is an air group that was created back in 1987. So much time has already passed, and “Rus” is invincible, despite the fact that Russian aviation is dying and airfields are ceasing to exist. Many people also predicted “death” for the aerobatic team, but to this day it exists and is supported by the enthusiasm of the aviators.
History of the Rus aerobatic team
It all started back in 1987. A celebration was planned to mark the seventieth anniversary October revolution, and the task was set to organize a performance at the Tushino airfield, showing the audience an unforgettable aviation show.
Nine of the best pilots - masters of solo flights - united into one group in order to take part in a group flight for the first time in their lives. And not just flying, but taking part in a show using various complex elements in the air, and there were only three months left to prepare for the holiday. But the enthusiasm was enormous, and the pilots began training. They had nothing: no diagrams, no manuals, it was just them and nine planes. And also a video recording of air performances of two foreign aerobatic teams. But all the difficulties were overcome and the show took place. This happened in June 1987. The success was enormous. This day is considered the birth of the aerobatic team, which was soon named “Rus”. Since then, Russian pilots have been training at the Vyazemsky Aviation Training Center, gaining invaluable experience from their mentors.
Today, the oldest aerobatic team "Rus" consists of a wonderful team of masters who, with their synchronized performances, amazed the whole world, performing on international shows. This is a team that performs the most complex elements. And this is the only aerobatic team that performs complex aeronautical elements on L-39 Albatross aircraft. In their program “Rus” they use color accompaniment, which only enhances the audience’s emotions from what they see. Seven people in the aerobatic team “Rus” captivated the audience. Each team member is qualified as an instructor pilot, and each has more than three and a half thousand hours of flight time.
Aerobatic team Rus aircraft
By the way, the aerobatic team “Rus” is a group that can give you extreme and unique sensations, because here you have the opportunity to fly a fighter plane together with an instructor.
You can find out about upcoming performances and group news on the official website, because like many others, the aerobatic team “Rus” has an official website, and the aerobatic team also has its own VK page.
In order to be convinced of the professionalism of the Rus aerobatic team, just watch the video and you will understand that they are masters of their craft. With such pilots, Russian aviation will not be lost.
Aerobatic team Rus video
Aerobatic team"Rus"- the oldest aviation aerobatic team in Russia. The squadron was formed in 1987, on the basis of the Vyazemsky Aviation Training Center.
The history of the group began with a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the October Revolution, in honor of which it was decided to organize a grand aviation sports festival at the airfield in Tushino. The Vyazemsky UAC was given the task of assembling and training a squadron of aerobatic pilots in record time. It was then that ten L-39 Albatross were transferred to the Center from the Air Force, in which they were to perform in front of the audience.
From left to right:
Vladimir Arkhipov, Valentin Selyavin, Kazimir Noreika, Farid Akchurin, Nikolai Chekashkin, Sergei Bondarenko, Alexander Pryadilshchikov, Nikolai Zhdanov, Sergei Bondarenko.
To participate in the air parade, nine of the best pilots were gathered, each of whom had extensive experience in instructor work and flying within the flight training course. But solo aerobatics is one thing, and flying in a team is completely different. None of the pilots had experience flying in tight formation, not to mention performing the most complex elements of group aerobatics. The task was not an easy one, because there were only a few months left for preparation. Hard training began, and lo and behold, On June 3, 1987, a formation of 9 aircraft was formed in the air for the first time. This is the day we consider the day of creation aerobatic team "Rus".
"We didn't have any methodological instructions for performing flights in tight formation, there are no diagrams or even drawings. We worked out everything ourselves, from scratch. We watched videos of performances by Patrouille de France and Frecce Tricolori, discussed them, drew them on paper, assessed the capabilities of the technology and developed algorithms for performing various formations. During the first training, the intervals between aircraft were large. Then, gradually they began to reduce them.”
Despite all the difficulties, the group's first performance was a stunning success; on August 18, a record number of visitors gathered at the airfield in Tushino - about 800 thousand people, including the entire top leadership of the country. Under the leadership of the presenter (head of the Center) Farid Akchurin, the aerobatic team performed passes in tight formation with climbs, lane changes, and turns. Nikolai Pogrebnyak performed a solo program. A dogfight between two pairs of aircraft was also shown.
From the memoirs of Sergei Bondarenko (the first members of the group):
“I remembered my first flight in the top nine for the rest of my life. I didn’t get out of the cabin, but flowed out like some kind of amorphous body. At least squeeze out the overalls. There was a debriefing, and I didn’t even hear what they were saying. But I remembered one thing: there were no comments.”
The name of the group was decided very quickly. Putting aside all the “bird” options, we settled on such a proud name "Rus"! The pilots wanted to emphasize the original Russian roots and the international composition of the team.
From the memoirs of Nikolai Zhdanov (the first members of the group):
“Especially for us, the sky over Moscow was cleared of clouds. Pride was bursting, but responsibility was also pressing. When, after disbandment, I took the plane out of a dive over Strogin, I began to feel twitch left knee. There was such tension. A year later, before the next parade, General Maslov came to us and asked straight away: « Can you make a loop?” We answered sluggishly: “We must try.” The episode of entering the “loop” was especially memorable. We made a dive, a “hill”, combat turns, suddenly a voice on the air from presenter Yura Bykov: “Are we going to make a ‘loop’?” Silence in response. He again: “Well, are we going to make a ‘loop’?” Silence again. Then Sanya Pryadilshchikov could not stand it: “We will!” We gained altitude, then entered in a straight line, dived... The first “loop” turned out to be very clean. Bykov asks: “Shall we make a second ‘loop’?” At this point everyone said in unison: “Well, of course, what not to do there?”
Performance in the Czech Republic, 1997:
Today, the Rus aerobatic team is a team of synchronized aerobatics masters of the highest international level. The Smolensk aces have the most complex elements of aerobatics in their arsenal, and the rich program of performances invariably delights even the most demanding spectators. "Highlight"Groups can be called the color accompaniment of each air show. The colored smoke generation system that every aircraft is equipped with makes it possible to imagine well famous figures aerobatics in a new light. The pilots are literallypaint the sky in the colors of the Russian tricolor, and the golden train that stretches behind the soloist’s plane when performing complexthe most beautiful cascade of barrels, invariably gives the audience a “sunny” mood.
The group includes: leader of the group - Anatoly Marunko, followers - Nikolay Zherebtsov, Mikhail Kolle, Nikolay Alekseev, Yuriy Lukinchuk, soloists - Stanislav Dremo in and Igor Dushechkin. All pilots of the group are qualified as first class instructor pilots and have flight experience. various types aircraft more than 3.5 thousand hours.
Since 2011, the Vyazemsky UAC and the Rus aerobatic team have been headed by instructor pilot and group leader Anatoly Marunko. The engineering and technical staff is led by Viktor Gurchenkov and Alexander Kotov.
Pilots of the "Rus" squadron are the only pilots in our country who fly airplanes L-39 "Albatross". These light jet attack aircraft are used in the Russian Air Force as training aircraft. Modest, compared to fourth-generation fighters, the flight characteristics of this aircraft (wing span - 9.46 m, maximum speed- 750 km/h, maximum take-off weight - 4700 kg) determine the piloting style. After all, each group has it unique. The pilots of "Rus" first of all demonstrate the domestic school of flying skills and teamwork.
Aerobatic team "Rus" takes part in many national holidays and is always a welcome guest at aviation shows. The group's pilots have repeatedly demonstrated their skills in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Denmark, and Belarus, where they received high ratings from spectators. And for aerobatics masters there is no better reward than the delight of the public and the smiles of children looking at the sky in fascination.
Video - the history of the creation of the aerobatic team:
Historical reference: The Vyazemsky DOSAAF Aviation Training Center was founded on June 2, 1960 for the training and retraining of flight and engineering personnel of the Armed Forces. Over the entire period, about 5,000 pilots were trained to serve in the Air Force and form a reserve, first on MIG-15, MIG-17 aircraft, and then on L-29 and L-39 aircraft. Many honored pilots and cosmonauts, including Svetlana Savitskaya, were trained at the Center.
The Vyazemsky DOSAAF Aviation Training Center was founded on June 2, 1960 for the training and retraining of flight and engineering personnel of the Armed Forces. Over the entire period, about 5,000 pilots were trained to serve in the Air Force and form a reserve, first on MIG-15, MIG-17 aircraft, and then on L-29 and L-39 aircraft. Many honored pilots and cosmonauts were trained at this center.
In 1987, on behalf of the DOSAAF Central Committee, on the basis of the Vyazemsky aviation training aviation center An aerobatic team was created. The center was given the task of taking part in the traditional air parade in Tushino with 10 aircraft. For a worthy presentation there, ten L-39 Albatross were transferred to the center from the Air Force.
Accelerated theoretical retraining - and flights and then group training began. The lack of time put me in very strict limits. The aerobatic team then included: Farid Akchurin (Team Leader, Head of the Aviation Center), Valentin Selyavin, Sergei Borisovich Bondarenko, Sergei Petrovich Bondarenko, Nikolai Zhdanov, Kazimir Noreika, Alexander Pryadilshchikov, Nikolai Chekashkin, Vladimir Arkhipov, Nikolai Zolotarev. Solo performance - Nikolai Pogrebnyak.
All pilots had extensive experience as instructors and flying within the flight training course, but only Selyavin and Pogrebnyak were masters of sports in aerobatics. Therefore, the group had problems due to the small number of flights on the L-39 and the lack of skills in performing group flights in close formation with a large number of aircraft. On June 3, 1987, during the group's training, a formation of 9 aircraft was formed in the air for the first time. This day is considered the day of the creation of the RUS aerobatic team.
Despite all the difficulties, on August 18, 1987, a group of ten aircraft (nine aircraft performed group aerobatics, one performed solo aerobatics) took part in the air parade in Tushino. This was the first public performance of the new aerobatic team. Ten Vyazma “albatrosses” performed their program in the Moscow sky, causing a storm of applause from the audience. That year there was the most grandiose holiday with a record number of visitors - about 800 thousand people. The demonstration program of the Vyazma pilots was also watched by television viewers from all over the USSR.
Today the Rus squadron is a team of synchronized aerobatics masters of the highest international level. Group composition: group leader Anatoly Marunko, Stanislav Dremov, Nikolay Zherebtsov, Mikhail Kolle, Nikolay Alekseev, Yuriy Lukinchuk. All pilots of the group are qualified as first class instructor pilots and have about 2,500 hours of flight time on various types of aircraft. Since 2011, the Vyazemsky UAC and the Rus aerobatic team have been headed by instructor pilot and group leader Anatoly Marunko. The engineering and technical staff is led by Viktor Gurchenkov and Alexander Kotov.
Pilots of the Rus squadron are the only pilots in our country who fly L-39 Albatross aircraft. These light jet attack aircraft are used by the Russian Air Force as trainers. The modest flight characteristics of this aircraft, compared to fourth-generation fighters (wing span - 9.46 m, maximum speed - 750 km/h, maximum take-off weight - 4700 kg) determine the style of piloting. After all, each group has it unique. The pilots of "Rus" first of all demonstrate the domestic school of flying skills and teamwork.
Aerobatic team" Rus"uses airplanes L-39 "Albatross". Reactive plane L-39 is a light attack aircraft, which is one of the best and most popular aircraft in its class. "Albatrosses" are used in the Russian Air Force as the main training aircraft, and in a number of countries near and far abroad as combat vehicles.
L-39 was developed by the Czechoslovak company Aerovodohody as part of the program Warsaw Pact, aimed at creating a unified training aircraft. Serial production of the main version of the L-39 began in 1973, and in the same year the aircraft entered military testing in the USSR. From 1974 to 1989, the USSR received a total of 2,094 L-39s.
In the Soviet Union, the L-39 became one of the most popular military aircraft. The car quickly took root and “Russified” - the Latin “L” in its type designation was immediately replaced by the Cyrillic “L”. Yes and given name The aviators used “Albatross” much less often than the slang nickname “elka”. The aircraft entered the majority of flight schools: Chernigov, Kachin and Kharkov, which specialized in training pilots for front-line fighter aviation; Armavir (air defense fighters); Yeyskoye and Borisoglebskoye (fighter-bombers); Barnaul (front-line bomber aviation); Tambov (long-range aviation); Krasnodar (trained pilots for Asian and African countries). "Albatrosses" were also operated by several Centers for combat training and retraining of flight personnel, a Separate training and testing regiment of the USSR Cosmonaut Training Center (Chkalovskaya airfield), and units of the Air Force Research Institute. A small number of Albatrosses were transferred to DOSAAF flying clubs and training centers. Outside security forces"Elks" were located at LII MAP (Zhukovsky near Moscow). There, the L-39 was used not only as flying laboratories, but also as escort aircraft (for example, during flights of the Buran analogue of the VKS), as well as in the Test Pilot School.
"Albatrosses"are still in service with the air forces of Russia and other CIS countries, as well as Afghanistan, Algeria, Bulgaria, Germany, Iraq, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Libya, Romania, Syria and Thailand.
The aircraft allows you to perform simple, complex and aerobatic maneuvers, as well as cross-country flights using radio navigation aids in single and group flights.
Technical L-39 characteristics
- Crew: 1 or 2 people
- Length: 12.13 m
- Wingspan: 9.46 m
- Height: 4.77 m
- Wing area: 18.18 m²
- Empty weight: 3455 kg
- Normal take-off weight: 4525 kg
- Maximum take-off weight: 4700 kg
- Fuel mass in internal tanks: 980 kg
- Powerplant: 1 × AI-25TL turbofan engine
- Thrust: 1 × 1800 kgf
Flight characteristics of the L-39
- Top speed: 761 km/h
- Stall speed: 160 km/h (flaps extended)
- Practical range: 1650 km (without PTB)
- Service ceiling: 12,000 m
- Rate of climb: 21 m/s (1260 m/min)
- Takeoff length: 580 m
- Run length: 560 m
- Armament
Story
Soon, at the end of 1987, Colonel Yuri Dmitrievich Bykov was appointed head of the Vyazemsky Aviation Training Center and leader of the aerobatic team. The aerobatic team program was improved and was also repeatedly demonstrated at various special events.
Composition of the group
Leading groups(V different times): in 1987 - Farid Akchurin, in 1987-1991 - Yu. D. Bykov, in 1991-2002 - Evgeny Burchanov.
Original composition groups: Farid Akchurin (head of the aviation center), Valentin Selyavin, Sergei Borisovich Bondarenko, Sergei Petrovich Bondarenko, Nikolai Zhdanov, Kazimir Noreika, Alexander Pryadilshchikov, Nikolai Chekashkin, Vladimir Arkhipov, Nikolai Zolotarev, Viktor Aleinikov (from 1991 to 1994 inclusive - flight leader). Separately solo performance prepared by Nikolai Pogrebnyak.
The composition of the group in 2000:
Composition of the group in 2007(flight director Evgeny Burchanov):
Currently The Rus squadron operates flights consisting of 6 aircraft:
- The leader of the group is Anatoly Mikhailovich Marunko;
- Tail wingman - Nikolai Mikhailovich Zherebtsov;
- Left wingman - Mikhail Alekseevich Kolle;
- Right wingman - Nikolai Egorovich Alekseev;
- Solo aerobatics - Stanislav Lvovich Dremov;
- Solo aerobatics - Igor Anatolyevich Dushechkin.
At the City Day in Saransk on June 12, 2011, “Rus” performed as part of 5 aircraft. 4 aircraft in the “branded” livery performed group aerobatics, 1 aircraft in camouflage and Russian Air Force insignia performed individual maneuvers. On June 25, 2011, at the “Wings of Parma” festival in the city of Perm, “Rus” performed as part of 5 aircraft; group aerobatics was performed both in a group of 5 aircraft and in a group of 4 aircraft. On June 29 and 30, 2013, in the same Perm, group aerobatics were performed on 4 and 5 aircraft on the “Wings of Parma”; solo aerobatics was performed by Stanislav Lvovich Dremov.
Performances
1987
- August 18 - performance at the air parade in Tushino
1992
- International Aerospace Exhibition "Mosaeroshow-92" (August 11-16, 1992)
1993
- I International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-1993 (August 31 - September 5, 1993)
1995
- II International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-1995 (August 22-27, 1995)
1997
1998
1999
2001
2003
2005
- June 11 - performance at City Day in Kirov
- August 16-21 - VII International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2005
2009
- June 26 - performance at Youth Day in Naberezhnye Chelny
- June 28 - performance at City Day in Arkhangelsk
2010
- July 25 - performance at Navy Day in Severodvinsk
- August 12 and 15 - performance at the InterAeroCom 2010 Air Show in St. Petersburg
- September - performance at the Hydroaviation Show in Gelendzhik
- October 2 - performance at the Aeromir-XXI air show (Ukrainian. Aviasvit-XXI listen)) in Gostomel, Ukraine
2011
- June 12 - performance at City Day in Saransk
- June 25 - performance at the Sokol airbase in Perm. The performance was held as part of the “White Nights” project
- June 30 - performance at the V International Naval Show in St. Petersburg
- August 16-21 - X International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2011
- September 11 - performance at City Day in Nizhny Novgorod
2012
- May 12-13 - performance in honor of the opening of the port-museum "Lennusadam" in Tallinn, Estonia
- July 7 - performance at the rock festival NASHESHIE
- August 10-12 - performance at the “Common Sky” air show dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force
- September 15 - performance at Penza City Day
- September 22 - performance in Veliky Novgorod at the celebration of the 1150th anniversary of Russian statehood
- September 27-30 - performance at the 8th International Aviation and Space Salon "AVIASVIT-XXI" in Kyiv (urban settlement Gostomel, airfield "Kyiv-Antonov")
- October 14 - performance at the military-historical festival “Moscow is behind us: 1941”
2013
- June 20 - performance at graduation in Ulyanovsk (“ Runway 2013")
- June 29-30 - performance at the Wings of Parma festival in Perm, at the Sokol airbase and the Froly airfield
- July 4 - performance at the opening of the Naval Salon in St. Petersburg
- July 28 - Day navy, Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk
- August 2 - performance at the Wargaming.net corporate party (in honor of the company’s 15th anniversary) above the Stalin Line (Republic of Belarus)
- August 30-September 1 - XI International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
- August 2 - performance in Ufa at the celebration of Airborne Forces Day.
- August 4 - performance in Omsk at the Day of the City
- August 5 - performance in Novosibirsk to celebrate Aviation Day.
- August 10 - performance in Kazan at the festival "I choose the sky"
- August 25 - performance in Voronezh at the airport on an open day.
Aerobatics elements
The Rus aviation aerobatic team has its own performance program, containing various elements of group and individual aerobatics. The overloads experienced by pilots range from −4 to +8. The minimum distance between aircraft during flight is one meter.
Group aerobatics
- "Running the Gauntlet"- element of oncoming aerobatics. One plane passes through a formation of six planes.
- "Fan"- a single aircraft performs a roll around five aircraft flying in a diamond formation. Initially it was carried out by only two aircraft - one makes a roll around the trajectory of the other.
- "Mirror"- the passage of a pair of aircraft with the landing gear extended, the leader performs a half-roll and begins an inverted flight. When flying in front of the audience, the impression of a “mirror image” of the wingman’s aircraft is briefly created.
- "Cross"- a group of planes is flying in a “cross” (Christian) formation. This figure is performed by a group of 6 or 9 aircraft. In a group of 6 aircraft, the aerobatic element is performed as follows: four aircraft are lined up in a row behind each other, and two more are lined up symmetrically on the sides at the level of the second aircraft in the row; in a group of 9 aircraft - five aircraft are lined up sequentially in a row, the remaining four are symmetrically paired on the sides of the second in the row.
- Dissolution of "Fontan"- carried out by four aircraft.
- Dissolution of "Tulip"- carried out by six aircraft.
- "Heart"- Two planes (or two flights - six planes) draw a heart-shaped figure with a white train, a single “arrow” plane “pierces” it.
- "Barrel of Four"- four aircraft perform a roll around their trajectory (in this case, the formation “flips” and then returns to its original positions).
- "Steam barrel"- similar to the “Barrel Four”, but it is performed by two aircraft.
Solo aerobatics
- Flight to WWI- the plane flies over the runway with the landing gear extended, after which it retracts them and continues flight at an extremely low altitude, equal to one meter. The speed of the aircraft is 400 km/h.
- "Bell"- see Bell.
- "Rising Corkscrew Barrel"- barrel with a climb. For the first time on L-39 it was performed by the lead singer of the group “Rus” Valery Sobolev.
- "Landing of a Drunken Pilot"- when landing, the aircraft begins to perform sharp maneuvers with gain and loss of altitude.
