Design, Performance & Dissection (Part 2)

True true. But still with 18t (between 17 and 19) estimates, it’s heavier or slightly heavier than Raptor

And very important for STR I think, the Sukhoi is going to be a lot draggier with external AAM

Depends on which stations the missiles are (irrelevant for WT bc ppl will just take a full load) for example the missiles between the engines will cause less drag than the ones mounted on the air intakes

Still, I think this could remove any remaining advantage gained from wing loading, if they still exist since with heavier loaded Su-35 they will be reduced if not gone already

Possible, but we will not be able to know for sure, until we know the empty weight of the Su-35S.
And we’ll, there is always the option to jetension your missile if you really need that flight performance.

BTW how would a jetension work on the f-22

Like does it just open the doors and the missiles drop out?

Yeah probably just pop out of the launcher system

But there is no point, they are internally carried and realistically if there is a problem it’s better to fly back and have it extracted by ground crew so they can hopefully not lose a million dollar missile

@Grimtax Let’s continue the Soviet HMD discussion here, in case other people have sources they want to share:

While the HMS is part of the larger IRST system, it can also slave the Radar directly onto the its que. IIRC, in interaction mode (IRST and Radar work alongside each other), when HMS is selected and when you hold the LOCK button, both the Radar and IRST will attempt to lock the target. The first sensor to lock will become the “leading” sensor, while the other one will become the “guided” sensor (serves as a back up in case the “leading” sensor loses track. If the IRST is the first one to lock, the Radar can also lock the target in cases like R-27Rs being selected.

I am using info from this very detailed book on the whole fire control system of the MiG-29

image

The few of my “arguments” as to why HMS on the SUV-29 should not have a 10 km limit would be:

  • While the 10 km limit is mentioned multiple times throughout this book, it is only ever mentioned when talking about the vertical ACM. No equivalent sections about the HMS mention a range limit of any kind.
  • The sections detailing how the system works in “interaction mode” when in IRST scan mode and HMS mode, mention that the radar will lock the target, the angular data about which is fed from the IRST, in “point” mode. I could not find specifics of the “point” mode, as the references seem to point to sections that the available PDF does not contain, but from the sound of it, it is just a mode where the radar just scans a specific point to lock a target (probably in MPRF).
  • In “interaction” mode, there are a few instances where the system may automatically transition to locking a target with its radar. One of those is when a target gets closer than 15 km and is being tracked by the IRST (or even in TWS). There is also a mention of the pilot being able to chose to lock the target earlier (meaning, further than 15 km) by pressing the “lock” button. This implies that the radar can use “point” mode to lock a target further than 15 km (no limit was listed), which is the same mode used by the radar when being fed data from the HMS.

The only possible problem here is with my last point, which is that to know that the target is closer than 15 km, the radar would use periodic ranging pulses (every 5 seconds). This could imply that the radar still requires some target range estimate to lock it. But if I remember things correctly, there were other circumstances where a pilot can choose to lock a target tracked by IRST where there is no range info.

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Does it have any mention of whether you have to press a button each time you want to attempt a HMS lock or whether it will continuously try to acquire targets like ACM mode similar to F-16 MLU?

Haha, asking for the suggestion?
No, the way the ACM and HMS work on the MiG-29 is that you first select the mode, then position the HMS or the aircraft itself so that the target is within the required bounds, and then you hold the lock key until the system acquires the target. You don’t have to spam it like we do in the game, but you still have to hold it.

Spoiler

image

Although, I am not quire sure if the pilot has to hold the button in cases like the IRST already having the target locked and the pilot pressing the “lock” key to acquire the target with the radar.

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@Grimtax @sudo_su1
Idk how much this will help you in your conversation
image-60
image-256_1

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Already have that manual in the original form (still PDF, but a scan), but thank you anyways.

Better translation;

Spoiler

HELMET MODE¹³

  1. The HELMET mode is used when the target is visually visible at large sighting angles in conditions of limited time to attack. The helmet-mounted system issues a target cue over an angular range of ±60° in azimuth and from +60° down to +/-14° in elevation to the radar (RLS), the Optical‐Electronic Sight (KOLS) and the Thermal Imaging Sight (TGS) of guided missiles, and also displays aiming and signal information on the Helmet‐Mounted Display (HMD) (Fig. 25).

To operate in HELMET mode, it is necessary to:

  • set the SOV MODES switch to the HELMET position;
  • set the RLS mode rotary switch to the BL.BOY position;
  • extend the monocle of the helmet‐mounted aiming device (HMD) to its operating position;
  • adjust the brightness of the aiming reticle using the rheostat USIL.TP‐YARK.SHL;
  • align the center of the HMD aiming reticle with the target by turning your head;
  • select the attack hemisphere with the PPS‐ZPS switch;
  • set the target size (B, C, M) with the BASE knob;
  • press and hold the ZAKHV.PZ button until the target is acquired by the missile’s RLS, KOLS, or TGS (when the TGS acquires the target, an audible signal sounds and a flashing “PR” cue appears on the HMD);
  • release the ZAKHV.PZ button.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Graphic: circular aiming reticle] │
│ Upon mode activation │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Graphic: flashing reticle] │
│ Indication of target acquisition by RLS or KOLS (flashes at 2 Hz). You may switch to SEI and release the ZAKHV.PZ button. │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Graphic: solid reticle with inner ring] │
│ “PR” command when D­gec < D rmax. You may squeeze the RS.SS.B trigger. │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Graphic: double‐ring reticle] │
│ “PR” command when only TGS has acquired the target (flashes at 2 Hz). You may squeeze the RS.SS.B trigger to confirm the allowable range visually. │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Graphic: dotted reticle disappearing when out of view] │
│ When the HMD leaves the field of view (HMD indication turns off). Move the helmet towards the aircraft’s symmetry plane and the headrest of the seat. │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Fig. 25. NSC Mode (HMD indications)

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SU-37 and SU-47 with R27ET, ER, P, EM and especially EP are confirmed fot the next update?

Hehe.

what was the R-27EM?

btw you listed EP two times

Maybe he just really wants the EP

I really really do.^^

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EM supposedly has a range of roughly 170 Km and can hit cruise missiles flying 3 meters over the sea.

No idea about the veracity of anything on that site of course.

lets pls not consider random DCS mods for f22 and su30. as far as i know f22 raptors TVC is nothing but a crazy aoa button. the flight model values are absolutely random by the mod makers, with possibly no source. idk why people are even considering DCS dogfight footages as a comparision between 2 jets.

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What is this nonsense, why would em have that range. Is it not just an er optimized for low flying targets?

probably gets a much better battery life and ig it can or was designed to loft. i dont think its a real missile. im not sure.