Posted on 03/28/2006 8:39:34 AM PST by spetznaz
The Russian air force is buying 24 new Su-34 fighter bombers. This is the latest variant of the Su-27. The Su-34 is somewhat like the American F-15E, a high performance fighter modified to act as a very effective bomber. Aside from it's similarity to the F-15E, the Su-34 has one very distinguishing characteristic. The cockpit for the two man crew not only allows for tandem (side-by-side) seating, but is spacious enough for the pilots to stand up and, standing behind their seats, stretch a bit. There is also a toilet and cooking facilities back there as well. The cockpit itself is protected with 17mm lightweight armor. The canopy does not open, as the pilots enter via a hatch near the front landing gear. The cockpit is pressurized for operations under 33,000 feet (above that, they have to wear the usual flight gear). Although the Su-34 looks like a fighter, it's as heavy as a bomber (44 tons max) and can carry up to eight tons of weapons. It's 77 feet long, with a wingspan of 48 feet. By comparison, the F-15E is 36 tons, 64 feet long and with a 43 foot wingspan. An even more lavishly equipped (with sensors) version is in development, to replace the Su-24 (for long range precision bombing.)
Also someone needs to tell the folks over at Strategypage that Tandem Seating is not the same as side-to-side seating. Tandem is when one pilot seats behind the other (eg in the F-14, the F-15E, the SU-30MKI), while side-by-side is in planes like the above Platypus and our A-6 Intruder.
Anyways, pretty looking (although a frontal view shows why it is also known as the Platypus).
Hell, if they had extended the fuselage a bit more, they would have had room to do the cossack dance up there.
Where's the bar and the disco lights?
User friendly, eh? So these puppies run OS X?
Yea, thats why there's only 24 of them :o)
Hah. They're about 10 million short of Apple, then.
How about during a dogfight, the pilot smells smoke and "we're hit, we're hit", the co-pilot says " nyet, I left the stove on and burned the toast".
Now THAT would be a bad moment. Nothing as bad as having such a situation occur while in the john (reminds me of that scene from Jurassic park where the guy in the toilet gets munched up by a T-rex).
That's a sweet looking bird. I want one. It would look good next to my F22.
lavatory? I hope that the pilot does not need to make any sharp turns or barrel rolls.
Pilot: "Bullseye, I think I got a problem with my IFF."
EW: "What are you seeing, Eagle One?"
Pilot: "Well, dont tell anyone, but I'm showing a Honey Pot at Angels 30, doing 300 knots, bearing 230 off my nose."
EW: "Eagle One, bracket the Honey Pot at 230, come back with a visual".
Talk about getting caught with your pants down!
Not a problem as long as one practices the Middle Eastern custom of limiting the right hand for eating......
"Are you requesting a fly by Baruska 31?"
"That is a negative tower, I am just finishing my grill cheese sandwich."
There you go reminding me of the telly programs I used to see when I was a kid (and I'm sure loooong before that as well). They would talk about flying cars and stuff, and one of them (this Brit program called 'Beyond 2000') made it seem that flying vehicles were just around the next corner.
Well, it is 2006, and my vehicle still has 4 wheels (5 if you include the spare) and is still 100% terrestrial.
I should sue!
And it even has the kitchen sink. H'mmm a humpback whale appearance
Marine EA-6Bs have a 4-person crew, a pilot and three Electronic Counter-measures Officers (ECMOs). I saw a female ECMO being interviewed on TV. She was asked, "What is the biggest challenge that you experience with the EA-6B?". Her answer, "Using the relief tube."
I remember that prog. With someone and Tiu Leak
Useful for when nothing else works, as in "throwing everything at them including the kitchen sink".
It's like having an amplifier that goes to 11 -- when you need that little "extra".
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