Sukhoi has crashed

[gau8av]

that 1 engine remaining probably ensured a crash landing and not a total write off crash. Notice both nozzles in different direction.

I think off centre nozzles are normal when off

 

[ejaz007]

India Ordering, Modernizing SU-30MKIs

Post-crash investigation rules out engines or pilots, who performed heroically – suspicion falling on troublesome FBW system.

Oct 14/14: Crash. An IAF SU-30MKI crashes about 20 km from Pune airbase. Wing Commander Sidharth Vishwas Munje survived the type’s first crash in Indian service as a co-pilot, which was also a dangerous low-altitude ejection. The pilots apparently did quite a job, as Shiv Aroor reports:

“They grappled to control a doomed fighter and eject only after ensuring it would glide into a sugarcane field, away from a built-up area that may have been the site of impact had the pilots chosen to eject earlier…. The IAF is still piecing together the full sequence of events, though it appears clear at this time that Munje and his junior had mere seconds to take a decision after lift-off.”

Both escaped safely. So far, the flight data recorder isn’t indicating engine problems (q.v. July 20/14 entry), or pilot error, which is fixing suspicion on the fly-by-wire system. The Court of Inquiry has just begun its investigation, but this wouldn’t be the 1st time FBW has been an issue (q.v. Aug 5/12). At this point, however, it’s all conjecture. Sources: India PIB, “IAF SU30 Crashed” | Livefist, “Twice Lucky: Pilot In Yesterday’s Su-30 Crash Also Survived 1st MKI Crash In 2009″ and “Flanker Trouble: Did Fly-By-Wire Glitch Crash IAF Su-30?” | Bangalore Mirror, “No engine failure, pilot error in Sukhoi crash” | Deccan Chronicle, “Cause of Sukhoi-30 crash unclear”.

India Ordering, Modernizing SU-30MKIs

 

[gau8av]

but how did they maneuver it away from the built up area if the FBW was faulty ?

 

[halfilhal]

but how did they maneuver it away from the built up area if the FBW was faulty ?

Foonk maar ke.

 

[gau8av]

Foonk maar ke.

lol

but I'm thinking a faulty fly-by-wire system that resulted in a crash would mean total loss of control, anyway, I'm no expert

@gambit .. thoughts ?

 

[xyxmt]

Now French aerospace industry is putting their reputation on line.

 

[rockstarIN]

@sancho, FBW software is Indian or French in MKI?

 

[MokshaVimukthi]

lol

but I'm thinking a faulty fly-by-wire system that resulted in a crash would mean total loss of control, anyway, I'm no expert

@gambit .. thoughts ?

Wrong. That happens only in an inherently unstable aircraft like the LCA. Su 30MKI is an aerodynamically stable aircraft.

 

[sancho]

@sancho, FBW software is Indian or French in MKI?

The system should be Russian, not sure if we made custom software for it, but why should it be French? Never heared about that, only about French navigation or IFF systems.

 

[gambit]

lol

but I'm thinking a faulty fly-by-wire system that resulted in a crash would mean total loss of control, anyway, I'm no expert

@gambit .. thoughts ?

Wrong. That happens only in an inherently unstable aircraft like the LCA. Su 30MKI is an aerodynamically stable aircraft.

A fly-by-wire flight control system (FBW-FLCS) is not confined to inherently pitch unstable aircrafts, like the pioneer F-16 and just about every major fighter out there.

NOT confined.

The latest Boeing and Airbus products are FBW-FLCS and airliners are of the stable design, correct ? And we definitely do not want terrified human cargo as their transport is doing 9gs.

If the aircraft is a FBW-FLCS design, and if there is no mechanical back up, any fault in the FLCS, be it from design or from operation, like a bird strike that clogged the air data probe, odds of complete loss of control increases dramatically, and that could lead to a crash.

Pitch instability greatly increases maneuverability, meaning pitch instability make it easier for the aircraft to perform maneuvers more quickly and with greater range of motion. Can we design a pitch stable fighter to perform maneuvers as good as the F-16 ? Absolutely, the FLCS would have extraordinary authority to command the surfaces to move at rates and ranges that are greater than the design that is pitch unstable. But why ? The FLCS mechanical components for this design would have to be extraordinarily strong and physically imposing enough to overcome the aircraft's natural resistant to deviate from stable flight, especially at near Mach speed. So while in theory it is possible to design a pitch stable fighter than can maneuver like the pitch unstable F-16, in practice, it make no sense philosophically and financially.

The Su-30MKI is a FBW-FLCS design. If something happened to the FLCS in flight, it does not matter one whit if the fighter was designed pitch stable or unstable. The severity of the fault will determine the consequences.

 

[janon]

Wrong. That happens only in an inherently unstable aircraft like the LCA. Su 30MKI is an aerodynamically stable aircraft.

Su-30MKI is longitudinally unstable.