NOVOSIBIRSK. March 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The third mass-produced Su-34 plane may make its maiden flight in November this year, Fyodor Zhdanov, director general of the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association (NAPO), told Interfax.
"We are building three aircraft at the moment, and one of them may make its maiden flight in November," he said.
The state contract on the S-34 production program for 2007 amounts to 1.7 billion rubles ($64.77 million), Zhdanov said during a visit of Novosibirsk region Governor Viktor Tolokonsky to NAPO. The association has paid for metal for making a few more Su-34s, which will be laid down later.
The first two Su-34 planes were handed over to the Russian Air Force in December last year.
The association is also involved in the Su-24 plane modernization program. It is to upgrade 12 aircraft of the type, as compared to four in 2006.
The main feature of the Su-34 is its high payload and wide list range of guided air-launched weapons it has, which coupled with the air-refueling capability and provisions for external fuel tanks is responsible for the aircraft supreme performance, including as far as survivability in combat is concerned.
The Su-34 is equipped with powerful avionics with multiplexer-type data exchange capability provided by the multi-role active phased array. The aircraft also features systems responsible for effective countermeasures.
The new warplane can effectively destroy land- and sea-based targets, including pinpoint ones, using the wide range of its air-launched weapons in any weather day and night.
The aircraft has a normal takeoff weight of 38,240 kg, the max payload of 8,000 kg, a service ceiling of 15 km, the max near Earth speed (without armament attached) of 1,400 km/h and 1,900 km/h at high altitudes, and the max effective radius (without air refueling and external fuel tanks) of 1,100 km. The plane is operated by two crewmembers. It is propelled by two AL-31F engines, 12,500 kg of thrust each.
The weapon suite includes a 30-mm cannon with the carried load of 150 rounds, guided air-to-air missiles of four types, guided air-to-surface missiles, aerial bombs, including smart bombs, and free rockets. The aircraft has 12 hard points.