Aircraft
First Su-30SM for Russian Air Force Flies
The first Su-30SM for the Russian Air Force was still unpainted when it made its first flight on September 21. (Photo: Irkut)
The first Su-30SM for the Russian Air Force was still unpainted when it made its first flight on September 21. (Photo: Irkut)

The first Sukhoi Su-30SM two-seat multirole fighter performed its maiden flight on September 21, followed four days later by the second Su-30SM. Sukhoi test pilot Sergei Kostin and navigator Pavel Malovechko served as the crew on both occasions. Flight durations were two hours and one hour 40 minutes, respectively, and both flights were uneventful. Both missions originated from the aerodrome of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAZ) in Western Siberia. IAZ is the main manufacturing site for Irkut.

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