The Chinese fighter planes fly to the South China Sea, setting a new record for continuous flight, and are among the best in the world

flight mission over the sea area

CCTV reported on November 7 that a certain PLA Air Force fighter unit successfully challenged a 10-hour continuous fighter flight mission, breaking our previous record of 8 hours and 30 minutes in a single flight. In 10 hours, the requirements for flight equipment and pilots are very stringent; and the achievement of this data is of profound significance in the military field. Experts said that this record should be among the best in the history of world fighter flight. So, what is the difficulty of flying for 10 hours? Let us follow the flight shooting of the fighter plane to understand. For

flying for a long time, the first consideration is fuel consumption. From the perspective of flight equipment, considering the flight speed, the fuel capacity of fighter planes is generally limited. Therefore, aerial refueling through tankers is one of the indispensable and crucial items. The fighter that broke the record this time seems to be the Su-30 fighter, with a fuel capacity of more than 9 tons, a range of up to 3000 kilometers, and a maximum flight speed of Mach 2 (2120 km/h). If you keep this At one speed, the full fuel capacity can be used for about 1.415 hours of flight for 3000 kilometers. Under normal circumstances, the cruise speed will be maintained at Mach 0.95 (1007 kilometers per hour). It can fly for about 3 hours with full fuel. Then the entire 10-hour flight needs to be carried out. 3 to 4 refueling in the air.

oil transport -20 (green) bombardment-6 (grey) in the same frame as

Therefore, the choice of aerial tanker is also a technology. For ordinary fighters to refuel, we can choose the Hengyou-6 for refueling operations. This is also the only two refueling machine made by our army at present. The other refueling machine is the Yunyou-20, which can be judged from the name. The fuselage platforms of the tanker are from H-6 (D) and Yun-20 respectively. According to reports, the Hungyou-6 has a maximum fuel capacity of only 37 tons, which consumes more than half of its own consumption. Due to the particularity of the matching refueling hoses, the only fighters that can be served are the F-10 and F-8D; F-11 series And Su-30, you need the help of the Il-78 tanker.

is different from the oil -20. The maximum fuel capacity is 66 tons. The most important thing is that it has the same hose configuration as the Il-78 tanker, and has the advantage of optional refueling pipes, but currently oil -20 It is still in the mass production stage, so it will not be considered for the time being. Choosing the Il-78 is only the first step, and the next is the time when the pilot's skills are most tested. What we have seen is only the dual-pipe docking. For the pilot, the accuracy of the operation is related to the safety of the linked dual aircraft. Even if the ground refueling is not careful, it will experience the tragedy of the F-35 crashing due to refueling. The risk index is even greater.

Ukraine delivered the third Il-78 tanker

to China. Compared with the Su-30 prototype, Su-27 and Su-30 have more aerial refueling pipes, which conforms to the picture description and the mission requirements. In addition, according to the analysis of the Global Times on November 9, the Su-30 participating in the challenge mission should be a two-seater, commonly known as a trainer. But at this time, the task of the pilot in the front passenger seat is no longer to instruct, but to be like driving a long distance, with someone to accompany and someone to take over. From this perspective, experienced pilots, long-time high-altitude operations, Both the driving burden and the psychological burden will be reduced by half.

In addition, the flight airspace also has an impact on the execution of the mission. According to the program, the mission execution area is located above the ocean. The sea breeze and seawater are corrosive to a certain degree of saline-alkali, so the transpired air above the ocean, It is also corrosive. According to public data, the Su-30 has served in our army for about 20 years. Flying over the ocean for a long time is not only a test of the aircraft's performance, but also a verification of the fighter's annual maintenance work.

Refueling diagram during the 10-hour flight mission

In addition, high-altitude flight operations also place great importance on the oxygen supply and energy supply guarantee for pilots. In the cabin, pilots not only require a high degree of concentration, but also have a narrow space for movement. Therefore, the need for sufficient energy food to ensure sufficient oxygen supply to the brain cannot be underestimated. According to reports, during the flight, the pilots eat portable high-energy food. Generally speaking, the feeding mechanism is for oxygen generation on board and liquid oxygen for oxygen supply. The team performing the task mainly travels to and from the South China Sea islands. Each patrol takes about 10 hours. Therefore, this challenge is of great significance to our military's duty and security work in the South China Sea. For our vast territoryFor countries with endless stretches of coastlines and borders, the responsibility of pilots to cruise across the territory is shouldered, and even more important. (Cat's claw)