Why in Russia planes fall?

What reasons of a train of the aviation accidents, occurred this summer in our country

Come to the end in situated near Moscow Zhukovsky the International aerospace salon (MAX-2015) – a good occasion once again to talk about a condition of domestic aircraft.

We got used to be proud of our planes and helicopters. The authorities report that the aviation branch is on lifting. It would seem, everything is good. Let can be and not so quickly, but Russia spreads wings.

However many questions are caused by a train of the plane crashes which have occurred by these summer which besides led to human victims. On June 4 during educational and training flight nearby in the Astrakhan region the fighter MiG-29 broke. The same day in Voronezh the front Su-34 bomber failed.

Four days later in Priamurye the strategic Tu-95 bomber left out of runway limits during dispersal. On July 3 during educational and training flight accident in Krasnodar Krai the fighter suffered MiG-29, after the lapse of four days – an attack plane of Su-24M.

On July 14 training flight near Khabarovsk Tu-95МС ended with accident. In August there were two failures: in the Ryazan region during time "Aviadartsa" the Mi-28 helicopter «Night hunter», and two weeks later – Mi-8 failed.

The main reason for a train of summer plane crashes is technical malfunction. According to preliminary data, more often cars brought problems in engines and poor-quality fuel. That fact that fell both old, and new cars, and at different stages of flight also pays attention.

The tragedies which have happened in air necessarily cause fears for a condition of aviation branch. Also regularly falling cars undermine reputation of our country as the world leader in aerospace branch.

The problem of high breakdown rate of aircrafts was recognized by the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoygu and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. Officials promised to deal with the incident reasons, however a definite answer on the main issue: that the authorities will do the Russian society for situation correction did not receive, having left experts and journalists I peep for reflections.

The observer KM.RU in conversation with independent expert Vadim Lukashevich tried to understand the deep reasons of summer plane crashes, and also to find out, that does not suffice our aircraft.

– In our mass media the opinion extended that flights of aircraft became frequent, and consequently the number of accidents naturally increased. Such approach is how justifiable?

– The raid, of course, grew. But the increase in number of flights should not lead to growth of failures automatically. Let’s look at statistics of the USSR. In the 1980th years we very intensively flied, but such train of failures that every month fell on two-three plane or the helicopter, was not. In a present situation we observe a good mine at bad game. An essence that growth of a raid led to an exposure of the collected problems.

By the way, in astronautics we observe a similar situation. As soon as financing of branch increased, intensity of starts grew and the rocket began to fall regularly. The statistics of failures for the last three years also exceeds indicators of accidents at the USSR.

If to speak about military aircraft, earlier it was недофинансирована. The equipment grew old, incorrectly was served. Most likely, there was a poorness of supply spare parts. Respectively, there was a small raid which was necessary that people simply did not forget key skills. From here we received low training of flight structure.

In the late nineties – the beginning zero the strategic aircraft flied about for 30-40 hours in a year. For comparison pilots of the Indian Air Force which has received ours of "Drying", in equipment development, flied for 28-30 hours in a month. We very long time tried to support aircraft and were not engaged in its intensive development. Now, when there was money, the problems which have appeared with disintegration of the Soviet Union, get out outside. I explain these high level of breakdown rate.

– Now Russia actively re-equips. Modernization concerns also aviation branch. Whether our industry can provide armies with high-quality planes and helicopters?

– «Active rearmament» is a certain myth. It is simple to eat new samples which arrive in military units. If to look at statistics of receiving the Air Force of new fighters, transport Il-76 planes in updating and helicopters, we will understand that it is a question of tens cars.

For comparison in the Soviet Union only one aircraft factory of a name of Gagarin in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the late eighties had the plan of release of 10 Su-27 planes in a month. The annual plan – 120 cars, and such plants in the country were tens. In those days there was the real rearmament when in a part hundreds cars of new type arrived.

Let’s look, what cars fell this summer. Two new cars fell: «Night hunter» and Su-34. Other cars are old. Tu-95 in general in the 1950th years was created. We see, how absolutely different equipment falls, at different stages of flight, (Cuban), and front (Priamurye) falls in different parts of our country as in elite. This universal and complex problem.

– What situation in respect of engineering structure? It is known that in space branch there is a problem of the dropped-out professional link. Whether there is such problem in aviation branch?

– After disintegration of the USSR we lost aviation branch more than astronautics. At the beginning of 1990-x years the Russian space agency which tightened under itself the branch enterprises was created. In aircraft by any distinct managing director of structure it was not created. Minaviaprom was abolished, there was an aviation department which wandered from the ministry of transport and in the Ministry of Economics. We still had problem of absence of normal department on the management of branch.

We lost much. In a deplorable state still there is Mikoyan and Tupolev’s experimental design bureau. At "Ilyushin" too not everything is good. More or less afloat remained only "Sukhoi" thanks to deliveries to India and China. To restore capacities, of course, it is possible, but a situation the given branch science – TsAGI complicates, TsIAM, NIAP. In particular, big losses are in engine-building. It prevents to pass Russia to planes of the fifth generation.

Earlier everything was clear. Minaviaprom was the customer defining development of branch for 15-20 years forward with attraction of an aviation science. Then orders for production were issued by CB designer, and the industry only then started to work.

In Russia this chain was broken off. Plants almost independently are engaged in production, having CB at plant. However, at the expense of such economy they actually also survived. But now this "handicraft" scheme of completely got rid, it is necessary to recreate a chain and to be engaged in restoration of institutes of a branch science.

I will give an example, now in plans construction of the main MS-21 plane. It is developed by NPK "Irkut", and will make Irkutsk aircraft factory. Though in principle any Moscow CB should conduct development.

The situation remains not clear even in the sphere of strategic aircraft. It seems as Shoygu suspended development of Perspective aviation complex of distant aircraft (PAK YES), having counted on Tu-160. The potential, of course, remained with the Russian aircraft. In particular, it is necessary to allocate AHK "Sukhoi", though in its work not everything is smooth.

Aircraft – business difficult. To design the plane always it is possible, and here to construct – is not present, especially, if we want to create cars with use of only domestic details and devices. For example, at us serious problems with the equipment, avionics and with accessories.

Example of how it is necessary to create the plane in such conditions, "Sukhoi" Superjet, where even the chassis – import is. In Soviet period in Bitter (nowadays – Nizhny Novgorod), the chassis was made for all types of planes and even for "Snow-storm". Problems with the chassis at our country never was.

Alexey Zakvasin