Su-33s on the Admiral Kuznetsov

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


I'm actually surprised they don't have it to be honest. It would give them a much higher payload off the deck. It'll be interesting if Russia goes ahead with plans for a catapult equipped carrier though. These would be great planes to fly off one of those.

At the same time I'm surprised there isn't a catapult system in place, on the British carries when they used the Harriers the ski jump aided the harrier to take off but that was helped with the aid of the harriers nozzles. Does the russain aircraft carrier have a longer runway compared to let's say US carriers ? If not the flankers must have some mighty thrust

Originally posted by Zaphod58

Fifth gen is a long long way from dead. UCAVs are useless for air to air combat because of lag time.

The time lag can be less than a second depending on the range to the controller and in beyond visual range (BVR) air combat that amount of time lag is negligible. In within visual range (WVR) combat the lag is more of a disadvantage but with no pilot the UCAV could pull significantly more G. In future there could be UCAVs with air to air capability. Stealth could make the small BVR lag almost insignificant. For now though I believe you are correct 5th gen fighters are a long way from obsolete.

Originally posted by cavtrooper7
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

Yes but don't our F18s have the envelope over the 33s?

The Su-33 is superior in almost all areas of flight performance to the F/A-18C and F/A-18E. Higher thrust to weight, superior agility and turn performance, greater range and top speed, superior high alpha and rate of climb.

www.ausairpower.net...

reply to post by Zaphod58


It must be a slow news day on the Aviationist website? This is footage from a year ago during the Kuznetsov Task Force Mediterranean deployment in late 2011 early 2012. Link to January 2012 aired footage.

The footage is from the Kuznetsov during the return home.

Uploaded on 31 Jan 2012 Russian squadron, led by heavy aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" leaves the Mediterranean Sea, to go back to Murmansk. During his long voyage the crew conducted dozens of different exercises, and carrier-based aircraft crews flew more than 120 hours.

www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by SplitInfinity
If you watched that video carefully you would notice the Aircraft in it had Russian Winter Land Camo painted on

Split, that is the standard AVMF camouflage that has been on the Russian Navy Su-33 for years. It doesn't change. Nothing to do with 'winter land' camouflage. It is designed to suit maritime operations. Do you honestly think that they repaint them during the summer months?

reply to post by tommyjo


My point is that if this aircraft were to be actually used on a full time basis instead of being used for the sake of pictures and propaganda...it would be painted the same way that all U.S. Navy Aircraft upon a Carrier are painted...in a manner to blend in with the sea...just as all Naval Ships are painted.

If this Aircraft was on a Carrier in this paint scheme it would stand out like a sore thumb.

These Russian Aircraft are not continuously stationed at sea on an aircraft carrier but are stationed on Land. They were filmed taking off of that Carrier for the sake of the Propaganda Film and shortly after were sent back to their Home Air Base which is on LAND.

Split Infinity

Originally posted by SplitInfinity

These Russian Aircraft are not continuously stationed at sea on an aircraft carrier but are stationed on Land. They were filmed taking off of that Carrier for the sake of the Propaganda Film and shortly after were sent back to their Home Air Base which is on LAND.

Split Infinity

Split,
You clearly don't understand that the footage was filmed during the deployment to the Mediterranean. This deployment started on the 6 December 2011 and finished with Kuznetsov returning to home port on the 17 February 2012. The deployment incorporated a visit to Tartus, Syria and full scale exercises in the Mediterranean with the rest of the combined Fleet Task Force.

You also fail to realise that what the US does is not what other nations do in regards to camouflage. The Russians have always incorporated colours such as blue and blue grey on their carrier operated aircraft.

The colours were used in the initial scheme applied to the Su-33 when it first deployed on the Kuznetsov. The following image is from 1996 during an exercise in the Mediterranean with the US Navy.



Link to current Su-33 colour scheme

The new scheme introduced in the last year or two is lighter but is still nothing to do with 'winter camouflage' as you suggest. It is a highly effective maritime scheme.

The Naval Su-25 Frogfoot trainers that also operate from the carrier carry the blue blue grey scheme.

www.airliners.net...

www.airliners.net...

The Russian Navy camouflage scheme variants were trialled on the likes of the Yak-38 Forger. After the collapse of the Soviet Union re-badged as Ukrainian.

Yak-38 Forger

reply to post by tommyjo


I am aware of both former Soviet Camo schemes as well as current Russian ones.

My point is that a country that has so little dedicated to a carrier program as to not even have taken the time to devote specific aircraft using specific Carrier use camo for full time use upon such carrier...and I say Carrier as I do not believe they ever used these aboard any more than one...is a country that is just going through the motions for purpose to show they can also do it.

The U.S. Carrier Program is specific and Naval Aviators use very specific aircraft that have very specific avionics and very specific training as well as just about everything to do with Carrier launched aircraft having specific weapons, paint, tailhooks...etc.

You will not see a bunch of Superhornets used for Carrier Operations being used only on a part time basis at sea.

Split Infinity