Aviation aerobatic teams "Swifts" and "Russian Knights". Help | Help

“Swifts” is an aerobatic aviation team (AGVT) of the Russian Air Force created on the basis of the 234th Guards Proskurovsky Fighter Aviation Regiment. The official birthday of the group is May 6, 1991, when it first performed at an aviation show called “Swifts” on supersonic jet front-line fighters MiG-29. The Swifts are located at the Russian Air Force base Kubinka in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region.

The main composition of the AGVP "Swifts" aerobatic team in 2022:

Presenter: Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Osyaikin
Left wingman - Major Dmitry Zubkov
Right wingman - Major Dmitry Ryzhevolov
Tail wingman - Major Denis Kuznetsov
Left wingman - Major Vasily Dudnikov
Right wingman - Major Sergei Sinkevich

“Russian Knights” is the only aviation group in the world that demonstrated aerobatic maneuvers on heavy Su-27 combat fighters. The Russian Knights group was formed on April 5, 1991 from pilots of the 1st squadron of the 237th Guards Proskurovsky mixed air regiment. Like the Swifts, they are based at the Kubinka airbase near Moscow. The first performance of the Knights took place four and a half months after the official birthday of the group, on August 24, 1991, at the first Polish air show in Poznan. Since 2016, Vityaz has been flown on two-seat multi-role heavy fighters Su-30SM.

The main composition of the AGVP "Russian Knights" aerobatic team in 2017:

No. 1 - commander of the air group, guard Colonel Andrei Alekseev
No. 2 - guard captain Vladimir Kochetov
No. 3 - Guard Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Bogdan
No. 4 - Guard Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Shcheglov
No. 5 - Guard Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Erofeev

Why are “Swifts” and “Russian Knights” needed?

Russian aerobatic teams were created with the goal of attracting young people to aviation, but most importantly, to demonstrate the capabilities of the Air Force’s advanced aviation technology and interact with pilots from other countries.

AGVP pilots have the class qualification of “1st class pilots” and a total flight time of over 1000 hours. The Swifts and Vityaz aircraft do not differ from combat vehicles in anything except their coloring (the color of the Russian tricolor). Airplanes do not take part in hostilities.

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The best performances of the aviation group "Swifts"

Natural ace

Sergei Eremenko, who died today, made his life choice back in the tenth grade, when he first sat at the controls of the Yak-52 sports aircraft. A native of Zernograd, Rostov region, Eremenko considered one of his happiest days to be March 21, 2015, when he had the opportunity to demonstrate his skills to his fellow countrymen - “Russian Knights” participated in an air show in Rostov. A little more than a month before his tragic death, pilot of the Russian Knights aerobatic team Sergei Eremenko gave an interview to Life. He has been involved in aerobatics since 2011. Flight time: more than 900 hours. In his free time, the father of two daughters enjoyed football and was also an avid fan.

Joint flights of Swifts and Russian Knights

On March 15, 2003, a public joint aerobatics of Swifts and Russian Knights took place. One of the most recognizable aerobatic figures was a giant diamond consisting of four MiG-29s and five Su-27s. This aerobatic formation was named "Cuban Diamond".

In 2004, the complex of shows included a joint flight of aerobatic teams consisting of nine aircraft (five Su-27s and four MiG-29s) in a diamond formation, performing a full range of aerobatic maneuvers. This fact became a world record in the history of aviation. For several years in a row, Swifts and Vityazis have been flying in formation over Red Square on May 9 and representing Russia at international air shows.

Performance characteristics of the MiG-29 fighter

Length - 17.32 m
Wingspan - 11.36 m
Height - 4.73 m
Normal take-off weight - 15,300 kg
Maximum flight speed - 2450 km/h at altitude, 1500 km/h at the ground
Armament - medium-range missiles - 2 x R-27(T), close-in missiles - 6 x R-73, cannon - GSh-301 (30/150)

Performance characteristics of the Su-30SM fighter

Length - 21.9 m
Wingspan - 14.7 m
Height - 6.36 m
Normal take-off weight - 24900 kg
Maximum flight speed is 2125 km/h at altitude, 1350 km/h at the ground.
Armament - 30-mm built-in cannon GSh-30-1, 6 medium-range guided missiles and 6 close-range missiles, free-fall bombs weighing 500 kg (up to 8 units) or 250 kg (28 units).

Aerobatics levels and basic figures. Infographics Read more

MiG-29 and MiG-35

Back in 2022, the leadership of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of the Russian Federation announced that the Swifts would receive new MiG-35 fighters. Flight tests of these aircraft began in January 2017, at the same time an international presentation of the aircraft took place in the Moscow region. In May 2018, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General Andrei Yudin, said that the group would be one of the first to receive new fighters in the army after the completion of state tests of the aircraft.

MiG-35 fighter

Image source: © Sergey Bobylev/TASS

“The MiG-35 aircraft is undergoing state tests in Akhtubinsk, it has not yet entered service. It has become heavier, with practically the same thrust-to-weight ratio parameters. He now has more combat capabilities. It’s still difficult to talk about aerobatic flights. But rest assured, we will get the most out of the plane,” he said.

Director of the MiG-29M, MiG-35 and light multifunctional front-line aircraft (LFMS) program directorate of RSK MiG (as part of the United Aircraft Corporation) Mushegh Baloyan congratulated the personnel and veterans of the air group on the anniversary and emphasized that the corporation is interested in “ Swifts" received a modern MiG-35 aviation complex.

“We approached the Russian Ministry of Defense with a proposal to equip the Strizhi air-propelled air carrier with new aircraft. The approved state weapons program provides for the supply of MiG-35 aircraft, and after a decision has been made by our main customer, we are ready to replace the fleet of MiG-29 aircraft with new MiG-35,” he explained.

It is also in the final stages of testing. “The MiG-35 is at the stage of state joint testing; a preliminary conclusion has already been received, allowing us to begin production of the pilot batch of aircraft. The flight crew likes the plane, it is easy to fly and forgiving. There are issues that arise during the operation of aircraft, and we, together with our customer (the Russian Ministry of Defense - TASS note), are promptly resolving them,” Baloyan said.

MiG-29 Swift fighter at the airbase in Kubinka

Image source: © Natalya Dmitrak/TASS

In the meantime, the Swifts have not received the MiG-35, their aircraft are maintained at a given level. “Some of the components of the MiG-29 aircraft were manufactured in the countries of the former USSR. At the current time, such spare parts have already been replaced,” he said.

Incidents

On December 12, 1995, while landing 25 kilometers from the Cam Ranh airbase located in Vietnam, three Su-27 Russian Knights aircraft collided with a mountainside covered by clouds. The pilots were returning from the Lima-95 international air show. As a result of the collision, the planes were completely destroyed, four members of the aerobatic team - Lieutenant Colonel Boris Grigoriev, Majors Alexander Syrov, Nikolai Kordyukov, and Nikolai Grechanov - were killed. After the tragedy, the Russian Knights squadron did not take to the air for almost a year. Since 1996, Vityazi resumed flights.

In 2006, a MiG-29UB aircraft of the Swifts aerobatic team crashed immediately after takeoff from Perm Bolshoye Savino airport. The crew of Nikolai Dyatl and Igor Kurylenko successfully ejected. The cause of the accident was birds getting into both engines. There were no casualties or destruction at the site of the plane crash.

History of the group's performances

The first performance of the “Russian Knights” took place on August 24, 1991 at an airshow in Poznan (Poland), where the solo aerobatics program was demonstrated by group commander Vladimir Bazhenov. In early autumn of the same year, the Sukhoi Design Bureau created a unified visual design for the group’s fighters in white, blue and red colors. The first group performances of the Knights took place in the autumn of 1991 at RAF Lukers and Finningley air bases, where Russian Su-27s flew with the British Red Arrows aerobatic team.

Since 1991, “Russian Knights” regularly participate in demonstrations of aviation skills at air shows in Russian cities and abroad - in the Czech Republic (1991), Malaysia (1991, 1995, 2013), USA (1992), France (1992, 1997), Holland (1993), Canada (1993), Slovakia (1994, 1996), Norway (1994), Luxembourg (1994), Turkmenistan (1994), Austria (1996), China (1998, 2006, 2012), UAE (2005, 2006 ), Belarus (2006), Finland (2008), Bahrain (2012, 2014), India (2013), Hungary (2013), etc.

Flights of the group's fighters in a diamond-shaped formation, both separately and as part of the "Cuban Diamond" (nine aircraft together with the MiG-29 of the Swifts aerobatic team, which is also based in Kubinka), are a traditional element of the program of the International Aviation and Space Salon ( MAX, Zhukovsky, Moscow region), Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow, International Naval Show in St. Petersburg.

“Vityazi” took part in Jean-Michel Jarre’s laser show during the celebration of the 850th anniversary of Moscow (1997), and accompanied the airliners of the British Queen Elizabeth II and French President Jacques Chirac during their visits to Russia in 1994 and 1997.

Superiority of the MiG-35

According to the commander of the Swifts, first of all, pilots expect an improved navigation system from the MiG-35. A special wish is that they create a visualization system that will make the performances even more interesting. “So that the navigation is good.

If we take it specifically for an aerobatic team, I would like to see visualization systems implemented, that is, like at the MAX air show, foreign groups fly with colored smoke. It would be more spectacular, more interesting, and we could go much further with it,” says Kuznetsov.

One of the expected updates is the pilot assistance system. Such a system is installed on the modern Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters of colleagues from the Russian Knights. “Our MiG-29s also have it, but, naturally, in more modern aircraft the system is more advanced,” the pilot noted.

Updated aircraft “competing to the Russian Knights”, but also to the “Swifts”: it became easier for them to pilot during joint performances. “At some points it became more convenient for us to fly with them,” said the Swift commander.

Su-30SM "Russian Knights" and MiG-29 "Swifts" fighters

Image source: © Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

“When they flew the Su-27 and we jointly performed the “Nesterov loop”, when passing the top point we had to turn on the afterburner, that is, add speed, because the plane turned around more easily at the top. We had to use engine thrust to try to hold on to them. When the plane goes down, they usually reduce the engine thrust, but we had to, on the contrary, add it. It's psychologically difficult. But with these aircraft we don’t add as much, and for us it’s easier,” Kuznetsov explained.

According to a representative of the MiG Corporation, the wishes of the pilots are taken into account when creating a new aircraft. The corporation is ready to equip new equipment with visualization systems if the corresponding requirement comes from the Ministry of Defense. “We are ready to install this equipment if the customer requires it,” Baloyan said.

He also emphasized that the MiG-35 received the latest navigation system. “The MiG-35 aircraft is equipped with the latest Russian-made navigation system, including modern inertial and satellite navigation systems,” said a representative of the corporation.

MiG-35 fighter

The fighter will also receive a number of other improvements. “The safety and comfort of the pilot during flight is a priority goal for the designers and engineers of the MiG Corporation,” says Baloyan. — One of the distinctive features of the MiG-35 is intuitive operation in the cockpit, which is confirmed by the pilots themselves. In a critical situation, the system can offer the optimal action, since its work is aimed at helping the pilot.”

He explained that the MiG-35 onboard equipment has a deep degree of self-control and monitors the state of the aircraft systems and flight conditions. “In case of failures or near-critical conditions, the pilot will be informed, and in some cases the automation will take control and take the aircraft out of the dangerous mode,” he said.

Baloyan emphasized that, despite the fact that the MiG-35 has become heavier than its predecessor, its aerobatic capabilities were preserved thanks to powerful engines. “When developing the MiG-35, we proceeded from the fact that aerobatics remains one of the main elements in the training of air force pilots in most countries. Yes, the MiG-35 has become heavier than the MiG-29, but the RD-33MK engines installed on the aircraft have also become more powerful. The power plant provides the aircraft with a high thrust-to-weight ratio,” explained a representative of the corporation.

MiG-35 fighter

The MiG-35 also has improved aerodynamic characteristics. “More than 20% of the airframe elements are made of composite materials. The decisions made by our designers made it possible to improve the stability and controllability of the aircraft and increase its maneuverability. The aerobatics that the MiG-35 can perform have been demonstrated more than once at air shows,” Baloyan said.

As in the new Sukhoi Design Bureau Su-30 and Su-35 aircraft, the MiG-35 received heated seats and other functions that ensure the convenience and comfort of the pilot. “When developing the MiG-35, we proceeded from this principle,” he notes. — Cockpit ergonomics, display, controls - all this was created in accordance with the wishes of the flight personnel of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the MiG Corporation.

MiG-35 fighter at MAKS in Zhukovsky, 2022

Baloyan emphasized that the MiG-35 received new combat capabilities, thanks to which this aircraft has become an effective aviation complex for gaining air supremacy.

“From the point of view of weapons and equipment, the MiG-35 surpasses its predecessor in everything. New radar and optical-location stations, a new helmet-mounted target designation system, modern missiles of the “V-V” and “V-P” class (the same as on the Su-57, with the exception of large ones), a large range of aerial bombs, as free both falling and adjustable,” he said.

According to Baloyan, the aircraft has the ability to operate on ground and surface surfaces. “The MiG-35 can use the entire range of existing aircraft weapons, including advanced models,” the corporation’s representative emphasized.

Who is accepted into the aerobatic team?

They say that pilots from “Russian Knights” do not leave of their own free will. After all, this aerobatic team is the pinnacle of a combat pilot’s career. To fly like them, pilots study for years. Their work is honorable, difficult and beautiful. But you can still get into this legendary group. Firstly, the Russian Knights have 30 years of history behind them, and sooner or later the pilots still retire. Secondly, there is a goal to prepare the second composition of the aerobatic team. And finally, the Russian Knights’ equipment and tasks are gradually becoming more and more numerous. Therefore, from time to time they invite the best pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces to take part in the competition to become part of the aerobatic team.

As the group commander, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Shcheglov, said in one of his interviews, future “Vityaz” are selected from among military pilots of at least 2nd class who serve in combat units of the Russian Aerospace Forces. “Usually a pilot expresses in a personal conversation with representatives of our group a desire to fly with us, after which we make a decision on whether this pilot should be called for an exam. If the decision is positive, we send an official telegram to the unit, and the candidate comes to us for an exam. Both theoretical and physical training and, of course, flying skill are assessed.”

A Su-Z0SM fighter of the Russian Knights aerobatic team at the Kubinki military airfield during a rehearsal for the air part of the military parade on Red Square dedicated to the 72nd anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Tatyana Belyakova/TASS

Each candidate must be a very healthy person, with an excellent vestibular system.

The fact that during solo aerobatics the G-force can reach up to 9 units speaks volumes about how resilient the candidate must be. This means that a person is weighed down by nine times his own weight. During group aerobatics, the overloads are slightly lower, but still significant. According to the pilots, even with an overload of 3 units, it is already difficult to tear the arm off the knee. And under these conditions, pilots must think at lightning speed, masterfully control the aircraft and instantly respond to the actions of the leader, accurately maintaining their place in the ranks. But in some shows the interval between heavy fighters can be no more than two meters when the speed of the vehicles is about 600-700 km per hour.

When the pilot has already been accepted into the group and begins the flight training program, he first flies alone, then in a pair and in a triple, where there is one leader and two wingmen. In this version, he masters the entire complex of aerobatics at low altitude. Then the same thing is studied in a diamond formation, then in a five, in a six. And gradually all the necessary skills are acquired. So there is no threat of personnel shortage for the aerobatic team.