Sukhoi

Sukhoi (Russian: Сухой, AFI: /sʊˈxoj/), formally PAO company Sukhoi (Russian: ПАО «Компания Сухой») (transliterated into Spanish as Sukhoi), is a major Russian industrial group of aerospace engineering companies. It was founded by the engineer Pável Sujói in 1939 in Moscow, the city where it currently has its official headquarters, in addition to having a design office, it has factories in Irkutsk, Novosibirsk and Komsomolsk on the Amur.In 1996 the group integrated the company of amphibious aircraft, Beriev Since 2006 it has been part of the United Aircraft Corporation along with other historical rival companies such as Mikoyan or Tupolev.

The latest models of the company are presented at the annual MAKS exhibition that has been held near Moscow since 1993, along with other companies from the aeronautical industry.

History

Seal in honor of Soviet engineer Pavel Sujói in 1995.

1939-1949

In March 1930, nine years before the creation of the bureau, aerospace engineer Pavel Sukhoi was appointed head of the team number 4 of engineers of the aeronautical design bureau «Agos», which emerged from the important scientific organization TsAGI (acronym for «N. Y. Zhukovski Central Institute of Aerohydrodynamics») created in 1922 in the Soviet Union. This institute will be one of the important elements in the development of the Russian aviation industry.

The team, aided by the expertise of engineer Andrei Tupolev, produced experimental fighters such as the I-3, I-14 and DIP, the Tupolev ANT-25, flown by famous Soviet aviators Valeri Chkalov and Mikhail Gromov, and long-range bombers such as the Tupolev TB-1 and the Tupolev TB-3. He was also the architect of the design of the long-range commercial airplane called RD, with which the pilots then achieved the record for the longest distance traveled in a flight, during 62 hours it flew over some 10,000 kilometers non-stop.

In 1936, Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, called for the need to build a multi-role fighter aircraft. As a result of this demand, the first prototype aircraft flew in August 1937, the BB-1, a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. The second prototype of the aircraft, made its first flight on January 29, 1938 and the BB-1 became known as Su-2. With the government resolution of July 29, 1939, its construction was approved and the OKB Sukhoi, designated as OKB-51, with the same name that the design office will have as (OKB-51, with the prefix Su for its designs). The BB-1 was introduced and later adopted by the Soviet Air Force that same year.

It replicates in Moscow the long-range experimental Soviet plane, the Tupolev ANT-25.

Built in series from 1940 to 1942, a total of 900 Su-2 aircraft were produced and would be Sukhoi's greatest success for decades. The aircraft featured a spacious cockpit structure that improved the pilot's field of vision, or a better location of the bombs that reduced friction with the wind and therefore helped to improve the speed of the fighter. The success of the aircraft allowed the team of engineers led by Sukhoi to become independent as a design office and move to Aircraft-building factory number 135 in Kharkov, in the Ukrainian SSR.

During the first decade of the design office's existence and especially as a consequence of the Second World War, the periodic change of its location was common. Created in 1939 in Kharkov, in 1940 it was moved to the outskirts of Moscow, to Podlipki near Kubinka, to factory number 289. In 1941 it was evacuated to the city of Molotov, where it merged with factory 135 evacuated there. In 1942, the design bureau regained its independence by meeting again in its own building, and its own production in factory number 289, and in 1943 re-evacuated again near Moscow, but now in Tushino, to the site of the former factory 464. In 1945, factory 289 was combined with Moscow factory number 134, under the general number 134. Despite all these difficulties associated with the relocation of production and reorganization, the office headed by Sukhoi continued to work all these years in the creation of new aircraft models.

Photo in the Leningrad Oblate (1944) with the Su-2 plane at the bottom.

As the war progressed, the Su-2 needed a successor, as it proved outdated and poorly armed against German aircraft, with 222 aircraft destroyed in total. Sukhoi and his office designed a two-seat armored ground-attack aircraft, the Su-6, considered in some terms superior to its competitor, the Ilyushin Il-2. However, the government later chose the Il-2 over the Su-6, although it rewarded Sukhoi with a Stalin prize for its development in 1943.

The team then focused on developing variants of the Su-2: the Su-1 (Su-3) fighter which had a gunship, or the Su-8 twin-engine armored attack aircraft, but later discarded with the advance Soviet on the Eastern Front and the adoption of other aircraft.

Sukhoi aircraft played a major role during some of the most important stages of the war, such as the Battle of Moscow, the German attack on Stalingrad or the huge German offensive at Kursk. After the war, the office of Sukhoi was among the first teams of Soviet engineers to lead the research and construction of early jet aircraft, creating several experimental combat aircraft. It began developing two fighter planes, the Su-5 and Su-7 before the end of the war in 1945. The Su-5 was a mixed jet fighter prototype, using a propeller and a turbine for its drive, and Although cancelled, it had a maiden flight on April 6, 1945. The Su-7 was a long-range, supersonic speed air superiority fighter, and was adopted by the Soviet Air Force in 1959, for more than fourteen years.

Reconstruction with some original components, of a Su-2 hunt "white 15", exhibited in the Victoria Park of the Museum of Great Patriotic War, Moscow (2017).

The prototype aircraft, known as the Su-9, was the first jet aircraft developed by the bureau. It made its first flight on November 13, 1946, factory tests were completed in August and state tests in December 1947. In May of that same year, the Su-11 was presented, which would be its replacement. It was equipped with the first proprietary TR-1 turbofan as opposed to the Su-9's RD-10 engine. The first flight took place on May 28, in August the Su-9 and Su-11 took part in the Tushino air parade. Factory tests were completed in April 1948, however state tests were not completed and it was not mass produced.

Over the next few years, Sukhoi and his team developed the Soviet Union's first flight control system, parachute-based landing braking systems, catapult ejection seats, and other aeronautical systems.

In addition, the design office began working on the designs of other combat aircraft such as the Su-10 bomber, a four-engine aircraft built in 1948, and although it passed ground tests, due to the reduction of expenses in research, its development was suspended in the middle of the year.

They developed the Su-12 artillery reconnaissance aircraft. This prototype made its first flight on August 26, 1946. State tests were carried out from December 1947 to May 1948. In August 1948, the Su-12 took part in the air parade in Tushino. According to a further test program, from July to September 1949, the state tests for the armament of the Su-12 were carried out. The aircraft, although its serial production was recommended, was not carried out. The Su-12 stood out for its defensive armament, with a VTE-2 turret and a KG-1 stern gun.

Chart of a UTB-2 pump.

The aeronautical design projects did not stop and work was done on a civil and military transport plane, or a new combat plane with the name of Su-14. They also used the Tupolev Tu-2 bomber design to develop and produce the crew training bomber, the UTB-2. The prototype aircraft successfully passed factory and state tests from June to September 1946. Serially built from 1947 to 1949, a total of 176 aircraft were produced. Part of these machines in the early fifties was exported to Poland and China.

Since 1946, the design bureau, together with TsAGI, carried out work to determine the aerodynamic shape of an interceptor fighter. In 1947, a preliminary design was completed and in January 1949 the prototype Su-15 fighter-interceptor was flight tested, testing of which continued until June. The first flight of the prototype was on January 11, 1949. Factory tests were interrupted in June 1949 by an accident in which the first prototype was lost. It was not possible to establish the actual cause of this flight accident. A second Su-15 prototype was built and abandoned at the end of 1949. In the summer of 1949, the Su-17 supersonic fighter plane was built, ground-tested in September, and by October the plane was ready for service. flight tests. The Su-17 is Sukhoi's first aircraft with a combined pilot survival system consisting of a detachable cockpit and ejection seat as well as variable geometry wings.

However, an accident with the Su-17 in 1949 stopped the development of the different prototypes and even caused the temporary closure of the office. Starting this year, Sukhoi fell out of favor with Stalin and, in a resolution the government, the design office was dissolved and the engineering team was forced to return to work alongside Andrei Tupolev's team. In 1953, with the death of Stalin, he was allowed to re-establish his own design office along with a new facility for the serial construction of aircraft, becoming part of one of the largest aeronautical companies in the USSR over the next few decades with thousands of employees.

1953-1965

Several Su-9 reaction fighters at the Central Air Force Museum in Monino.

On May 14, 1953, Sukhoi was appointed Chief Designer of Office No. 1 (OKB-1). The main task at that time was to match the US F-86 Saber fighter, but a new government decree was signed on August 5, according to which Sukhoi was appointed responsible for creating two completely original and novel types of fighters. Thus, the year 1953 was the year of the revival of the Sukhoi design bureau. In November 1953, the design office took control of the former factory number 51 as a base for aircraft production. In December 1953, the relocation was complete. The following year, the two new projects become the main work for the next decade. During this time, the following were designed, tested, put into production, and adopted:

• The S-1 fighter, a prototype of the production subsequently in series of the Su-7 series, on the basis of which, in turn, a complete family of Su-7B-type fighters was created. The wings were available as a star. The serial production of these aircraft lasted more than fifteen years, produced more than eight hundred aircraft, including those exported to nine countries.

• The T-3 hunt, a prototype with triangular wings that would give rise to the serial production of the Su-9 and Su-11 interceptors, which also occurred in a series that exceeded the mark of a thousand one hundred units. The aircraft of this type in the 1960s were the fastest and most capable fighter aircraft to fly at higher altitude in the USSR and remained in service with the air defence forces until the early 1980s.

A Su-15 Hunt (NATO Designation) Flagon) armed with R-98MR missiles in 1989.

An evolved prototype of the T-3, the so-called T-4 manufactured in 1962, used for the first time titanium fusion technology for the fuselage structure, an engine with automatic throttle or a new and more complete control system.

In 1965 they had designed and successfully completed state testing of the T-58 (Su-15) interceptor, which continued the evolution of the Su-9 and Su-11 family of aircraft.

During all these years, the company had been continuously growing, with new buildings, new production capacities, a test bench and a complete laboratory. The number of employees grew, in 1953 it had a number of 1176 people, of which 357 were aeronautical engineers and at the beginning of 1965, the factory staff was 4329 people, including 1954 engineers, which gave an idea of the importance in company research and design.

During all these years, the design office has been in continuous development: new buildings were built, pilot production capacities, a bench and a laboratory base were developed. The number of employees grew: renewing its way in 1953 from a mark of 1,176 people in total, of which 357 were designers, at the beginning of 1965, the plant's staff consisted of 4,329 people, including 1954 Engineering. Thus, there was a clear out-growth in design staff engagement.

1965-1985

A Su-24 of the Russian Air Force in Latakia during the Syrian civil war (2015).

Air force commanders, in a specification, published in 1964, called for a bomber aircraft that could operate regardless of weather conditions, capable of supersonic speeds at low altitude, with advanced navigation systems and precision bombing. The first experimental aircraft, the T-6-1, flew in 1967 and had a delta wing configuration but the control of the aircraft was insufficient, so the T-6-3 was developed, which was also shown to have problems with flights. at low altitude due to its small wing loading. This was solved in the third model that included variable geometry wings like for example the previous model Su-17 or MiG-23. Redesignated as T-6-2IG, it carried out its test flight in 1970 and finally managed to exceed the requirements, being put into production under the name of Su-15M and later Su-24. It was the biggest success for the Sukhoi office since the construction of the Su-2 fighter during the war. More than a thousand units would eventually be built.

In 1989 at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget a Su-27 executed what was known as the Pugachev cobra. Aerial acrobatics that showed its high maneuverability for its great aerodynamic and powerful engines.

In 1969, the Soviet Air Force demanded a new fighter that would outperform the American F-15. The military program called for a single, very demanding aircraft, a fourth-generation jet, capable of carrying heavy weapons, with speeds greater than Mach 2, use austere landing strips, with long range and high maneuverability. The TsGI institute together with Sukhoi developed a preliminary design of the new fighter, which would eventually become the Su-27. The project was Sukhoi's tenth design and the prototype, called the T-10, made its maiden flight on May 20, 1977. However, the prototype was a failure, and engineer Mikhail Simonov proposed to redesign the new aircraft from scratch.. This new aircraft design had a significant wing area, was twin-engine and had dual rudders, and for the first time had a modern electronic flight control control system (fly-by-wire). The plane began to be produced in series in 1985, although due to difficulties in its construction, it would not officially enter service in the 1990s. Variants of the Su-27 would later be the export versions for China and India renamed Su-30, the versions navalSu-33 and Su-34, the modernized version with more electronics of the Su-35, the Su-37 technological demonstrator and the export version for China since 1998, the Shenyang J-11. In 1983, Mikhail Simonov was appointed as the chief designer and would lead the Sukhoi design office for almost two decades. In addition to one of the creators of the Su-27, affectionately nicknamed "sushki" by pilots, he was one of the most successful aeronautical engineers in the Soviet Union with the Lenin Prize as well as Hero of the Russian Federation and national and international decorations. foreigners.

A Su-25 of the Russian Air Force in an image of 2006.

In March, a competition was announced by the Soviet Air Force calling for designs for a new close air support and ground attack aircraft. The Sukhoi design bureau and the group of Yakvlev, Ilyushin and Mikoyan clashed. Sukhoi finished its design, numbered T-8, late the following year, and two first prototypes (T8-1 and T8-2) were started in February 1972. The T8-1 was the first to be finished and was completed. in time for the great national holiday of May 9, 1974. However, it did not make its maiden flight until February 22, 1975 from the Kubinka airbase, outside Moscow, where it underwent different tests before to be chosen over its competitor by the Soviet Army. This new aircraft with heavy protection and self-sealing with polyurethane foam, would be renamed Su-25 and would be nicknamed "Rook" (Russian: "Грач", transliterated as Grach) for its peculiar shape similar to this bird. The ground assault aircraft entered production in 1978 in the city of Tbilisi, and was highly successful due to its potential to destroy armored vehicles on the battlefield, reaching more than a thousand copies built. Its participation was highlighted during the war in Afghanistan (1978-1992) as well as other subsequent conflicts.

1985-1995

A Su-35 during the flight, in a photo of 2009.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, many of the multitude of offices and factories that served Sukhoi's industry were privatized into different companies and Mikhail Simonov himself helped by the young Boris Yeltsin, spearheaded the export of Su-24 variants to third countries such as China and India in order to maintain the company.

Sukhoi began to diversify its products and started a civilian subdivision to create a pipeline of commercial aviation projects and an alternative future. This new division would develop the Su-80 project, and the Su-38 agricultural aircraft, less than a decade later.

At the beginning of 1992, the Sukhoi group consisted of:

• The design office Sukhoi the designer of Su aircraft.
• The aviation factory of Novosibirsk V.P. Chkálov (NAPO), one of the largest aeronautical factories in the entire Soviet Union, with the latest technology and prepared for the serial manufacture of Su-27, Su-34 and Su-32 fighters.
• The association of the aviation industry of Irkutsk (IAIA), manufacturer of MiG-23 fighters and the MiG-27 bombing complexes.
• The association for the production of Komsomolsk aircraft of the Amur (KnAAPO), responsible for producing Su-27.
• The Tiflis Aviation Factory (TAM) in Georgia, which produced the Su-25 Earth Attack Plane.
• The Ulan-Ude aviation factory, which in addition to helicopters manufactured Su-25 training hunts.

In 1996, the Russian government reunited most of the companies that were previously part of Sukhoi to create a new Sukhoi corporation. In parallel, other parts of the former company, such as the Ulan-Ude factory, the Tbilisi factory, and other factories, established independent Sukhoi aircraft production and maintenance lines for their own armed forces or third countries. On August 26, the president of the company signed a new agreement to create the Sukhoi industrial complex, with the associated companies Sukhoi Design Bureau, NAPO, IAIA, KnAAPO and Beriev Amphibious Aircraft Company.

Ensamblaje de un Su-57 en la compañía Sukhoi en 2010.

Currently

One of the prototypes of Sukhoi Su-57.

In the year 2000, to create and develop new models of commercial aircraft, it was founded under the international name Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (official name JSC “SCA”).

In 2004, the company won the competition to develop a fifth-generation aircraft for the Russian Air Force. It is the company's most complex and technologically advanced design project. The first prototypes were designated as T-50 and it is currently officially known as Su-57. The aircraft is designed to use a new engine design, stealth technology to reduce its equivalent radar section to a minimum, and greater maneuverability at angles than its predecessors. Although very expensive, it is expected to be used in some areas of the air force as one of the substitutes for the MiG-29 or Su-27, in addition to incorporating technologies and experience already used in the S-37, MiG MFI, Su -35BM or MiG-35.

In February 2006, the Russian government merged the Sukhoi company with the Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Irkut, Tupolev, and Yakovlev aircraft companies to create a huge corporation known as OAK (Russian acronym: Объединённая авиастрои́тельная корпора́ци́, i.e. United Aircraft Corporation).

On August 26, 2007, the company unveiled its SSJ100 regional-range civil aircraft, or simply Superjet 100. It entered service in 2011, and by 2018 it had sold or leased at least 150 aircraft, mainly to Russian companies such as Aeroflot.

Change of name of Sukhoi Superjet 100 and integration to Irkut Corporation

At the end of November 2018, the UAC transferred Sukhoi to Irkut to become the aircraft division of the UAC, due to the poor financial performance of the Superjet 100 aircraft. Irkut will manage the Superjet 100, MC-21 and CR929 of widebody from China, but the Il-114 passenger turboprop and the modernized Iliushin Il-96-400M widebody will stay at Iliushin. The new business division will also include Yakovlev's design office and composites manufacturer, AeroComposit.

Currently on February 21, 2020 Superjet 100 Maker renamed to Irkut Regional Aircraft Branch, changes name to Superjet 100 and Sukhoi company was renamed:Regional Aircraft – Branch of the Irkut Corporation.

Organization

• JSC Sukhoi Company
  • CJSC Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (currently:Regional Aircraft – Branch of the Irkut Corporation)
  • JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau
  • JSC Sukhoi Holdings
  • Branches
    • Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO)
    • Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association (NAPO)

International presence

The company has a strong presence in Russia, for example the Su-27, Su-30, Su-35, Su-24, Su-25 and Su-33 are currently in service with the Russian Air Force.

But in addition, more than two thousand Sukhoi fighters have been sold especially to China and India, as well as Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Peru, Angola or Venezuela, and other third countries that have inherited the ex-Soviet air fleet such as Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany or Belarus.

The rivalry between Sukhoi and MiG

A MiG-21 fighter in a 2006 photo.

Sukhoi's biggest competitor in the Soviet Union was the Mikoyan company, creator of the MiG aircraft. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Sukhoi design office developed complex and advanced systems, however the company that created the MiG was quite successful in offering its aircraft to the Soviet Air Force as they were simpler and cheaper to build., being assembled on a large scale. Meanwhile, the Su-7, Su-11, Su-15 and especially the Su-27 were reputed to be technologically very advanced and were closer to the Western concept of more expensive but also more effective and evolved aeronautical developments. The relative success of the MiG-21 during the Vietnam War managed to give the MiG group a certain legend, however the evolution with the MiG-23 showed signs of exhaustion and loss of confidence.

List of company designs

Military aircraft

The Su-47 experimental prototype with reverse wings.

The company has created dozens of aircraft designs, among them, according to the official name of the manufacturer, the list is:

• Su-1 I-330
• Su-2 BB-1
• Su-3 I-360
• Su-4 (project)
• Su-5 I-107
• Su-6
• Su-7
• Su-7 and Su-7 UTI Moujik (training version)
• Su-8 or DDBSh
• Su-9 and Su-9 UTI Maiden (training version)
• Sukhoi Su-9 (1946)
• Su-9
• Su-11
• Su-15
• Su-17
• Su-19 (project)
• Su-20 (export investment)
• Su-22
• Su-23 (project naval version)
• Su-24
• Su-25
• Su-27
• Su-30
• Su-30MKI (Indian export version)
• Su-30MKK (Export for China)
• Su-30MKM (Version highly specialized for Malaysia)
• Su-30MK2 (Export Investment for Venezuela)
• Su-30MKV (with improvements in electronics, and support for Kh-31 and Kh-59 anti-buke missiles on request from Venezuela.)
• Su-30MK2V (Variante Su-30MK2 for Vietnam with minor modifications.)
• Su-33 (Su-27K) (nival)
• Su-34 (Su-27IB)
• Su-35 (Su-27M)
• Su-37
• Su-39 (Su-25TM)
• Su-47 (S-37)
• Sukhoi Su-57, better known as "PAK FA", with the development denomination T-50. It is the company's largest and latest technological development (10 built prototypes)
• Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate (Prototype)

Commercial Aircraft

• Sukhoi Su-80, STOL bimotor.
  

  S-80 in the Moscow Air Show in Zhukovski, 2001

Ex-Commercial Aircraft

• Sukhoi Superjet 100, regional plane project initiated jointly with Beriev and Iliushin companies. Currently in solo production by Sukhoi. Currently since 2018 it is no longer part of Sukhoi, it now belongs to the division of the Irkut Corporation and changes its name to Superjet 100 eliminating Sukhoi's name.

Sukhoi Superjet 100

Civilian Aerobatic Aircraft

Su-31 CIAF Air Festival 2015, Czech Republic

• Su-26 monoplaza
• Su-29 biplaza
• Su-31 monoplaza
• Su-49 monopoly