The test pilot of the Sukhoi company, Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan, is deservedly called a show stopper. When he pilots a Su-35 or Su-57 fighter at the most famous air shows in the world, all participants and visitors freeze with their heads up in the sky. During Dubai Exhibition Airshow 2017 Bogdan told TASS about the secrets of aerobatics on the Su-35 aircraft and the capabilities of this aircraft.

In one of your interviews, you said that you first flew the Su-35 in February 2008, that is, next year you have a kind of anniversary with "thirty-fifth". How well did you study this aircraft?

As for the modes of stability and controllability, maneuverability, aerodynamics of the Su-35, here, of course, I have gone through everything and comprehended "from and to". But when it comes to combat modes, there are a lot of specifics.

We have many pilots and there are certain directions. While one is engaged, for example, in aerodynamics, the other is mastering some kind of combat modes. I also did a lot of them, but did not test everything. It is simply physically impossible to do everything, because the plane flies at different bases. There are separate modes that I am familiar with not from flights, but only from video materials.

- What is your overall flight time?

More than 6000 flights, about 5800 hours. Of these, the Su-35 has about 700 hours.

- Does the hot weather here in Dubai prevent you from piloting?

Yes, here, let’s say, it’s quite warm, but at the MAKS air show we observed such conditions more than once when the air temperature was above 30 degrees. This is quite normal weather, and, by the way, it is very significant that the thrust of the Su-35 engines allows you to maintain all the characteristics of the aircraft and perform a complex of aerobatic maneuvers.

Description

Yes, here (in the UAE) the conditions are somewhat different - the horizon is blurred, the terrain is camouflaged, but there are no significant features. In Russia, of course, there is a more contrasting terrain, here is a flat dusty-sand surface, but there are basic landmarks, so nothing interferes with piloting.

- Is this your first time performing in Dubai?

Yes, the first one.

- How did you get to the UAE?

I took off from Zhukovsky, landed in Astrakhan, and then here. But in principle, the Su-35 has a large fuel supply, it was possible to fly farther. If desired, you can go back to Moscow directly. I think that such a flight is possible. On long hauls, we fly in a fairly economical mode.

We go on airways just like civil aviation

The speed on the route is about 950-1000 km / h, for civil aircraft it is about the same, in the region of 850 km / h. We go along the air routes in the same way as civil aviation. The only thing is that we choose the largest echelons, above 13 km. As a rule, passengers are not carried there.

- What is the meaning of aerobatics on combat aircraft within the cabin, except for the show itself?

For specialists, it is clear that such exotic figures have certain restrictions on height and area of ​​​​execution. Since all this is carried out at low and extremely low altitudes, the high stability and controllability of the aircraft immediately becomes visible. Thanks to the reliability of control systems, safety is ensured, and this is a very important factor for combatant pilots.

The aircraft can lose speed and take almost any position in space

It is very important in combat, since the aircraft can lose speed and take almost any position in space, in any range and at any angle of attack, reach the target and remain stable.

- Does the deflectable (controlled) thrust vector of the Su-35 require any special control systems?

No, no separate controls are required, thrust vectoring is always on the aircraft. The only thing is that there is a special super-maneuverability mode, where restrictions on the angle of attack are removed, and the Su-35 can reach any values, up to +/- 180 degrees.

Tell us more about the Su-35 aerobatics program - what maneuvers are you showing in Dubai these days, what are the specifics of their performance?

A short takeoff is performed - the plane takes off and literally in three or four seconds at a speed of 170 km / h takes off from the ground. For a heavy fighter, this is very good performance- The Su-35 demonstrates the ability to take off from a damaged or shortened runway, that is, it can take off literally 300 meters after the start of the run.

Then a loop is performed from takeoff - this indicates a high thrust-to-weight ratio. After it, the plane, without losing speed, performs another full loop. In general, no one, except for Sukhoi aircraft, did this.

Next, a turn is made on a hill - the plane gains altitude, then vigorously turns in the opposite direction, literally in four seconds. This figure is of practical importance in terms of re-attacking the target.

Su-35 performs a 360-degree turn to search for a potential enemy and then continues its maneuver

Then an oblique loop is performed, and on it the aircraft enters high angles of attack and spins in a tailspin. This is also of practical importance. If, for example, during an air battle an enemy is tied behind an aircraft, then at the top point a quick turn around its axis is possible, a search for a target and an instant attack. It is difficult to get away from the aircraft behind, and this shows how the Su-35 can get out of position without losing stability and controllability. He performs a 360-degree turn to search for a potential enemy and then continues his maneuver.

This is followed by a somersault-type loop, when the aircraft performs a Nesterov loop in a very short time. But this loop is specific - very large angles of attack, and the plane practically "tumbles" in place. The point is that the pilot does not lose control over the machine even at supercritical angles of attack. For a fraction of a second, the aircraft enters a negative flow - that is, it flies tail first, and its g-force is near zero and even negative.

The parameters of this figure are such that the aircraft descends from high angles of attack at an altitude of about 300 m

The Su-35 aircraft is very stable, and for specialists this is very indicative, and for the general public it is an incredibly beautiful and dynamic aerobatics.

After that, an almost vertical slide and a flip "over the head" are performed - the aircraft quickly does a somersault at the top point and switches to parachuting vertically down with an angle of attack of 90 degrees. A turn or one and a half turns of a corkscrew is performed. Here we also show that the figure is safe, and the aircraft does not lose its stability and controllability. It is important that it can be stopped in time and brought into level flight at a safe altitude. The parameters of this figure are such that the aircraft descends from high angles of attack at an altitude of about 300 meters.

A "corkscrew roll" is performed - the aircraft enters at high angles of attack, rotates, and then performs a pass at a minimum speed, which sometimes reaches 70 km / h with an angle of attack of about 70 degrees.

The reverse course is performed at a minimum speed of about 200 km / h, and again for specialists this says a lot about the aircraft. Large angle of attack, low altitude, the aircraft is stable. After that, vigorous acceleration is performed - a speed of about 750 km / h at an overload of 9g - the aircraft performs a loop with rotation in space and exits from it.

Full afterburner is turned on, and the car "hangs" in place

After that - exit to the "bell", but at the top point the plane does not "fall" tail down, as usual, but demonstrates high engine thrust. It slows down during the "fade" at the top point, and then traction is added, full afterburner is turned on, and the car "hangs" in place.

Then, at high angles of attack of about 70 degrees, the aircraft gradually accelerates to 350-400 km / h and performs an energetic turn at supercritical angles of attack - that is, the aircraft lifts its nose and literally turns in the opposite direction in just two seconds. After that, spatial rotation is performed - input in one direction with an overload of about seven units and then shifting in the opposite direction with access to a speed of about 100 km / h and with an angle of attack of about 60 degrees. At an altitude of about 600 m, the aircraft at this speed is perfectly controlled. Next - landing gear and landing.

- Do you want to speak at some foreign air show on the Su-57?

PAK FA flies at domestic air shows, and if necessary, we will show it abroad, this is not a problem. But, frankly, participating in an air show for a test pilot is a secondary job.

This is not our main activity, we are busy with other things. However, participation in such events is certainly useful. See what others can do, how they do it, how best to show the properties of the aircraft. We learn from each other, this is a useful school. Participation in an air show is always a great, positive experience, and every pilot strives for this, realizes it in one way or another.

You, like the Swifts and the Russian Knights, have their own fan clubs: people come from different cities to watch your performances. Eminent pilots are protected from "star disease", what do you think?

To be honest, I don't know anything about my fan clubs. I have great respect for aviation enthusiasts who come day and night, any day, take planes from somewhere behind the fence. I bow before their love for aviation, before their knowledge about it. It is worth a lot, of course, they are very professional in their knowledge.

I have friends who love aviation so much that even I learn a lot from them. They say, for example, about the T-50, that some new hatch was installed on it or something new was screwed on. Interesting! And the star disease ... It seems to me that it depends on the character. I don't know if I have it or not. From the side, it's probably better.

We talked Anna Yudina And Alexey Panshin

Sergei Bogdan was born on March 27, 1962 in the city of Volsk, Saratov Region. His childhood was spent in Voskresensk, Moscow Region, where his parents moved shortly after his birth. The latest combat aircraft often flew over his house, which were tested at the nearby Zhukovsky airfield, so even as a child, Bogdan wanted to become a military pilot. Subsequently, he became an honorary citizen of Voskresensk.

In 1983, Bogdan graduated from the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School named after V.P. Chkalov and after that, until 1987, he served in the Leningrad Military District in the 67th Aviation Regiment of Fighter-Bombers (Siversky airfield), where he piloted the Su-17M2 fighter-bomber , then served for three years at a Soviet base in Mongolia. In 1990-1991, Bogdan was deputy squadron commander of the 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet's naval aviation (Gvardeyskoye airfield).

Bogdan began his career as a test pilot in 1991. He studied at the Test Pilot Training Center (TsPLI), and since 1993, at the State Flight Test Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (GLITs, the former Air Force Research Institute), he successively held the positions of test pilot, deputy and commander aviation squadron fighter aircraft flight test services. In parallel, Bogdan studied and graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute.

At the state flight test center, Bogdan mastered 57 types and modifications of aircraft, including the Su-17, Su-25, Su-27, MiG-23, MiG-29, Su-30MKK, Su-25TM and MiG-29S. In addition, he made the first landings on the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Fleet Soviet Union Kuznetsov" of the Su-25UTG and Su-33 aircraft. In 2000, Bogdan was awarded the Order of Courage and in the same year he was transferred to the reserve with the rank of colonel.

Since 2000, after retiring, Bogdan continued his career as a test pilot at the flight test and development base of the Sukhoi company, tested various prototypes and production models of combat aircraft of this design bureau, including the Su-30MK2, Su-27SKM and experimental fighter with a reverse-swept wing Su-47. He made demonstration flights at aviation exhibitions in Russia (MAKS-1999 - MAKS-2005) and in France (Le Bourget 2005). In April 2006, Bogdan received the title of Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation.

Back in 2003, Bogdan began to prepare for testing the latest Russian fifth-generation fighter PAK FA (Promising Aviation Complex of Frontal Aviation, T-50), developed by Sukhoi. He took off his first prototype on January 29, 2010 from the factory airfield in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and subsequently made the first flights on other copies of this fighter.

Decree of the President Russian Federation for courage and heroism, high professional excellence shown during the testing and implementation of new aviation technology, Sergey Leonidovich Bogdan on May 23, 2011 was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. At a solemn ceremony in the Kremlin, he was awarded a special distinction - the Gold Star medal.

- Sergey Leonidovich, tell us, please,
about your flight training: how did it start, how and where did you master it in theory
and in practice, the world of aviation - in general, where is your flying Alma Mater? What was the most
difficult in learning to fly at the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation
pilot school and at the Test Pilot Training Center (TsPLI), which you
finished?

- First I graduated from college, then I served in combat units for 8 years - and
precisely in three places: in the Leningrad, Zabaikalsky (Mongolia) military
districts, then we were transferred to the fleet. All regiments from Mongolia were disbanded, and our
lucky, you might say. Pilot-cosmonaut Georgy was forever enrolled in our regiment
Dobrovolsky, who died during landing in the 70s (the crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft with
cosmonauts G. Dobrovolsky, V. Volkov and V. Patsaev - approx. auth.), so it was not disbanded, but sent to the fleet.

After 8 years of service, I entered the test pilot school. Was in that
including a military test pilot. From 1991 to 2000 he was in
Akhtubinsk in the TsPLI.

What is the difference between a military test pilot
from the usual?

- A military test pilot is a representative of the customer, that is
Ministry of Defense, which orders a fighter, helicopter, bomber
or something different. The industry creates this plane, and then you need to understand
what was produced. For this, the full scope of tests is carried out by the military
pilots.

At the first stage, the aircraft is tested by civil test pilots of the Design Bureau.
The task of this stage (this is a fairly large stage, tens, hundreds, and sometimes
thousands of flights) flight design factory tests - to bring the aircraft to
safe state. After that, military test pilots are connected,
who test the aircraft for strength, speed, controllability,
stability, maneuverability, accuracy characteristics, how the aircraft detects
goals - that is, completely for everything and in the entire volume according to the terms of reference.
In special documents (these are manuals for testing aviation equipment)
it is clearly spelled out how to test each characteristic. These are whole
volumes of books (secret books) behind which is the work of huge teams of engineers
and pilots who test the aircraft according to the principle “from simple to complex”.

Let's return to the first question about what was
the most difficult for you during the period of study and service? The most difficult flight or the most
memorable…

- At the school, everything is built from simple to complex, this, by the way, is also the main
aviation principle. You approach any flight gradually. Very impressed with the first
flight on an L-29 aircraft (this is an initial training aircraft), when it was created
an unusual feeling: the cabin is very open, the lantern is transparent, here it is the air, you
you see everything ... There was no feeling of fear, because I was sitting with experienced
people, and the task was simply to abstract. In truth, jumping from
parachute is much more serious
trial.

In the first or second courses, “corkscrews” began - but strictly with the instructor.
On our own, we flew simple and complex aerobatics. Complex aerobatics had its
features, but as such was not anything superdifficult. Everywhere
regimes had to be strictly controlled.

In the third or fourth years, we switched to supersonic aircraft, to
MiG-21. This is a very interesting, legendary, high-spirited aircraft with a very large
controllability, especially in the transverse channel. For example, he turns the “barrels” for
second at a speed of 700-800 km / h. The plane literally touched in 40 seconds
runway - everything was very fast, so the impressions remained
strong.

Over time began combat use. In the second year, we already shot,
then they started bombing, launching rockets.

How did you get used to high
speeds?

- Everything happened over time, gradually learned to distribute attention
according to the principle "from simple to complex".

What are your impressions from coming to
regiment?

- It was very interesting in the combat regiments. In general, any flight has its own
difficulties. A new factor has also been added: yesterday you were a cadet, a pilot without
class, and today you came to a serious male team of pilots of the second and
first class and sniper pilots. We got into the leadership regiment under
Leningrad, which performed very serious tasks: supersonic flights on
extremely low altitudes, exercises with shooting and bombing, flights in pairs with
complex maneuvers and so on.

I joined the fighter-bomber regiment, we worked in pairs,
units, the exercises were carried out by squadrons, regiments. The tasks were different: drawing
hitting a target with a group of short time. Everything had to be timed.
so that there are no collisions with ammunition, so that the groups do not
intersect so that the bombs accurately hit the target. The exercises have their own nuances: for example, the goal was considered
struck only if there are at least two holes in it - at least! A
during training flights, it was enough to get into
a radius of 15 meters from the target to get an excellent rating.

If during the exercises the tasks were not achieved, they were punished seriously and
the regiment commander and the regiment itself financially, morally, up to the downgrading of the class.
Therefore, the responsibility in the exercises is always very high. But we flew very
active in any weather, and we had a lot of fun. Prepared in time
third grade, then second, first, and so on.

Why did you end up as a tester?

- I read books about testers in my childhood. About Chkalov, Gallai. me it
carried away, although I never associated myself with this work. And thoughts are not
arose. But when he flew in a combat regiment, the chief of the air fire and
tactical training Lieutenant Colonel Neznanov A. D. once told me: “ I have been watching you for a long time, you have a very
good results. I recommend trying yourself in the test". For me
it was a revelation, but decided to try. He recommended me to his friend
Sadovnikov N.F., who was then a test pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau. I
phoned Nikolai Fedorovich when he was on vacation at home in
Moscow region, arrived at the checkpoint LII them. Gromov, gave him a recommendation
letter. This is how our first acquaintance took place ... He, in turn, wrote to me
another letter of recommendation stating that I am a promising candidate
for flight test work.

At that time, we were undergoing a planned replacement in the regiment. New Commander
of our regiment sent me to Mongolia. In 1987 I left for Mongolia, and there
the unexpected happened. One of my subordinate pilots was flying, fell down
into a tailspin - and jumped (ejected). The plane was lost and I was taken off
positions. Then the regiments began to withdraw, disband, and no one was going anywhere.
sent. Plus, the time was very
difficult in the early 90s, there was no regular enrollment in school
test pilots. I could not enter from Mongolia, but I did it only
after we were transferred to the fleet. General Petrov recommended that I go
to the Akhtuba Military Test Pilot School (TsPLI) and find out if there will be
kit.

As a result, in the summer I went from Crimea to Akhtubinsk - the ticket was on June 16
there, June 19 back. I had to wait for the weekend, and on Monday I came to
Test Pilot School (TsPLI), where I was unequivocally told that I was late,
Exams have already been completed. But at that moment I clearly decided to stay and
no matter what to do.

It turned out that I went to the interview, and came immediately to the exams.
They admitted it with difficulty, because they didn’t call me (I myself came with a personal file)
and no one considered me as a candidate. Two people came to my hotel
instructor, talked and decided to admit to the exams, which I passed in
as a result, having lost 30 kilograms from stress. Then there was a terrible heat under 40
degrees plus exam stress. By the way more difficult exams I'm in my
didn't give up my life! This is also a theory (they asked questions that you could only know in
process of activity, and assessed in what right direction you
began to think, that is, the flexibility of the mind, logic), and practice, and had to fly on
a plane I haven't flown in eight years. In aviation, it is not customary to
the pilot, as they say, was immediately allowed to fly without prior
recovery. Some of the exams flew in general on airplanes, on which
never flew. But this is also the specifics of test work, I must say!

I studied at the TsPLI for two years and at the same time entered the branch of the Moscow
Aviation Institute (MAI), where he received the qualification of "test engineer".

The most difficult was the test of shipborne aviation, where aces worked. We
went on combat duty from an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic, in
the Arctic Ocean, flew from Murmansk through the Norwegian and Northern
sea ​​to the Atlantic, then went to the Mediterranean, to Syria. flew on
Su and MiG aircraft.

- What is the most important thing at work?
test pilot in terms of the moral and psychological component?

- In our environment there is such an aphorism " test pilot
has the right to lie on the couch all his life". That is, he came to work, sat down
on the sofa, to put it mildly, you watch TV ... But the work itself will not come to you. You
he himself must "search" for it. Based on how responsible you are
goal-oriented, so your range of tasks expands. If a person is not
what he doesn’t particularly strive for, he flies the simplest tasks, up to serious flights on
extreme modes, it will not come. As a rule, in one team only
several pilots fly "in full": these are extreme modes, large angles of attack,
corkscrew, maneuverability, supersonic flips, etc. It must be admitted that from
you yourself endure limitations in life, and the family suffers, but
prospects open up. For others, it’s enough to formally fly off a few flights
per week, no more.

It all depends on business qualities person, his literacy and from the fact
how reliable it is. Reliability is a quality that I have understood for myself yet
in the combat regiment. I looked at the guys - some were calm, there were no stars from the sky
they grabbed, even imperceptible, but they never failed either at the exercises, anywhere at all.

That is, human qualities are important.

— Reliability is both a human quality and a professional one. How
we used to say in Akhtubinsk, the most important thing is that a person be good, and fly
we will teach the monkey.

— Pilots must be in good health,
professional skills, to endure loads well, are accustomed to make decisions in
in the shortest possible time and in the most extreme conditions. What are the main qualities
for the pilot you allocate?

- Honesty. What is honesty? A person should not be shy, hide
their weaknesses. I mean through a professional lens. The technique is complex
modes are complex, the human factor is always present - for this reason
at least 80% of flight accidents occur. If a person can honestly
admit his mistakes, the more he is frank and does not try anything
hide, the easier the troubleshooting process. Sometimes it happens that due to time
unsaid information 20 people are forced to disassemble the plane to the screws on
frost in search of a non-existent problem. After such trust in a person
breaks down sharply.

- Flying for you is more work, image
life, habit, something else?

“Now it’s more work. In general, the attitude to flying over
time is changing. There is one property that I deduced for myself: the more
you fly, the more you want - and vice versa. It's a certain degree of adrenaline.
For example, like athletes: the more you train, the more physiology
it requires you to do it. Now most flights are quite difficult,
have to carry out extreme regimes. Based on this, you understand what
the responsibility lies with you. For any flight you need to prepare at least from
one and a half to three hours - even if you are already flying this aircraft. Each
the task of the test pilot is different from the previous one. After a quality
performance of flights, you need to make an analysis and draw up a competent report. In work
should be focused on results and quality. Emotionless.

- And as for the loads ... The astronauts during
overload time pulse reaches 110
admin., cosmic motion sickness sets in, etc. What overloads does
test pilot daily?

— There are big overloads. Basically, this is a six, seven, sometimes
nine on demoaerobatics (the pilot is under pressure,
exceeding body weight by 6, 7, 9 times -approx.
from auth.). What is an overload of nine units? Let's say a person weighs 80
kg. That is, his entire body is designed for this mass, although there is a reserve
strength determined. With an overload of nine units, it begins to weigh 720
kg. - this load is taken by the spine, everything internal organs with such
repeated weight begin to act on the separation. It's hard on the body. Not
there is enough oxygen, there is an outflow of blood from the brain, it darkens in the eyes.
For example, with an overload of three units, it is extremely difficult to raise a hand, tear it off
and switch something in the cockpit. With an overload of four units, this is practically
impossible to do. Therefore, the pilot's hands are on the controls.

I had difficult moments, of course. One day I came in for a landing
aircraft carrier, and it so happened that due to difficult weather conditions, the ship is very
wobbled a lot from side to side. If on the ground the pilot is accustomed to seeing
a sufficiently large stable strip that you enter, everything is not on the ship
So. The ship is constantly changing course, and the plane is going in a straight line, but you are constantly
they warn of a deviation - here the tension is both physiological and psychological.
You have to control everything - and everything runs before your eyes. Yes, even
suddenly there is not enough oxygen, and you start to suffocate ...

- What aerobatics do you perform
to date? Which maneuvers are still the most difficult or
underdeveloped in world aviation?

- Aerobatics I perform all that I have, of course. On our
aircraft with thrust vector control, a number of figures appeared that are uncharacteristic
for other aircraft. Given the high thrust of the engines of the Su-35 and T-50 aircraft,
you can make a sharp turn on the hill. Or, for example, if before, executing
“Bell” figure, the plane froze at zero speed and began to fall with its tail
down, now at this moment of "fading" we give full thrust - and the plane is already
does not fall anywhere, but stops and stands in the air. Moreover, from this
positions, we immediately perform a turn at high angles of attack.

- Yes, all this can be seen at the air show, where
Everyone is looking forward to performance. But still, aerobatics is not for
entertainment exists, but for air combat. The same "Bell" is needed
in order to become invisible on radar at zero speeds ...

- Yes. For example, let's take the Nesterov loop. This is a simple evasive maneuver.
If you go from another aircraft in a straight line, they will catch up with you. Pulled the handle
- the plane starts the loop. And it all depends on maneuverability. If one aircraft
makes a loop with a large radius, and the other with a small one, then it will not hold on
tail and lose the dogfight.

The more maneuverable the aircraft, the greater the advantage it has.
For example, thanks to the flexibility Russian aircraft(Su-27, MiG-29) in
air battles with American (F-15, F-16)
win by 90% and sometimes 100%. The worst result is considered if we
We only get 70% wins.

In one of your interviews you said that
high maneuverability remains the main factor in the concept of modern
air combat. Is it relevant today?

- Our military pilots are engaged in air battles. For example, in
Lipetsk Aviation Center. Ideally, there should be no air combat at all. Probable
the enemy must be destroyed at distant approaches: discovered, launched a rocket,
knocked down.

Air combat is the same as for a commando to have a bayonet-knife or
hand-to-hand combat skills. The question is, why engage in close combat,
fight if you can see the enemy for 800 meters and shoot? But the problem
is that there are tactics that reduce
range of detection and destruction. As a result, on the distant and medium approaches
you can’t knock everyone down, and you “fall down”
into air combat. Machines with great advantages in maneuverability, and
are victorious.

The interview was conducted by Nina Leontieva. Zhukovsky, Moscow region. Specially
for Notum Information Bureau

Main photo: Sergei Bogdan performs "The Bell" on the Su-35.
Photo: aviaport.ru

Deputy head of the flight service of the Sukhoi company

Sergey Leonidovich Bogdan(born March 27) - Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Reserve Colonel, Hero of the Russian Federation (2011). Since 2000, he has been a test pilot and deputy head of the flight service of the Sukhoi company. Experienced over fifty various kinds combat aircraft.

Biography

Sergei Leonidovich Bogdan was born on March 27, 1962 in the city of Volsk, Saratov Region, he spent his childhood in Voskresensk, Moscow Region, where his parents moved shortly after his birth. The latest combat aircraft often flew over his house, which were tested at the nearby Zhukovsky airfield, so even as a child, Bogdan wanted to become a military pilot. Subsequently, he became an honorary citizen of Voskresensk.

In the state flight test center, Bogdan mastered 57 types and modifications of aircraft, including the Su-17, Su-25, Su-27, MiG-23, MiG-29, Su-30MKK, Su-25TM and MiG-29S. In addition, he made the first landings on the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" Su-25UTG and Su-33. In 2000, Bogdan was awarded the Order of Courage and in the same year he was transferred to the reserve with the rank of colonel.

Since 2000, after retiring, Bogdan continued his career as a test pilot at the flight test and development base of the Sukhoi company, tested various prototypes and production models of combat aircraft of this design bureau, including the Su-30MK2, Su-27SKM and Su-47 reverse-swept wing experimental fighter. He made demonstration flights at aviation exhibitions in Russia (MAKS-1999 - MAKS-2005) and in France (Le Bourget 2005). In April 2006, Bogdan received the title of Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation.

Back in 2003, Bogdan began to prepare for testing the latest Russian fifth-generation fighter PAK FA (Promising Aviation Complex of Frontal Aviation, T-50), developed by Sukhoi. He took off his first prototype on January 29, 2010 from the factory airfield in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and subsequently made the first flights on other copies of this fighter.

Awards

• Hero of the Russian Federation (May 23, 2011);
• Order of Courage (2000);
• Jubilee medal "70 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1988);
• Medal "For Impeccable Service" III degree (1988);
• Medal "For Distinction in Military Service" 1st and 2nd class (1998, 1993).

Prizes

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An excerpt characterizing Bogdan, Sergei Leonidovich

From the house of Prince Shcherbatov, the prisoners were led straight down the Maiden Field, to the left of the Maiden Monastery, and led to the garden, on which stood a pillar. Behind the post was a large pit with freshly dug earth, and a large crowd of people stood in a semicircle around the pit and the post. The crowd consisted of a small number of Russians and a large number of Napoleonic troops out of order: Germans, Italians and French in heterogeneous uniforms. To the right and left of the pillar stood fronts of French troops in blue uniforms with red epaulettes, boots and shakos.
The criminals were placed in a certain order, which was on the list (Pierre was the sixth), and brought to the post. Several drums suddenly struck from both sides, and Pierre felt that with this sound, a part of his soul seemed to be torn off. He lost the ability to think and reason. He could only see and hear. And he had only one desire - the desire that something terrible be done as soon as possible, which had to be done. Pierre looked back at his comrades and examined them.
Two people from the edge were shaved guards. One is tall, thin; the other is black, furry, muscular, with a flattened nose. The third was a house serf, about forty-five years old, with graying hair and a plump, well-fed body. The fourth was a peasant, very handsome, with a bushy blond beard and black eyes. The fifth was a factory worker, yellow, thin fellow, eighteen years old, in a dressing gown.
Pierre heard that the French were discussing how to shoot - one at a time or two at a time? “Two,” the senior officer answered coldly and calmly. There was a movement in the ranks of the soldiers, and it was noticeable that everyone was in a hurry - and they were in a hurry not in the way they are in a hurry to do a task understandable to everyone, but in the same way as they are in a hurry to complete a necessary, but unpleasant and incomprehensible task.
A French official in a scarf approached the right side of the line of criminals and read the verdict in Russian and French.
Then two pairs of Frenchmen approached the criminals and, at the direction of the officer, took two guards who were standing on the edge. The watchmen, going up to the post, stopped and, while they brought the bags, silently looked around them, as a downed animal looks at a suitable hunter. One kept crossing himself, the other scratched his back and made a movement like a smile with his lips. The soldiers, hurrying with their hands, began to blindfold them, put on bags and tie them to a post.

Test pilot Sergei Bogdan talks about the Russian 5th generation fighter

Sergei Bogdan and his "ward", the 5th generation aircraft T-50. ©

Photo: Maxim Shemetov, TASS

The decoration and culmination of the MAKS-2015 air show, which was held with the support of VTB, was again the flights of the first Russian 5th generation fighter - the T-50. We asked Hero of Russia, Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation Sergei Leonidovich Bogdan, the man who first took the T-50 into the air, to tell us about this aircraft.

Test pilot Vladimir Sergeevich Ilyushin, who was the first to take the Su-27 into the sky, described this aircraft very figuratively. He said, “See, I smile all the time. This smile has never left my face since I first took to the skies a 4th generation fighter jet.” And how does a 5th generation fighter feel in flight?

When I had the opportunity to fly on the Su-27 for the first time, I was delighted and it was then that I felt for the first time that the aircraft could indeed become an extension of the pilot. But now the generation 4+, 4++, and finally the 5th generation have come. The Su-35 belongs to the 4++ generation, and in terms of the control system it is close to the T-50, and it so happened that in last years I performed a huge amount of test flights on the Su-35 and T-50. For about a year I did not fly the Su-27, and then I had to fly it. Already taking off, I felt how heavy and completely unnatural it was, as if I had taken off in a bomber, and not in a fighter. And the thought even flashed through my head: “Can I even sit on it?” I am not exaggerating, in fact there was such a thought: “I took off, but can I land on it?” He calmed himself in flight: "I'm a test pilot - I'll probably sit down." Naturally, then I got used to it, and this feeling passed, but the progress of the 5th generation compared to the 4th is quite serious even from the point of view of the control system. If you describe it in the simplest terms, then with all my deepest respect for the Su-27, I can say that in comparison with the Su-35 and T-50, it is like a truck and a car. With all that, let me emphasize again, my deepest respect for the Su-27, which is just as different from third-generation aircraft, such as the Su-17 and Su-24, as a passenger car is from a truck.

- Can the T-50 already do something in the sky that the Su-27 is not capable of even with a deflected thrust vector?

In principle, the thrust-vectoring Su-30 has also advanced very far in terms of the control system, and the handling and maneuverability characteristics of the Su-35 have been further improved. New service modes have been introduced. For example, if the pilot releases the control stick on a conventional fighter, then the aircraft, like an uncontrolled car, begins to shift somewhere, roll, roll over. And in the Su-35 and T-50, the control system fixes the handle in the position in which the pilot left it. Moreover, if within a few seconds there is no control action on the part of the pilot, the aircraft smoothly removes the roll, pitch and goes to level flight.
This is the most elementary thing that has already been implemented on the Su-30 and Su-35. The T-50 has more powerful engines, and in the future they will be even more powerful. It has more specific control surfaces that can create more moments, so at high angles of attack, in super-maneuverability modes and in those situations when you need to intensively maneuver, the aircraft behaves more optimally, more comfortably, stably and controllably. In general, the T-50 from the point of view of controllability is already something qualitatively new. But the main thing that distinguishes the 5th generation aircraft, for which it was created and which largely determined its appearance, is low visibility. If you see one aircraft on the radar for 300 km, then another aircraft of the same size and the same mass is only 100 km away, and this is a very serious advantage in combat.

- Does stealth technology harm the flying qualities of the T-50?

Stealth is a very important factor for combat aviation, and, of course, its provision is very expensive in terms of aerodynamics. The shape of the T-50 is very specific, and it is determined not only by the requirements of aerodynamics, but also, for example, by the need to place weapons in the internal compartments. Nevertheless, the T-50, having received a fundamentally new quality - low visibility, went to new level flight characteristics. The creators of the aircraft managed to solve this problem, and tests confirm this.

- There are a lot of all sorts of arguments about comparing the F-22 Raptor and the T-50. Are these comparisons correct?

At the first meeting with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, I heard interesting words from him about the Raptor and the T-50. He said that we, as a rule, create our own in response to an emerging threat. It's hard to disagree with this. It so happened historically that in the creation of weapons systems we go half a step behind. On the one hand, this is a loss in terms, on the other hand, it is an advantage, because, knowing the emerging realities, we embody something new in our projects. Our 5th generation fighter is being created later than the American one, and, of course, it implements solutions that should provide an advantage over an existing rival.
The same situation was with the Su-27, which was created later than the F-15. It's no secret that our aircraft of the Su-27 family, which are delivered to India, Malaysia, and other countries, are constantly "fighting" in exercises with aircraft from NATO countries. According to the statistics that are regularly brought to us, the worst option is when our aircraft lose 30% of air battles. And usually our equipment wins 90% of battles or wins "dry", that is, it has an overwhelming superiority over rivals of the 4th generation.

- Is it possible to say with certainty in what way the T-50 is better than its main rival?

As for the comparison of 5th generation aircraft, I, for example, watched how the Raptor was piloted in Farnborough, and I can say that our Su-30 demonstrated a much more advanced program 10 years ago. This is about the super-maneuverability mode. But, of course, there are many other aspects that, for obvious reasons, I cannot dwell on: how the aircraft as a whole is integrated into the weapons system, what kind of information exchange structure exists - these are questions of a slightly different level, since the F-22 is already in service, and the T-50 is only being tested. But if we talk about their one-on-one confrontation in aerial combat, then I do not see any problems for us in the future. Of course, we still have a lot to do, we are, let's say, at the beginning of the journey to turn the T-50 into a formidable weapon, but on the whole it is quite clear what needs to be done and how.

At MAKS, we saw amazing T-50 aerobatics performed by you. How long does it take to train to work out such a demonstration program? Or is it just for you - sat down and flew.

I am always with some skepticism about some amazing reviews about my aerobatics. We are test pilots, and aerobatics is not our speciality. This is an elective for us, to which we are attracted with a certain frequency. I have not been actively involved in aerobatics on the T-50 since the last MAKS. In general, it is impossible to allocate more than two weeks for training, and at best it is two dozen training flights, although earlier, when our aircraft flew to the first aerospace salons, training programs included about fifty flights. But these flights are quite costly, and most importantly, they distract the aircraft from progressing through the test program, because the aircraft are located at other bases where there are training grounds, and then they are taken to another place to do a demonstration task. Although, of course, it is also important and there is also a test component here: some resource things are being developed, but the main goal is to show the capabilities of the technology, and the T-50 really allows you to demonstrate a very effective program, but I evaluate my aerobatics very reservedly.
Imagine that an athlete-gymnast is told: you haven’t performed for a year, let’s say, Tkachev’s flight, we will bring you to the apparatus two weeks before the competition, and you will do this element. Probably, the performance of such an athlete will not be ideal. I know that I have something to improve, and I would give myself 4 with a minus for aerobatics, and I attribute the words of admiration to the capabilities of a wonderful aircraft in which the labor and talent of so many people have been invested.

On January 29, 2010, you took the T-50 to its first flight. On that day, not everything went smoothly, there was a malfunction in one of the drives, the plane “trembled” and you even talked to him, reassured him. Do you really believe that the plane can hear you or is it some form of psychological training before the flight?

This is from the same series of questions as “why does a person go to church?”. There is already something at the level of mentality. This, perhaps, is wrong, but the flight crew are quite superstitious people. And I also pay attention to some little things. It is worth treating something with disdain, they say, this is just a piece of iron, and this piece of iron will immediately show its character. And it will happen out of the blue and it is not clear why. Therefore, with a share of superstition, you treat the aircraft and some little things in preparation for the flight.
In general, if we talk about the attitude of the test pilot to the aircraft, the goal of our work is to get the maximum number of comments. Therefore, we never treat an aircraft with reverence: how wonderful it is, how much I love it, and so on. We treat aircraft like children. A child cannot be praised, otherwise nothing worthwhile will grow out of him. Therefore, we are very critical of the aircraft: in each flight, we look first of all for shortcomings in it, and not for advantages.

- How does a test pilot prepare for the first flight on a new machine?

Aviation laws are written in blood. Incidents also occurred during the rise of the new aircraft. Therefore, at one time, Alexander Gavrilovich Zudilov, head of the flight test base of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, proposed creating a document streamlining the training of flight crews for the first ascent. It was a document, so to speak, for internal use, but it was approved quite high - in the Flight Service Administration. It describes in detail how a pilot performs the first lift of a prototype aircraft, how to perform a lift of the second prototype aircraft of this series, how to lift a production aircraft of a new modification, what exercises to conduct, how much to work on stands, how many hours to study theoretical disciplines, what tests to pass, etc. .d.
When a pilot is about to lift a new car, he opens this document - and everything is written there very clearly. The theory depends on the complexity of the machine: the first lift of an experimental aircraft, for example, is a program for 100 hours of studying theoretical disciplines. Aircraft gas stations, testing on stands are painted: what stands should be, what departments. The pilot studies all this, asks questions, works with engineers, goes to the design bureau, finds out everything, and in the end everything becomes clear enough.

- And the T-50 was also raised exactly according to this document, or was there some specificity?

The specifics of lifting the T-50 was that the task was to lift the car not in Zhukovsky, but in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. There is an ordinary military airfield and a runway with a length of only 2500 m. And in Zhukovsky, the runway is the longest in Europe. Its total length is 5.5 km. In case of failure and termination of the takeoff, this helps a lot.
When lifting an airplane, the most difficult moment is a high-speed run. You need to accelerate to a certain speed - about 250 km / h, raise your nose, run with your nose raised at a certain angle and then lower it. For example, the first run on the Su-35, which I did in Zhukovsky, did not go as expected. I accelerated to a speed much lower than the one at which I was supposed to start the climb, I still had maximum thrust, and then, with the stick stationary, the plane lifted its nose and flew. I throttled the traction, gave the handle completely away from me and successfully landed the car, since the lane was long. It turned out that the control system had a feature: at a certain speed, there is a transition from the “ground” mode to the “flight” mode. It is for this that you need to raise your nose while jogging so that all the sensors are rebuilt. But it turned out that due to an abnormal installation of one of the sensors, the control system switched to flight mode while still on the ground, and the plane “thought” that it needed to reject the stabilizer, because it had the wrong parameters. It is for such cases that the size of the strip is important.
There is always a risk of some kind of failure, inaccuracies in assembly, a design defect. So in the case of the T-50, I had to work out on the stand how to run, how to stop taking off, how to fit into certain lane sizes. To find out, about 240 modes were worked out at the stand under different conditions: failure of this, failure of this, thrust such, thrust different, and only after it became completely clear that everything was solved quite safely, we moved on to the first climb.

You tested the Su-47 Berkut with a reverse sweep wing. Tell us about this unique aircraft. Does such a wing really give an advantage?

A distinctive feature of the "Berkut" was indeed a reverse-swept wing. Even at the dawn of the development of aviation, it was concluded that a swept-back wing has one excellent property: it does not stall, that is, an aircraft with a swept-back wing retains stability and controllability at any angle of attack and practically does not fall into a tailspin. But this wing has one problem: strength. Under the action of the oncoming flow on such a wing, the phenomenon of divergence, twisting occurs, which can lead to the destruction of the structure. The necessary rigidity of such a wing was achieved only when using composite materials, which was implemented in the Su-47 project.
But many other know-hows were also implemented in this aircraft. He was already much closer to the 5th generation. On it, for example, there was an internal compartment for weapons and a radar-absorbing coating. He had an interesting control system - a joystick on the side, not a big knob. But it so happened that just at that time a breakthrough was made in engine building - an engine with a controlled thrust vector was created, and in order to obtain stability and controllability at high angles of attack, it was not necessary to use such an expensive and complex wing with its own problems. It turned out that thrust vector control solved this problem perfectly.
Moreover, if the reverse-swept wing made it possible to maintain stability at normal flight speeds, then at near-zero speeds the aircraft still lost controllability, because in the absence of an oncoming flow there was nothing to create a control moment from. And the controlled thrust vector works in any conditions, and it so happened that he pushed the reverse-swept wing aside.

- It turns out that the creation of the Su-47 turned out to be useless?

This aircraft brought great benefits: firstly, it made it possible to study the problem of stability and controllability of an aircraft with a reverse swept wing, and secondly, it became a good flying laboratory for 5th generation aircraft systems. Results were obtained on the behavior of an aircraft with open weapons compartment doors, how missiles behave in these compartments, how the flow is distributed at high speeds, was studied. This aircraft had a folding wing and a place for placing a hook, so it could be put on a ship, but the problem is that, due to limited funds, it was created in a single copy, while a copy is usually also created for strength tests. Therefore, to continue testing, it was necessary after a certain amount every time during flights, remove structural elements, keels from it, and take it to the laboratory for research. Because of this, the tests were stopped for several months. It was a very expensive process, so when the aircraft completed its task, it was decided to abandon its further tests.

You have experienced more than 50 different types and modifications of aircraft. Tell us about a particularly difficult flight. Have you ever been in an emergency situation? Catapult?

Extreme situations in our work, unfortunately, happen. And these are the most unpleasant moments in our work. Each such case, as a rule, is the result of someone's mistake. Work experience shows that 80% of emergency situations are always a human factor. Even if the pilot is not to blame, even if he managed to land safely, then this is not a reason for general rejoicing. Anyway, someone didn’t finish something, it will still be extreme, that is, a nuisance with an airplane is always a disaster.
Here was such a case: an altitude of 12 km, two speeds of sound, and suddenly - a terrible blow, the vibration is such that the instruments are not visible, and the “fire” alarm goes off. A plane in the air burns out in 14 seconds. Even titanium is on fire. Yes, you think, probably, this time it will not work. But then somehow a solution is found, it is possible to slow down, and, it turns out, the designers are great, they foresaw everything, the systems are duplicated, and in fact everything works, and the fire was extinguished. In general, God helped, landed. I look at the plane: it looks like it has been worked on for about forty minutes with autogenous. There are holes in the engine and in the structure, and next to one hole there is a pipeline with fuel, and if it burned out, there would be a torch, like from an explosion.
In general, anything can happen, but so far, as they say, God had mercy, and everything ended happily. Didn't have to catapult.

In one of the interviews, you said that as a child you climbed onto a crane and started swinging it. It was the first "flight" test of technology in your life. How did the character of the future test pilot manifest itself?

No. It was an example of wrong, childish behavior. Just a prank on the principle of "weak". In general, in my childhood I was not an extreme sportsman and was afraid of heights, and now, to be honest, I am afraid of it. Open space underfoot in any normal person causes an unpleasant feeling in general, which you need to get used to. When you regularly, at least a couple of times a month, jump with a parachute, then this passes.

- Can you say about yourself that you cannot imagine your life without risk?

As far as risk is concerned, the point of a test pilot's job is to make the aircraft as safe as possible. And for this, as in the case of a car, the correct restrictions must be assigned to it: maximum speed, overload, etc. To determine these limits, you need to exceed them and understand where control of the situation is lost. The task of the test pilot is to go beyond the bounds of the permissible. And these flights are often very adrenaline.
For example, you need to understand how an airplane behaves on takeoff when one engine fails. At sufficiently high speeds, a twin-engine and single-engine aircraft flies and controls normally, because the aerodynamic rudders work well. But if this speed is reduced, then in the end the aircraft will reach such a regime when the aerodynamic rudders are no longer enough to balance the aircraft with different thrust due to an idle engine. Moreover, this threshold speed cannot be felt at high altitudes, since there the engine thrust is much less and the turning moment is also less. It is necessary to check near the ground, at an altitude of 200 m.
One engine - at full afterburner, the second - the thrust is removed completely, and we begin to perform modes exceeding the maximum permissible angles of attack, on the verge of loss of control, which occurs instantly. Here is an example: Nikolai Fedorovich Sadovnikov tested the ship's Su-27K with different thrust at low altitude. This aircraft has a maximum permissible angle of attack in normal flight of 24 degrees. But in that mode, he fell into a tailspin at 12 degrees. Moreover, this happened at a low altitude - about 400 m. There was no altitude reserve for getting out of the spin. The pilot managed to eject, but was seriously injured.
When you perform these modes, you feel like a tightrope walker, only without a balancer. Everything is on the edge. Control actions are very important. The pilot constantly balances all controls. The slightest inaccuracy leads to the development of a critical displacement, and the aircraft is instantly driven into a stall mode. But there is no reserve in height, and below, as a rule, settlements, because this is not Siberia and not the Karakum. Therefore, you enter the mode and look: if something happens now, where will the plane go? It's one thing for an athlete-parachutist: he jumped - and that's it. Or demonstration aerobatics: five minutes - and that's it. Exhaled, went, relaxed. And this mode is performed for one and a half to two hours, and all this time the pilot is on an adrenaline rush. Imagine how a person feels when he is under such stress.
Yes, in general, our work is very interesting, important and necessary, but these moments associated with risk ... Believe me, this, to put it mildly, does not give pleasure. Even when you are preparing for such a flight, the body seems to be telling you: you don’t need to go there. Fear, like love, is the same chemistry; certain biochemical processes take place in the body. The state of stress is not welcomed by the body. I fly, I see the forest below and understand: I want to go there, I need to wander there, sit, think, feel safe. Therefore, to be honest, when I hear the words that a person is so used to risk that he cannot live without it and will never leave a profession associated with danger, I do not really believe these words.

- And what qualities should a test pilot have in this case?
- I believe that the most valuable quality not only of a pilot, but also of any specialist, a person in general, is honesty. This is especially important in our work. You need to be able to talk about your weaknesses, about their mistakes, since this significantly reduces the clarification of all questions that arise during testing. When you arrive after a flight in which you made a mistake, then everything is hard, not easy. But if you made a mistake, then you must admit it, and this greatly simplifies the work and, accordingly, increases confidence in you. Even to tell a half-truth is to tell a lie.
Another very important quality for a person of any profession, not only for a pilot, this is reliability. From my own experience I can say that pilots are different. One can grab stars from the sky, but is unstable. And a person who is slowly, like a horse, pulling a cart and everything that he is entrusted with will do reliably, albeit not always brilliantly, is trusted next job. When they see that a person is reliable, they trust him more and more. This applies to absolutely any activity, but in the work of a test pilot, I can say that these qualities are especially important.
And I want to say one more thing about what I fully felt on myself: if a person wants something, sets a goal and moves towards it step by step, then he achieves tremendous results. There is nothing impossible in life. It’s just that in the same situations, some give up, while others, for example, Paralympic athletes, become winners, despite their disability. I would like to take an example from such people. Therefore, for those who dream of achieving something in life, I advise you to go forward to your intended goal by a straight path and not look for crooked paths. And everything will be fine.

For reference
Sergei Leonidovich Bogdan - Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Hero of Russia. He tested more than fifty different types of combat aircraft.
Born March 27, 1962 in Volsk, Saratov Region. In 1983 he graduated from the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School named after V.P. Chkalov, and after that until 1987 he served in the Leningrad Military District in the 67th aviation regiment of fighter-bombers, then served for three years at a Soviet base in Mongolia. In 1990‒1991, he was deputy squadron commander of the 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment of the Naval Aviation of the Black Sea Fleet.
In 1991 he studied at the Test Pilot Training Center. Since 1993, at the State Flight Test Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, he has successively held the positions of test pilot, deputy commander and commander of an aviation squadron of the fighter aviation flight test service. At the same time, he studied and graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute.
Since 2000, after retiring, he continued his career as a test pilot at the flight test base of the Sukhoi company. He is the deputy head of the flight service of the company.

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