Russian Knights mark 20th anniversary with aerobatic stunts

An air show dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic team was held at the Kubinka Air Base near Moscow. The show culminated in a spectacular stunt involving four Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighters which flew in formation and subsequently scattered in four directions. The warplanes soared up into the sky, reached an altitude of 1,800 meters, stalled and hovered for a split second.

The Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) team is the only unit in the world using Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker heavy-duty fighters for solo and group aerobatic stunts. Other aerobatic teams, including the famous Patrouille de France, use combat trainers, aerobatic planes or light fighters for this purpose.

The Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic team flying Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters also took part in the show.

The Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic teams flew in formation for 60 minutes, performing such breath-taking stunts as the Wedge, the double combat banked turn, the Ear, the Roll and the Whip Stall (Tail Slide). While executing the Wedge, the warplane formation rolls as a single unit along a longitudinal axis.
Photo: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters of the Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic team in mid-air.

Five Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighters and four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic teams flew in a diamond formation, while executing their aerobatic stunts. Each time, the formation veered to the left or the right, performing oblique left and right loops.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters of the Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic team flying above the Aircraft Demonstration Center at the Kubinka Air Base during festivities dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic team.

At the end of the aerial parade, audiences could see a Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter flying at 220 kilometers per hour and 270 meters above the ground. This is an extremely difficult stunt because the pilot must keep the 30-ton warplane from ploughing into the ground.

Pilots from the Kubinka Air Base were the first to perform solo and group stunts in the Soviet Union. Kubinka, which has gained a reputation as the most prestigious stunt-flying school, is home to the popular Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic teams.