In 2000 aircrafts Su-27PD no. 595 and Su-27PU no. 597 were selected to deep upgrade demonstration-experimental projects. They are repainted in 2001 with new grey-blue scheme and gets numbers 595 and 02. Full military equipment was mounted, including OLS. Aircraft 595 is fitted out (01.2000) with developed by MMPP (Moskovskoye Mashinostoityelnoye Pryedpriyatye) Salut modified engines AL-31FM1 with experimental TVC nozzles (with Klivt = Klimov vectored thrus, totally different from TVC-engines AL-31FP from Su-30MKI) and used to flight tests and refining of the modified engines.
LII: experimental Su-27LL (ex. Su-27P) with Salut engines with mounted Klivt nozzles, 2003
Aircraft no. 02 become in 2000/2001 a second prototype of upgrade program Su-30KN (after well know prototype no. 302) and was presented to high command of Russian Air Force in 03.2001 at Zhukovskiy (also So-30KN no. 302 and Su-27UBM no. 20). After failure of KN upgrade program, even commercial flight was offered on no. 02, by "Space Flight" (2005)! March 2006 Analoty Kvochur, probably most known Russian pilot after Victor Pugachov, demonstrated in China his excellent skills, flying about 2-3 meters above ground! In that time, number 02 was removed and original 597 restored. In the middle of the year 2006 both 595 and 596 were repainted in original colours (but dark blue is now a little lighter). Note that 598 have that painting for all time, since 1992 (even when in 2000-2001 aircraft was used as testbed in upgrade program of Su-27S/P to Su-27SM standard).
Lyotno-Isslyedovatyelskiy Cyentr (LIS; later Pilotazhno-Isslyedovatyelskiy Cyentr PIS) = Research Pilot Center (until 1996 – pilot group "Test Pilots") was founded by Anatoliy Nikolaevich Kvochur in 1992 at LII to carry out the research programs on designing of cabins and control units over the maneuvering aircrafts, satellite radio navigation, over extra refueling in the air, extra long-distance non-stop flights, extramanoeuvrability operations, for the medical purposes, as well as for the purpose of performance of demonstrative flights of the planes Su-27, Su-30 and MiG- 29 to be done individually or in a group.
Sukhoi Su-S7UB, Lyotno-Isslyedovatyelskiy Cyentr (LIS)= Research Pilot Center of the Sukhoi Design Bureau near LII @ Zhukovsky, 1995.
In 2006 pilots of PIS are:
- Anatoliy Kvochur - Hero of Russia, a distinguished test-pilot of the USSR
- Vladimir Loginovskiy - Hero of Russia, test-pilot of the 1-st category
- Alyeksandr Garnayev - Hero of Russia, test-pilot of the 1-st category
- Alyeksandr Pavlov - test-pilot of the 1-st category
- Vladimir Birukov - a distinguished test-pilot of the Russian Federation
September 8th, 2006 to commemorate of the 70-th anniversary of the non-stop flight by the Hero of the Soviet Union, Valery Chkalov, made in July 1936, Anatoliy Kvochur has repeated the Chkalov’s itinerary on board os Su-27LL no. 597 - from Zhukovskiy to Czkalov Island on Far East and back. The airplane (Kvochur and Serguey Viktorovich Korostiev) will cover more than 12.500 km. It will take around 14 hours 30 minutes. During the flight, Anatoliy Kvochur will have 4 fuelings from 2 tankers IL-78. That day the "Exposition of MVK achievements in the stratosphere" was presented on board the refueling tanker Il-78. Event was organised by MVK Exposition Holding, the leading Russian exposition company. Of course, flight was recorded in Guiness Record Book.
LII: experimental Su-27LL (ex. Su-27PU, ex. 2nd prototype of Su-30KN), 2005.
LII: experimental Su-27LL (ex. Su-27PU), 03.2006; engines developed by Salut.
LII: experimental Su-27LL (ex. Su-27PU), middle of 2006, Tambov air base; restored colours and military equipment.
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In 2001 LII obtain new aircraft, one of the old testbed used by LII and Sukhoi Design Bureau. It was Su-27LL number 05 (serial number 24-05), which get new grey-blue painting, especially designed for LII's aircrafts. The plane was previously used in 1991 in T10M project as experimental aircraft with rightside control joystick into cockpit. In 2001 was equipped with totally new electronic control system and presented during MAKS-2001 in Moscov, as Su-27LL ACE for Advanced Control Experiment. In MAKS-2003 has engines with TVC nozzles. Probably still in LII inventory and retain grey-blue painting.
LII: experimental Su-27LL ACE, 2001.
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