Su-57 Stealth Fighter: News #6

Creation of a production line for serial production of the Su-57 fighter

As reported factory newspaper "Wings of the Soviets" Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant named after Yuri Gagarin (KnAAZ, a branch of PJSC "Company" Sukhoi ") in the June issue in the material " Line for the fifth generation " , within the framework of the development program of the" Sukhoi "production system in shop No. 45 of KnAAZ, a project is being implemented to build a production line for the serial production of the fifth generation fighter Su- 57 (also posted here ).

One of the production samples (the second?) Of the Su-57 fighter being assembled in shop No. 45 of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant named after Yu.A. Gagarin (s) "Wings of the Soviets" / PJSC "United Aircraft Corporation"


Experience is the son of difficult mistakes

The specialists of Shop No. 45 have successful experience in creating a production line for the production of combat vehicles. The first project of this kind to improve work efficiency, the main goal of which was to align the assembly cycle of the Su-35S product to the customer, was implemented several years ago.

At the initial stage, bottlenecks were identified. They turned out to be the sections for assembling the bow and under-cockpit compartments, assembling the fuselage, adjusting and handing over the product. The assembly cycle at these sites exceeded the 10 days planned for the consumer.

To solve the problem, it was necessary to modernize the docking ramps, change the design of the boules, introduce additional equipment for air intakes and engine nacelles. Another important innovation was the transfer of the adjustment and delivery area from shop 7 to shop 45.

“Before that, there were colossal losses of time,” recalls the head of workshop No. 45 Artem Oshchepkov. “It took two hours to roll the fuselage to workshop No. 7. Now it takes four times less time to move from the docking stand to the delivery.

Then it was possible to synchronize the cycle of production - a fully docked fuselage - with the final assembly shop. At the moment when the product in shop No. 7 moves from the extreme workplace further along the production line, the next product from shop No. 45 enters the first platform.

The main thing is a systematic approach

Today the workshop faces the task, using the experience gained, to create a production line for the serial production of the 5th generation Su-57 aircraft. In order to efficiently and on time fulfill production tasks, the volume of which increases with the launch of the serial production of the Su-57, it is necessary to increase the throughput of the shop. In this case, the cycle of the product release must be clearly synchronized with the consumer workshop.

“The new aircraft is complex,” says Viktor Passar, deputy head of the pre-production workshop, “the skin is composite, the latest technologies, the highest quality requirements. But we also have highly qualified personnel in our workshop, almost all of them have the 5th grade, a strong team of craftsmen at the most energetic age. The workshop is small - everything is in sight, it won't work badly.

When drawing up the program for the preparation of the production line, several directions were chosen. The first is the organization of the optimal model for the movement of the product through the shop. The second is the elimination, and if it is impossible to do this, the reduction of losses for non-production movements, selection, delivery and storage of normals, completing shift tasks for workplaces. In this case, the amount of DSE to the production line must exactly match the degree of readiness of a particular machine.

The assembly cycle should be reduced due to the introduction of additional stockpile equipment. Part of it has already been received, and installation is underway. By the end of the year, the building berth of the sub-cabin compartment will be built. It is being assembled by the toolmakers of workshop No. 8, brothers Nazarenko, Dmitry and Oleg. Both are from the dynasty of aircraft manufacturers, have the 5th category, at the plant for almost 20 years. Their work is doing well.

“We have already assembled the basis of this stock,” says Dmitry Nazarenko. - It takes up little space, but with a large flow of cars under construction it will be very necessary. Taking into account the design features of the Su-57 airframe, the specialists of the chief technologist's department suggested that the fuselage head assembly be divided into two stages - the 9th frame and the under-cockpit compartment should be assembled separately. Subassemblies will be fed into the stockpile of the GCHF, which will shorten the assembly cycle.

An additional stage for assembling the air intake was also introduced. A separate slipway for assembling its middle part was made, which will also save time. The workshop will receive another set of air intake slipways in 2021.

There are problems - there are solutions

The main problem that we faced in shop No. 45 during the project was the lack of free space. The workshop is located between the territories of two adjacent workshops, so there is a shortage of production space for building a production line.

It turned out to be difficult to place the additional two slipways for the air intake assembly. The relatively small size of production areas in their current form does not allow building a production line in its classic version. Nevertheless, the shop management is optimistic.

“On the Su-35 it was much more difficult,” says Viktor Passar, deputy head of the production preparation shop. - We changed the location of the sites, tried different options. Now, having experience, we see how to do it, we take into account those nuances that we did not know about before.

As part of the development of the Sukhoi Production System, a project was launched to increase the area of ​​the industrial zone in the middle of the workshop to address the issue of lack of space. To do this, it is necessary to carry out some redevelopment in the administrative and household premises in order to accommodate employees who are now working in the industrial zone. This will free up about 60 sq. The

press has already been dismantled and moved to another location. The vacated square meters will be given for the slipway equipment of the Su-57. The developed technical specifications are now being coordinated.

“Our employees have received the project very well,” said the head of workshop No. 45 Artem Oshchepkov. - Each of the volumes collected from us is a link in a single chain, there are no secondary sites. Everything is done primarily for people, so that it is more convenient for them to work.

The creation of a production line for the fulfillment of the state order for the serial production of fifth-generation aircraft is today the most important task for the workers of Shop No. 45. After the completion of the installation of the second set of slipway equipment and adjustment of the process, the line will start operating at full capacity.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4101840.html

Higher rez.

Russia’s Aerospace Force to get Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets by year-end

https://tass.com/defense/1188705

Or it is the radome, made out of some pyroceram like material. and not painted.

Maybe they modified the shape of the nosecone (I think that the curve on the top of the nose on this aircraft is less than the curve at the bottom on others, but I could be mistaken)? The airintake under the left rudder is also diffirent to prototype aircraft.

LMFS wrote:

tomazy wrote:The airintake under the left rudder is also diffirent to prototype aircraft.

It is already there since the prototype 508

It is diffirent again, here is the best picture I could find of 058 left rudder intake in a short time. Do you have a better pic maybe? Thank you.

LMFS wrote:Planned Su-57 numbers for the period 2020-2024:

https://charly015.blogspot.com/2020/08/el-su-35-el-su-57-y-el-descuido-del.html

With those figures, we could think that the first stage Su-57 could end by 2023 with 1 squadron + 4 units for training. By then izd. 30 should be finishing tests and the second stage production should be starting, if everything goes according to previous statements.

Probably the best numbers right now are:

2020 - 1
2021 - 4
2022 - 4
2023 - 7
2024 - 12
2025 - 12
2026 - 12
2027 - 12
2028 - 12

Total 76 units or three regiments + 4 units for training. The unit lost in 2019 to be effectively recovered only in 2023, then one squadron equipped per year. Looks relatively solid to me...

Nice
From that link I found a tweet that says this is the purchase contract

https://zakupki.gov.ru/223/plan/public/plan/info/position-view.html?planId=545529&planInfoId=4287327&planInfoPositionId=76476773094&versioned=&activeTab=5&pos=true

If this is only for SU-57 the first one will cost $52 million, but after that maybe the Russian MoD will pay only partially.

They could surprise use with a two seat training variant which wouldn't need the expensive ram coating and other stuff. Just the airframe and flight-control to teach new pilots. But they will probably take the pilots that are already experienced on su-30/35 unless if they want pilots from the start to fly the su-57 so that they make all their carrier on it. Su-35 pilots will already be too old to be usefull on su-57.

However a UB variant woukd be need for export countries to really train their pilots with instructors for it.

Then sell it to indians in a MKI version. Just like they did with Su--27UB --> Su-30MKI.

That would be Su-57UB ----> Su-60MKI.

I don't really think that is needed anymore, the guys flying the Su-57 will already know how to pilot rather well and everything related to particular controls and interfacing, plus understanding of the plane's behaviour can be done on the simulator at a small fraction of the cost of a UB version...

Unless they want young pilots on them. You don't send them from simulator or from yak 130 into a 9-12G fighter risking to loose both the pilot and the plane.

Their su-27UB, Mig-29UB and su-30M2 will be obsolate and not in flying conditions in 2030 when they will get all the su-57s.

They will need a UB version sooner or later. Sooner is better as they could sold it to india as a twi seat su-57, something they need right now.

LMFS wrote:Planned Su-57 numbers for the period 2020-2024:

https://charly015.blogspot.com/2020/08/el-su-35-el-su-57-y-el-descuido-del.html

With those figures, we could think that the first stage Su-57 could end by 2023 with 1 squadron + 4 units for training. By then izd. 30 should be finishing tests and the second stage production should be starting, if everything goes according to previous statements.

Probably the best numbers right now are:

2020 - 1
2021 - 4
2022 - 4
2023 - 7
2024 - 12
2025 - 12
2026 - 12
2027 - 12
2028 - 12

Total 76 units or three regiments + 4 units for training. The unit lost in 2019 to be effectively recovered only in 2023, then one squadron equipped per year. Looks relatively solid to me...

The new avionics, new weapons and of course the new engine testing begin at the beginning of 2022 to end of 2024. So I am assuming that there will be 28 su-57s with the 1st engine and the other 48 with the 2nd stage engine? Or will those other 28 get a full upgrade like the 2nd stage later?

You're right LMFS the contract is for a part of the fuselage, I thought it was in billions of rubles and converted to dollars, that's how I got 52 million dollars, I think it's 52 thousand the tweet was in French and I barely understand anything of French...