The history of Komsomolsk-on-Amur began on May 10, 1932, when the steamers "Komintern" and "Columbus" landed on the Amur coast, near the village of Permskoye, the first group of builders, numbering about 1000 people. The new city on the banks of the Amur was originally conceived as a defense-industrial center in the Far East. The site for the construction was selected based on its geographical location. Since other already existing Far Eastern cities: Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Nikolaevsk-on-Amur and Blagoveshchensk were either located near the state border, or were too vulnerable to attack from the sea. Soon after the landing of the first builders, in Komsomolsk, they began to prepare sites for the aircraft, shipbuilding and metallurgical plants.
Despite the fact that Komsomolsk-on-Amur is located approximately at the latitude of Belgorod and Voronezh, the Far Eastern climate is very harsh. The Komsomolsk region in terms of its climatic characteristics is equated to the Far North. Snow cover in Komsomolsk falls in late October - early November, and melts at the end of April. The average annual air temperature is 1.5 ° C. In the vicinity of Komsomolsk-on-Amur there is a permafrost border.
Extreme climatic factors: in winter - strong winds and frosts below –40 ° C, and in summer - sweltering heat combined with high humidity and gnarliness, as well as difficult living conditions, poor and monotonous food, greatly slowed down the pace of construction of defense enterprises. Due to the lack of vitamins, many construction workers fell ill with scurvy, and the lack of warm clothing and cold living quarters caused a surge in colds. The miscalculations of the management led to an outflow of labor from construction sites. From the declassified archival documents, it follows that as of April 1, 1934, out of 2500 Komsomol members who arrived for the construction, 460 people were available, the rest left the construction site in various ways. The labor shortage was soon made up for by military builders and prisoners.
Government decree on the beginning of the construction of an aircraft plant on the banks of the Amur in the area with. Permsky was published on February 25, 1932. On this day, the head of the Main Directorate of the Aviation Industry, deputy. People's Commissar of Heavy Industry P. I. Baranov, signed an order to build an aircraft plant number 126 - in the Perm region.
The aircraft plant was originally planned as one of the largest major city-forming enterprises. The site for the construction was chosen not far from the Nanai camp of Jemgi (now it is one of the districts of the city). Different sources give different interpretations regarding the meaning of the Nanai name "Jomgi". With the "light hand" of the writer Yuri Zhukov, the word "Dzemgi" is translated as "birch grove". This interpretation is even voiced in the local history museum of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. In fact, "Dziomgi" - most likely comes from the Evenk "dzyumi", which means "abandoned chum".
The first detachment of builders arrived in the area of the former Nanai camp on May 31, 1932. Local residents warned that the site is often flooded, but the construction management did not listen to them. During the high autumn flood of 1932, the foundation pit for the main building and the runway of the airfield under construction were poured; the stored building materials were partially destroyed. After the incident, the construction management made the appropriate conclusions and the new plant site with the runway was moved to a higher place 5 km to the north.
Military builders played a significant role in the construction of the plant. The first units began arriving in 1934. The history of Komsomolsk-on-Amur forever entered the ski crossing of a detachment of military builders who traveled from Khabarovsk along the ice of the Amur. Even in the current conditions, not many amateur extreme lovers, equipped with modern equipment, would dare to undertake such a trip. In the harsh conditions of the Far Eastern winter, military builders had to cross the ice of the river on skis, carrying everything they needed for about 400 km.
In the second half of 1935, several of the first production halls of the aircraft plant were built. Simultaneously with the installation of equipment, preparations were made for the assembly of aircraft. The first aircraft at the aircraft factory # 126 was built in 1936 - it was a long-range reconnaissance aircraft R-6 (ANT-7), designed by A. N. Tupolev. The R-6 had much in common with the first Soviet all-metal twin-engine monoplane bomber TB-1. By the standards of 1936, this machine is certainly outdated, but it gave the Far Eastern aircraft manufacturers the necessary experience, which made it possible to move on to the construction of more modern and sophisticated aircraft.
Airplane R-6
The first reconnaissance aircraft R-6 was built before the factory runway was ready. Therefore, for testing, the aircraft was equipped with floats, which made it possible to take off and land on the water surface of the Amur River. In the future, most of the R-6 aircraft were built with wheeled chassis. After the commissioning of the factory runway, the R-6 aircraft were used to organize regular flights between Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Khabarovsk. Soon an aeroclub began to operate on Dzomgakh, where four U-2 biplanes were transferred. Before the war, the legendary Aleksey Maresyev, a hero of the Soviet Union, who continued to fly a fighter even with amputated feet, first took to the air in the flying club before the war.
Bomber DB-3B
The next type of aircraft under construction at the plant was the DB-3B designed by S. V. Ilyushin. At that time, it was a fairly modern long-range bomber. In 1938, the military took over the first 30 aircraft. In 1939, the factory workers built 100 bombers. In the winter of 1941, the construction of torpedo aircraft began: with a retractable wheel chassis DB-3T and with a float-type DB-3TP. At the same time, preparations were underway for the construction of the DB-3F (IL-4) bomber. This machine had a lot in common with the DB-3 mastered in production.
IL-4 on the territory of an aircraft building plant in Komsomolsk
The staff of plant # 126 made a significant contribution to the victory, having built 2,757 Il-4 bombers. During the war years, the plant's production capacity and productivity increased significantly. Although the number of employees remained at the pre-war level, the annual volume of aircraft delivered increased by more than 2.5 times. In total, in 1938-1945, 3004 DB-3 and Il-4 bombers were built in Komsomolsk.
Li-2 on the territory of an aircraft building plant in Komsomolsk
After the end of World War II, the plant began production of peaceful products - the Li-2 transport and passenger aircraft. This machine was a licensed version of the Douglas DC-3. The first batch was delivered in 1947. In two years, 435 aircraft were built.
In 1949, preparations for the construction of the MiG-15 fighter began at the plant in Komsomolsk. The Komsomol aircraft builders consider the period of mastering and serial production of jet fighters to be the second birth of the plant. From that time on, the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur began the production of first-class jet aircraft, which made the company famous far beyond the borders of the country. Three years later, the more advanced MiG-17 went into production. For the construction of jet fighters, the plant carried out a radical renewal of the machine park and the expansion of production capacities. The MiG-17F became the first aircraft produced in Komsomolsk and delivered abroad. In the mid-50s, it became clear that the factory runway no longer met modern requirements, with an increase in aircraft speeds and mass, the load on the airfield surface increased, the takeoff run and landing run increased. The construction of a capital concrete runway coincided with the beginning of the development of the supersonic Su-7 OKB P. O. Sukhoi.
The first Su-7s were handed over to military acceptance in the spring of 1958. The mastery of this aircraft went with great difficulties. A lack of knowledge and experience affected, in addition, it was a very complex and still very "raw" machine. Nevertheless, the factory workers overcame the difficulties with honor. From 1958 to 1971, more than 1,800 Su-7 aircraft were built. The most widely used fighter-bombers Su-7B and Su-7BM. Since 1964, they have been exported.
Assembling the Su-17
In 1969, the production of the Su-17 variable-wing fighter-bomber began. Compared to the Su-7B, the new aircraft had better take-off and landing characteristics, it was possible to choose the optimal sweep depending on the flight profile, but at the same time, the aircraft design became significantly more complicated.
The Su-17 fighter-bomber is one of the earliest modifications, installed on the territory of KnAAZ as a monument.
The production of the last modification of the Su-17M4 was completed in 1991. In total, more than 2,800 vehicles of modifications were built in Komsomolsk: Su-17, Su-17K, Su-17M / M2 / M3 / M4 and Su-17UM / UM3. Export modifications were designated: Su-20, Su-22 / M / M3 / M4, Su-22UM / UM3 / UM3K. Like its predecessor, the Su-7B, the Su-17 fighter-bomber took part in many regional armed conflicts and was popular with foreign customers.
Simultaneously with the fighter-bombers at the aircraft plant, they built anti-ship missiles intended for arming submarines. The first was the P-6 anti-ship missile system, created under the leadership of the general designer, academician V. N. Chelomeya. Its production began in 1960. On the submarine, the missile was placed in a launch container; for the first time in world practice, a folding wing was used in the design of the P-6 anti-ship missile, which automatically unfolds in flight. In 1967, the P-6 rocket in production was replaced by the solid-propellant anti-ship missile "Amethyst" (4K-66), created, like the P-6, at the V. N. Chelomeya. The new rocket could be launched from a submerged boat. The production of this rocket continued until 1986.
Anti-ship missile "Amethyst"
In addition to the production of aircraft by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and the PKR, within the framework of industrial cooperation, the plant, which received the name of the Komsomolskoye-on-Amur Aviation Production Association named after V. I. Yu. A. Gagarin, (KnAAPO) supplied to Novosibirsk rotary wing parts and tail parts of the fuselage for front-line bombers Su-24, produced tail assembly parts for the Il-62 passenger aircraft.
In 1984, the first heavy fighter of the 4th generation, the Su-27, was built at KnAAPO. On the basis of the Su-27, a family of single and two-seat fighters was subsequently created: Su-27SK, Su-27SKM, Su-27SM / SM3, Su-33, Su-30MK, Su-30MK2, Su-30M2, Su-35S. The aircraft, created on the basis of the Su-27, were widely exported and now form the basis of the fighter fleet of the Russian Air Force.
Assembly of Su-27 fighters
In the 90s, life did not stop at the aircraft building plant in Komsomolsk, unlike many other enterprises in the industry. Although there were practically no deliveries of new machines to the own Air Force, export orders helped to survive. Aircraft of the Su-27 / Su-30 family were delivered to Venezuela, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, China, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea. In addition to the construction of new fighters, the company carried out the modernization of the Su-27S to the level of the Su-27SM / SM3, as well as refurbishment of deck-based Su-33s.
Fighter Su-27SM on the runway of the Dzemgi airfield (photo by the author)
Simultaneously with the construction and modernization of combat aircraft, the implementation of the civil conversion program was carried out. The first civilian models were the S-80 (Su-80) cargo and passenger aircraft and the Be-103 amphibious aircraft. Unfortunately, these rather promising projects have not been developed.
Airplane S-80
The turboprop S-80, which had a sealed cabin, was intended to carry 30 passengers or 3300 kg of cargo over a distance of 1300 kilometers. The aircraft was ideally suited for regional routes; its important advantage was the ability to quickly convert from a passenger version to a cargo one and back. The presence of a cargo ramp made it possible to deliver automotive equipment and standard aviation containers. The S-80 was equipped with two imported ST7-9V turboprop engines of the "General Electric" company with a capacity of 1870 hp each. Due to the reluctance of the Sukhoi company to engage in projects that did not promise quick and large dividends, the S-80 program was closed at the stage of certification according to airworthiness standards.
Be-103 amphibious aircraft
The same fate befell the light twin-engine amphibious Be-103. This machine could be very useful on short-haul lines in various regions of Siberia, the Far East and in the northern part of European Russia. The plane could be used with great advantage where there are a large number of rivers, lakes, small bodies of water and access to other modes of transport is difficult. Now, for flights to such places, Mi-8 helicopters are used, which have many times worse fuel efficiency indicators. The construction of the Be-103 continued until 2004, and 15 aircraft were assembled in a few years. At the moment, all work on the Be-103 has been discontinued. A number of aircraft of this type are stored in the factory area under the open sky.
In December 2012, the Russian Air Force received the first 6 Su-35S. In addition to gaining air superiority, the new fighter has the ability to strike at ground and sea targets. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, the fine-tuning of the armament of the combatant Su-35S dragged on, and they began to carry out combat duty only at the end of 2015, although by that time the Komsomol aircraft manufacturers had delivered 48 newest fighters to the military.
Su-35S takes off (author's photo)
On January 29, 2010, an experimental T-50 aircraft, created as part of the PAK FA program, took off for the first time from the factory runway. To date, it is known about the construction of 9 experimental vehicles. In the past, the dates for the start of production of the new 5th generation fighter have been repeatedly postponed. According to the latest statements from high-ranking officials, serial production of the aircraft will begin in 2017.
On January 1, 2013, KnAAPO became a branch of OJSC Sukhoi Company and became known as a branch of OJSC Sukhoi Company, Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant named after Y. A. Gagarin (KnAAZ). Over the years of the enterprise's existence, it has built more than 12,000 aircraft for various purposes. In the 1980s, the plant became the main manufacturer of Su fighters. Currently, there are actually two enterprises on the territory of the plant, where the construction of aviation equipment is underway.
The most ambitious civilian program of our aviation industry, brought to the stage of practical implementation, was the short-haul passenger aircraft Sukhoi Superjet 100, created by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCA) with the participation of a number of foreign firms. This has led to the fact that the aircraft uses up to 50% of imported parts. The share of components manufactured in Komsomolsk is about 15%. As of September 2016, the SCAC company built 113 airliners in Komsomolsk, with the cost of one being $ 27-28 million.
Aviation holidays with demonstration flights and exhibitions of equipment are regularly held on the territory of the enterprise. An extreme event of this kind took place on August 6, 2014, and was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of KnAAZ. On this day, the gates of the plant were open to everyone.
Along the runway lined up a line of aircraft and helicopters and air defense equipment - for the most part, these were products of the "Su" company: Su-17UM3, Su-24M, Su-25, Su-27SM, Su-30M2, Su-35S, S- 80, Superjet-100, as well as the Be-103 amphibian, the MiG-31 interceptor, the Ka-52 and Mi-8MTSh helicopters, elements of the S-300PS anti-aircraft missile system and the P-18 radar.
In some aircraft, most likely in those that are no longer destined to take off, free access to the cockpits was organized. For the sake of such an opportunity, impressive queues of children and adults lined up.
One runway with the aircraft plant is shared by a fighter aviation regiment, which provides air defense for Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The first fighters appeared at Jomgi airfield in 1939. These were I-16s designed by N. N. Polikarpov. Operation of "Ishaks" here continued until the beginning of 1945, when they were completely replaced by Yak-9 fighters. In August 1945, pilots of a fighter regiment from Dzomog took part in the Sungaria offensive and in the liberation of the south of Sakhalin from the Japanese. In 1951, the last piston fighters on Dziomga were supplanted by the MiG-15 jet fighters. In 1955, the MiG-15 was replaced by the MiG-17 fighters, and at the same time the regiment had a squadron armed with patrolling Yak-25 interceptor fighters with the Izumrud radar.
In 1969, the 60th Fighter Aviation Regiment switched to the Su-15 supersonic interceptors. However, for some time, two-seat interceptors Yak-28P, which had a long flight range with worse acceleration characteristics, were operated in parallel. In the 70s, the Su-15 of the early series were replaced by the modernized Su-15TM. These interceptors flew very actively from the Jomga airfield until 1990. Night flights were especially spectacular, when the Su-15TM, taking off on afterburner with jets of flame beating from jet engines, literally stuck into the dark sky.
The 60th IAP stationed on Dzomgakh became the head of the Air Force in the process of retraining for fourth-generation Su-27 fighters. The pilots of this aviation unit were pioneers in the development of new aviation technology. The first modernized Su-27SM were subsequently received here.
Aircraft parking of the 23rd iap (author's photo)
In the course of regular organizational and staffing measures aimed at "optimization" of the number and "increase in combat effectiveness", in 2004 the 60th Fighter Aviation Regiment was merged with the 404th "Tallinn" Order of Kutuzov III degree Fighter Aviation Regiment. As a result, the 23rd "Tallinn" Fighter Aviation Order of Kutuzov III degree regiment was formed. In fact, this reorganization was due to the fact that the aviation regiments simply lacked fighters. The state did not allocate money for the purchase of new aircraft, and they decided to liquidate one regiment. The fighter regiment, based at the Dzemgi airfield, is traditionally the lead one for many new and modernized Su-brand aircraft, it was here that the new Su-35S arrived. This is primarily due to the proximity of the combat regiment to the manufacturing plant and allows, if necessary, to promptly repair and treat "children's sores" in the factory, with the participation of KB representatives. Currently, on Dzomgakh, the 23rd IAP has fighters: Su-27SM, Su-30M2 and Su-35S.
Regular passenger flights from Komsomolsk-on-Amur began in the late 1930s. Since the Dziyomga airfield was occupied by the factory and aircraft of the fighter aviation regiment, a dirt strip for passenger aircraft was built near the bank of the Amur near the village of Parkovy. The following planes flew from here: Po-2, An-2, Li-2, Il-12, Il-14. Subsequently, this runway was used by the flying club, and paratroopers were trained here. Unfortunately, due to economic turmoil in the 90s, the flying club practically ceased its activities. However, in 2016, information appeared about the recreation of the flying club on the basis of the small aviation faculty of the Technical University, with the financial support of KnAAZ.
The construction of a new city airport began in the late 60s in the village of Khurba, 17 km from Komsomolsk-on-Amur. An 800-meter unpaved runway was built in this place during the war years, but only since 1948 the 311th IAP of air defense was based here on a permanent basis. In the post-war period, this regiment was armed with fighters: Yak-9, MiG-15, MiG-17, Su-9. After the transition to jet technology, construction of a capital concrete runway began in Khurb, which subsequently determined the choice of this airfield to highlight the civilian sector.
In the late 60s, in connection with the aggravation of the situation on the Soviet-Chinese border, the leadership of the USSR Air Force decided to relocate from the GDR to Khurba the 277th bomber Mlavsky Red Banner Aviation Regiment. At the time of relocation, the 277th bap was armed with Il-28 bombers, including the Il-28Sh assault modification, to the Far Eastern airfield. This version of the Il-28 was specially designed to counter the "Chinese threat" and was intended for operations from low altitudes with unguided missiles against accumulations of enemy personnel and equipment. The aircraft planes during the factory repairs were being finalized in order to provide the possibility of suspension of 12 blocks with 57-mm NAR.
In 1975, the regiment's pilots were among the first in the Air Force to begin retraining for the new Su-24 front-line bombers with variable sweep wings, while continuing to operate the Il-28 in parallel. Simultaneously with the retraining on the Su-24, the construction of reinforced concrete shelters was carried out, as well as the expansion and improvement of the military town. Here, on the outskirts of the airfield, a storage base for aviation equipment was created, in addition to the Il-28 of the 277th bap, the Su-15 and Yak-28 that had served their time were sent here.
In 1997, in the midst of market reforms, the personnel of the 277th BAP began retraining for the modernized Su-24M. By that time, bombers of this type were no longer mass-produced, but were obtained from other aviation units that had undergone "reform" and "optimization".
In the spring of 1998, a case occurred in Khurba when an old dirt strip, built during the war years, came in handy. During the landing approach after completing a training task on the Su-24M (w / n 04 white), the main landing gear did not come out due to a hydraulic system failure. Attempts to release the chassis by overloading during the execution of various maneuvers ended in failure, after which it was decided to sit "on its belly" on the old unpaved strip. The landing was successful, the aircraft received minor damage and subsequently continued to fly after repairs.
The aircraft of the Mlavsky regiment took part in all major exercises in the Far East. They repeatedly participated in the elimination of ice jams during the spring flood on the rivers of the Far Eastern Federal District, carrying out point bombing of FAB-250 bombs in the narrowness of rivers, to prevent the flooding of settlements and the destruction of hydraulic structures and bridges.
Since about 2005, there have been persistent talks about the imminent rearmament of the 277th bapt from the "outdated" Su-24M to modern Su-34 bombers. Instead, in the midst of the "Serdyukovism" of combat aviation based in the Far East, another blow was struck. In 2009, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation decided to liquidate the 302nd bap, based in the village of Pereyaslovka, 60 km from Khabarovsk. Su-24M capable of getting into the air flew from Pereyaslovka to Khurba. Some of the ground equipment and weapons were delivered by military transport aircraft. The rest was transported by road along the Khabarovsk-Komsomolsk-on-Amur highway. At about the same time, part of the equipment of the 523rd bap, stationed at the Vozzhaevka airfield, was transferred to Komsomolsk.
At the Khurba airfield, during the period of massive reductions and reorganizations, combat aircraft of other aviation units were based, which they drove from their airfields. For some time, in parallel with the Su-24M front-line bombers, there were MiG-29 fighters of the 404th IAP, previously based at the Orlovka airfield in the Amur Region, and the Su-27 216 IAP from the Kalinka airfield near Khabarovsk. As a result, in Khurba, where a large amount of aviation equipment was accumulated, the 6988th Mlavskaya airbase of the 1st category was created. However, it was soon renamed the 6983rd Guards Aviation Vitebsk twice Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov and the Legion of Honor base "Normandy-Niemen" 1st category. The bomber regiment, based in Khurba, has the previous designation - 227th bap (military unit 77983), but without the honorary name "Mlavsky".
The composition of the bomber regiment in Khurb is interesting in that there are Su-24Ms with various avionics. One of the first in the 227th bap began to receive the overhauled and modernized Su-24M2 aircraft, upgraded according to the version proposed by the Sukhoi company (ROC Gusar), there are also aircraft with the SVP-24 sighting equipment of ZAO Gefest and T . Compared to the version from JSC Sukhoi, the SVP-24 equipment turned out to be much more practical, cheaper and more accurate. The old Su-24M equipped with SVP-24 are not inferior in their strike capabilities to more modern machines. According to information available in open sources, at the beginning of 2016, there were 24 front-line bombers in Khurba. At the end of May 2016, the first four Su-34s flew to Khurbu. The flight of these aircraft to Khurbu marked the beginning of the rearmament of the 277th bap with a new type of front-line bombers. It is worth saying that in the vast territory of the Far Eastern Federal District, front-line bombers are constantly deployed only near Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
Regular flights to Moscow from the Komsomolsk Khurba airport began in 1977. In the mid-80s, the Komsomolsk airport was an important link in providing aviation communication with remote taiga villages of the Khabarovsk Territory. L-410 aircraft of the Komsomolsk United Aviation Squadron operated flights to Ayan, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Nikolaevsk, Polina Osipenko, Roshchino, Khabarovsk, Chegdomyn, Chumikan. The airport received 22 regular flights per day. Only in the direction of Khabarovsk from Komsomolsk there were eight daily flights at a very reasonable ticket price. Usually, the flight time to Khabarovsk was 40-45 minutes, which was very convenient for passengers who did not want to waste time on an eight-hour train ride. At the moment, you can only dream of this. The largest number of passengers were carried in 1991. Then 220 thousand passengers used the services of the airport, in addition, 288 tons of mail and 800 tons of cargo were delivered.
A sharp decline in passenger air traffic occurred in the 90s. This led to the fact that in the winter the airport was practically inactive. In 2009, Vladivostok Air resumed flights on the Moscow - Komsomolsk-on-Amur - Moscow route on the Tu-204 airliner. After Vladivostok Air, which was experiencing economic difficulties, was taken over by Aeroflot, flights from Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the western direction were stopped and then resumed again. Currently, most of the residents of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in order to get to the center of the country, are forced to get to the airport of the city of Khabarovsk.
In 2010, the then leadership of the Ministry of Defense attempted to oust civilian carriers from the Khurba airfield. This was motivated by "the need to eliminate violations of the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of land use." Thanks to the intervention of the regional authorities, the airport was then defended. However, in April 2016, the Federal Property Management Agency approved the conditions for the privatization of 100% of the shares of Komsomolsk-on-Amur Airport JSC. The state would like to receive 61 million rubles for this object, which is rather strange against the background of talks about the development of the Far East, conducted from the highest stands. It is unlikely that any private investor will want to invest in a remote region where the federal center does not want to maintain transport links. And this despite the fact that Komsomolsk-on-Amur occupies an absolutely unique position among other Far Eastern industrial centers. In the region, yes, probably, and in the country there are no more cities where there would be an aircraft plant of this scale and two large military aviation units.
