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Early-production Soviet Su-7 tactical fighters
at the Vozdvizhenka airfield between 1959 and 1966.
The first examples of the early-production Su-7 variant arrived at the 523rd Regiment in June 1959, straight from the Komsomolsk factory also located in the Far East. The regiment actively participated in the testing phase of the new fighter. The term 'Su-7 fighter' is not a typo; these early-production Su-7 'Fitter-A's were manufactured for the fighter role rather than as bombers, and at the time, they were direct competitors to the MiG-21 type within the Soviet Frontal Aviation.
On October 6, 1959, military testing of the Su-7 frontline fighter commenced at the regiment's base. This process was facilitated by the proximity of the manufacturer, which allowed for the rapid resolution of emerging issues. The Su-7s differed significantly from the familiar MiG-17s. The lack of operational trainers, combined with the numerous 'teething troubles' of a still highly unrefined and incomplete aircraft, demanded monumental efforts from all participants in the testing program.
The unreliability of the AL-7F-1 engine was particularly problematic, compounded by its brief 25-to-50-hour (and in reality, even shorter) service life. Consequently, the prohibited the early-model Su-7 from taxiing under its own power. The aircraft was towed to the runway by a tractor, and the engine was started only then. Upon landing, the aircraft cleared the runway, the engine was promptly shut down, and the Su-7 was towed back to the parking apron.
In addition to the limited engine lifespan, the Su-7 was subject to numerous flight envelope restrictions. Rather than being eased as testing progressed, these limitations actually intensified.The tight internal packaging and narrow access panels made maintenance extremely difficult; reaching certain components occasionally required the removal of several other parts. Even securing the numerous electrical connectors demanded a degree of manual dexterity that frequently pushed the limits of ingenuity.Technicians ironically dubbed the Su-7 'the safest aircraft to service in winter.' They pointed out—with a grain of truth—that a tool could only be inserted into an access hatch if one removed their gloves. Since the cold metal would instantly freeze to the skin, it was impossible to drop anything or leave it inside the aircraft; the tool remained firmly frozen to the hand.
Despite the difficulties, testing continued and officially concluded on May 16, 1960. These very early-production Su-7 fighters suffered from numerous technical issues on the regiment, resulting in low operational reliability. The primary source of failures was the early AL-7F-1 engine.
To replace its losses, the 523rd Regiment received Su-7BM variants too in 1964. One of the main features of this more refined variant was an upgraded, higher-capacity fuel system.The aircraft were fitted with the AL-7F-1-150 engine and were later equipped with the upgraded AL-7F-1-200 variant, which boasted a 200-hour service life as production progressed.The new Su-7BM fighter-bomber was also capable of delivering nuclear weapons.Furthermore, it was equipped with the KS-3 ejection seat, which enabled safe ejection at speeds of up to 1,100 km/h. During level flight, the minimum safe ejection altitude was 30 to 50 meters, provided the aircraft maintained a speed of at least 300 km/h.
The capabilities of this new ejection seat were sorely needed, as the regiment lost 12 Su-7 aircraft in the sixties. There was even a pilot—a veteran of the GKorean War—who successfully ejected from a Su-7 ‘Fitter-A’ twice while serving with the 523rd Regiment.
Left: An early-production Su-7 fighter of the 523rd Regiment displayed at the Vozdvizhenka airfield in the 1990s. The regiment's military decorations were painted onto the monument.
In 1966, the regiment lost two Su-7s, both as a result of low-altitude engine malfunction. On April 25, 1966, the regiment's commander was killed, followed by a young pilot on August 12. The regiment commander's aircraft—a basic Su-7 manufactured on September 30, 1959—had logged 373 hours and 38 minutes of flight time. The airframe had undergone three overhauls, the last of which was completed on January 7, 1966, after which its structural service life was calibrated to 600 hours. The AL-7F-1-200U engine... manufactured on October 7, 1964, possessed a service life of 200 hours.
Both early-production Su-7s were equipped with the KS-1 ejection seat, which, due to its substandard performance, could not guarantee successful ejection during low-altitude emergencies. Following the two fatal crashes, the 523rd Regiment grounded its early-production Su-7s in August 1966. In their stead, the regiment received the final production variant of the aircraft family, the Su-7BKL.
Over a 10-year period (1960–1969), the 523rd Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment suffered 12 Su-7 ‘Fitter-A’ losses, resulting in five pilot fatalities in the Soviet Far-East. Out of these, eight involved baseline Su-7 aircraft, while four involved Su-7BM variants. Eleven of the incidents were attributed to techncal failure, and one was caused by pilot spatial disorientation during a night sortie.
In addition to the Su-7, the 523rd Regiment also operated the legacy MiG-17 type as a close air support aircraft. Furthermore, it maintained an unusual 4th Squadron, which was staffed by pilots tasked with ferrying Su-7s directly from the Komsomolsk-na-Amur factory to operational units deployed in Central and Eastern Europe. In the second half of the 1960s, the regiment possessed a fleet of 82 aircraft, including Su-7BM/BKL/U, MiG-17, and MiG-15UTI variants! They actively practiced redeployment to other sites, including unpaved airfields, and subsequently executed strike missions against ground targets, even during snowy winter periods.
In 1970, the frontline squadrons of the 523rd Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment replaced their Su-7BM/BKLs with the Su-17 ‘Fitter-C’ variant.
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Source:
- Lieutenant General of Aviation Pyotr Nikolaevich Masalitin recollections
- AiK 12-2006, AiK 05-2006
Tags:
Soviet Union, USSR, Soviet Air Forces, VVS, Cold War, Soviet Far Eastern Military District, 1st Tactical Air Army 1968, 1st Special Tactical Air Army 1968, 303rd Mixed Air Division, Ussuri, 303rd Mixed Aviation Division, 523rd Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, Vozdvizhenka, 523rd Fighter Bomber Aviation Regiment, Su-7BM, Su-7BKL Fitter-A, MiG-17 Fresco, Mikoyan and Gurevich, Sukhoi, Mil, Yakovlev, Sino-Soviet border conflict, Zhenbao (Damansky) Island,
блако тегов:
Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, СССР, Военно-воздушные силы, Холодная война, ДальВО, Дальневосточный ВО, Дальневосточный военный округ, 1-й ВА ДВО, ОДВА, ВВС ОДВА, 1-я воздушная армия, 1-я ВА, 303-й Смоленской Краснознаменной смешанной авиадивизии, Уссурийск, 303-я САД, 523-й Оршанский краснознаменный орденов Суворова, Кутузова и А.Невского истребительно бомбардировочный авиационный полк, 523-й ИБАП, Воздвиженка, МиГ-17, Су-7, Су-7БМ, Су-7БКЛ, Микоян и Гуревич, Сухой, Мил, Яковлев, Пограничный конфликт на острове Даманском, Советско-китайский раскол