SUKHOI Su-27

NATO reporting name: 'Flanker'

TYPE:

• Single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter and single/two-seat ground attack aircraft; two-seat combat trainer.

PROGRAMME:

• Development began in 1969 under the leadership of Pavel Sukhoi.
• The Soviet air force required a new combat aircraft in the mould of the USAF F-15 Eagle.
• The construction of a T-10-1 prototype (first of 15 Su-27 'Flanker-As'), under Mikhail Seemonov's supervision, began in 1974 and was first flown on May 20, 1977 by Vladimir Ilyushin.
• The Su-27 was first observed by US reconnaissance satellites at the Ramenskoye test centre and recieved a temporary reporting name 'RAM-K' in 1977.
• The original prototypes had curved wingtips, rearward retracting nosewheel, and tail fins mounted centrally above engine housings.
• Development was not easy, seeing two pilots lost their lives before major airframe redesigns resulted in production configuration, present.
• Production began in 1979, with first flight of production aircraft in 1981 and entry into service in 1985 as the Sukhoi Su-27.
• Recieved the NATO reporting name 'Flanker-B', while the prototype and pre-production aircraft became the 'Flanker-A' with curved wing tips, fins mounted centrally above engines, and a rearward-retracting nosewheel unit.

DESIGN FEATURES:

• Developed to replace Yak-28P, Su-15 and Tu-28P/128 interceptors in APVO, and to escort the Su-24 in deep-penetration strike missions.
• Requirement needed was effective engagement of F-15 and F-16 and other future aircrafts and cruise missiles.
• Exceptional range on internal fuel made flight refuelling unnecessary until Su-24s received probes, external fuel tanks still not considered necessary, lift-generating fuselage, twin tail fins and widely spaced engines with wedge intakes.
• Rear-hinged doors in intake hinges up to prevent ingestion of foreign objects during take-off and landing, and an integrated fire control system with pilot's helmet-mounted target designator.
• The Su-27's mid-set wing has basic sweepback of 40°, but it also has long leading-edge root extensions that blend into the fuselage at approximately the pilot's position, with a 77° sweepback.
• The wing's leading edge incorporates maneuvaring flaps, and the trailing edge carries ailerons and flaps.
• The tail unit consists of twin vertical surfaces and sharply swept all-moving horizontal surfaces.
• This new-generation aircraft relies heavily upon advanced avionics for effective combat capability, and such equipment includes a digital datalink, and IR search and track system, and a powerful track-while-scan radar of the pulse-Doppler type with a search range of 240 km (150 miles).
• Su-27's avionics combined with it's basic armament allows it the capability for the interception and destruction of low-flying aircraft and/or cruise missiles.
• Two developments of the basic type are the Su-27UB 'Flanker-C', a tandem two seat trainer and the derived two-seat multi-role Su-27PU (now Su-30) with full combat capability.
• A third varient includes the Su-27K (now Su-33) navvalized model with moving foreplanes and other modifications for use on the CIS's aircraft carrier.
• Other developments include the Su-27IB (now Su-34) fighter-bomber with side-by-side seating in a revised forward fuselage.
• Other developments also include the improved Su-27M (now Su-35) multi-role fighter with moving canard foreplanes and a digital rather than analog fly-by-wire conrol system.

POWER PLANT:

• Two Saturn/Lyulka AL-31F turbofans, each 122.6 kN (27557 lb st) with afterburning.
• Fine-grille screen hinges up from bottom of each duct to shield engine from foreign object ingestion during take-off and landing.

ARMAMENT:

• One 30 mm GSh-301 gun in starboard wingroot extension, with 150 rounds.
• Up to 10 air-to-air missiles in air combat role, on:
• Tandem pylons under fuselage
• Between engine ducts
• Beneath each duct
• Under each centre-wing and outer-wing
• And at each wingtip.
• Typically:
• Two short-burn semi-active radar homing R-27R (NATO AA-10A 'Alamo-A') in tandem under fuselage
• Two short-burn infrared homing R-27T (AA-10B 'Alamo-B') missiles on centre-wing pylons
• And long-burn semi-active radar homing R-27ER (AA-10C 'Alamo-C') or infrared R-27ET (AA-10D 'Alamo-D') beneath each engine duct.
• The four outer pylons carry either R-73A (AA-11 'Archer') or R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') close-range infrared missiles.
• R-33 (AA-9 'Amos') missiles optional in place of AA-10s.
• Five-round packs of 130 mm rockets, or larger rocket pods, under wings in ground attack role.

Sources/Links

• Su-27 Flanker Galerie/Gallery


• MPD Index


• TOTAVIA Image Archiv


• The Warplane Picture Gallery


• WWW.AVIATION.RU