Variable-Geometry Wings Jammed

A Russian Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber that went down Monday in the Amur region of eastern Russia -- near the Chinese border -- was likely brought down by a technical problem involving the aircraft's variable-geometry wings, said a Russian military official Tuesday.

"Before the Su-24 aircraft's landing, the wing would not move into position, and the team made 20 landing attempts," said Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhailov.

Both pilots were able to eject to safety before the Fencer "landed" for its last time, according to Russian media reports. Officials believe the aircraft's wings would not straighten to the landing position, which gives the aircraft additional lift needed to maneuver at slower speeds.

Russia's RIA Novosti news service quoted an air force colonel, who stated the aircraft's flight recorders had also been recovered in good condition.

The Su-24 -- a Cold War-era design sharing traits with other aircraft of the time such as the American F-111 and British Tornado bomber -- was one of the Soviet Union's premier military aircraft in the late 1970s and early 1980s. As many as 900 of the aircraft were manufactured, although many were retired following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Russia's Kommersant newspaper stated the Su-24 that went down was an advanced MR reconnaissance plane, which contained various video and still cameras, laser, heat and radar detection systems, and radiation detectors.

Monday's crash was the latest to befall the cash-strapped Russian air force. As was reported in Aero-News, last September an Su-27 went down in Lithuanian territory after its pilot ran out of fuel and strayed off course, to Russia's embarrassment (Lithuania is a member of NATO.)

In a move to diffuse what had become an international incident of sorts, Russia later paid Lithuania over $23,000 for costs of investigating the accident and for cleaning up the wreckage.

FMI: www.mil.ru