Flying a Flanker... without a canopy!

[Ferry_vO]

Found this on another site:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/1.jpg

These photos are real and were made during the filming of the Russian movie involving jet fighter stunts. In one episode they had to film the jet without a canopy, so rather to film it on the ground they decided to hire a high-class pilot to make a real flight without that glass thing. He had to take off a few times on such plane in order to film enough material to be included in the final footage.

“The maximum speed I achieved on the jet plane without a canopy glass was around two times greater than speed of sound. While on this speed I even managed to pull out my fingers in glove for an inch or two outside - it became heated very fast because of immense friction force plane undergoes with the air.“, writes the pilot.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/2.jpg

“Usually such tests were conducted in winter time, so it was deadly cold without a canopy and I was pretty glad when this heating began, counting minutes before the plane would reach enough speed/velocity so that the air around becomes hot enough. But it wasn’t the main problem for me. In my personal rating of the dangers connected with such tests one of the most bad sides was the extreme roar. Because of this extreme roaring you couldn’t hear the radio so you were flying in deaf mode, you were afraid to pull throttle harder just because going faster was meaning going louder.“, he continues.

On the photo above: Russian military pilot Frolov is getting ready for the flight on the jet cabrio. It is pretty freezing outside, but it would be much colder when he would take off.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/3.jpg

The plane is being prepared for the no-canopy flight.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/4.jpg

A cabrio ride above the sea.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/5.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/6.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/8.jpg

And that’s one more test - the second pilot tests the ejecting system while on the flight with no canopy installed. The first pilot remains in the plane.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Ferror/Diversen/7.jpg

And now the flight is over.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparently this was done while filming this movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337678/

Sounds a bit like a Russian version of Firefox, and the comments are not very positive. Still, might be fun to watch just for the Flankers!

[Lionheart]

That is wild. At Mach 2 he put 2 inches of fingers outside of the canopy area and his fingers immediately heated up from wind friction.


Bill

[tigisfat]

I don't believe it for a second that he went mach 2 like this. The fictional report also has referring to 'pulling the throttle' to go faster.

I believe these flights happened for whatever reason, but I think much about the report is fictionalized like many viral aviation emails where someone fills in the gaps of a story with sensational details.

I did enjoy this post though. I haven't seen these pics before. :medals:

[b52bob]

I don't believe it for a second that he went mach 2 like this. The fictional report also has referring to 'pulling the throttle' to go faster.

I believe these flights happened for whatever reason, but I think much about the report is fictionalized like many viral aviation emails where someone fills in the gaps of a story with sensational details.

I did enjoy this post though. I haven't seen these pics before. :medals:

The writing on his helmet in Russian translates to "Fairy Tale"

[aeronca1]

WooHoo a new way to toast marshmallows! Now to save up for the flight. Should take 2-300 years....

[Bjoern]

And I was just about to say that russian filmmakers make Hollywood look like sissies.

[GT182]

Mirror Wars: Reflection One. I see it's not released in any English speaking countries yet. Latest release date was 8 June 2009 in Hungary.

But you can watch it from here..... http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi406061593/ 1 hour 49 minutes long.

[Allen]

I don't believe it for a second that he went mach 2 like this. The fictional report also has referring to 'pulling the throttle' to go faster.

I believe these flights happened for whatever reason, but I think much about the report is fictionalized like many viral aviation emails where someone fills in the gaps of a story with sensational details.

I did enjoy this post though. I haven't seen these pics before. :medals:

'pulling the throttle' maybe a bad translation.

[Prowler1111]

I found about this in another forums,then directed to a Russian forum with English translations, all this was done for a movie(btw the pic description is all wrong) the plane took off with a dummy in the back seat, they ejected the canopy and then the dummy, all this for just a few seconds of action in what i could call the worst aviation movie i´ve ever watched (beats "stealth" by far...)..
Best regards
Prowler

[Piglet]

If he really flew at mach 2, what about the shock waves around the fwd canopy, and his own head and bang seat?
The Ruskii's may be good at flight sims, but movies?!?

[GT182]

In the photo of the RIOs ejection, you can tell it's a dummy....he's not screamin. ;) LOL

[Bjoern]

what i could call the worst aviation movie i´ve ever watched (beats "stealth" by far...)..

The worst is the Iron Eagle series.

Passing off F-4s and Daggers as MiGs is just too much.

[Piglet]

Worst aviation movie was Top Gun. Black F-5's as Mig's?!? Firing cannons from the wingroot extensions?!? Tom Cruise?!?

[Bjoern]

Worst aviation movie was Top Gun. Black F-5's as Mig's?!? Firing cannons from the wingroot extensions?!? Tom Cruise?!?

Well, Top Gun actually was my first thought but I was afraid to be hunted down and tortured by others here for saying that.

I only watch it for childhood memories and pictography anyways and apart from his whacky private life I still find Tom Cruise a decent actor.

[kilo delta]

Well ,in fairness to the producers of Iron Eagle/Top Gun, ....eastern block aircraft were not exactly available for film work....and the USAF weren't sharing their fleet :).

[Quixoticish]

Worst aviation movie was Top Gun. Black F-5's as Mig's?!? Firing cannons from the wingroot extensions?!? Tom Cruise?!?

Top Gun isn't an aviation movie, it's a touching and rather splendid piece of homoerotic cinema about a man coming to terms with his sexuality.

[FengZ]

hey, i liked Top Gun! :) But then again, i was in the 5th grade when i saw it. But i was so into the F-14 for a long time after that movie. Back then, i had no idea those "migs" were F-5s....and i bet neither did the non-aviation crowd...

-feng

[Railrunner130]

I think the translations are a little off. I'm not buying the supersonic part though. Even flying around with the doors open (at slow speeds) on the mighty Herk it can get unpleasant in the slipstream.

[Bjoern]

Top Gun isn't an aviation movie, it's a touching and rather splendid piece of homoerotic cinema about a man coming to terms with his sexuality.

Wasn't that The Brokeback Knight Mountain?



Well ,in fairness to the producers of Iron Eagle/Top Gun, ....eastern block aircraft were not exactly available for film work...

They could've just explained the western aircraft with a former friendly gone rogue, but nooooo...the russians apparently thought a F-5 was better than their MiG-21s and copied it 1:1.

[GT182]

After conferring with a Mig and an F-4 pilot last Sunday, they both said it's all BS. Typical Russian BS to be exact.

1. You cannot fly supersonic without a canopy..... no way, no how... period.

2. You cannot cannot put you finger or any part of your body in the slipstream while supersonic... period. Actually the forces involved from being supersonic would suck you right out of the seat..... in pieces. Hand first...... then the rest of you will follow rather quickly.