Crazy Ivans ... or, what Russian Su-35 pilots will do for a buck

[SBD-3]

This is one of those stories that's so crazy it is probably true.

Here's how it goes: A Russian movie company hires two Sukhoi pilots to film a couple of stunts. The pilots agree to take off without a canopy.

Apparently following a plot-twist in the film, the back-seat pilot ejects from the aircraft while the front-seater keeps flying.

(As a friend of mine notes: "Why use dummies when you can use real Russian pilots? Those guys are amazing." )

The front-seater later claims he flew beyond Mach 2.0 ... with an open canopy! And then he says: "While on this speed I even managed to pull out my fingers in glove for an inch or two outside - it became heated very fast because of immense friction force plane undergoes with the air."

Oh, and this was all done with Sukhoi's tail number 801, which is nothing less than the SU-35UB prototype -- one of the most advanced jets Sukhoi ever built!!!

 

[ptldM3]

Offensfull title, the part about ejecting at mach 2 doesn't sound possible, atleast not without broken bones.

Look into what the Americans did during filming TopGun.

The Navy committed the use of an entire F-14 fighter squadron( VF-51 Screaming Eagles which Tom Skerrit mentions in the scene at his home) to the film, which went through the standard 16-week Top Gun training curriculum. Paramount paid as much as $7,800 per hour for fuel and other operating costs whenever aircraft were flown outside of their normal duties. Shots of the aircraft carrier sequences were filmed aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The majority of the shots were of normal aircraft operations and the film crew had to make use of the shots they could, save for the occasional flyby which the film crew would request. During filming, the director Tony Scott wanted to shoot aircraft landing and taking off, back-lit by the sun. During one particular filming sequence, the ship's commanding officer changed the ship's course, thus changing the light. When Scott asked if they could continue on their previous course and speed, he was informed by the commander that it cost $25,000 to turn the ship, and to continue on course. Scott wrote the carrier's captain a $25,000 check so that the ship could be turned and he could continue shooting for another five minutes

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGk79pj.../**http%3a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gun

 

[jagjitnatt]

Title needs a little change. They are not doing this for some bucks. They do this cause they are capable of doing this. They've got the guts and the talent.

Hats off to these pilots.

 

[karan.1970]

I agree.. the title is demeaning and belittles the courage of folks who are way more brave and capable than the internet warriors on this forum

 

[booo]

sukhoi test pilots are crazy as hell. http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-photos-multimedia/32973-flanker-pictures-9.html#post644781

At times the pilots of the team went too far in their desire to impress the spectators, ignoring safety. At the Hydro Aviation Show 1996 Kvochur descended to just 5 m (16ft) above the water. This infuriated Sukhoi OKB General Designer Mikhail Simonov so much, that he barred Kvochur from the flying-display and the jet was flown by another pilot for the rest of the show.