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SU27
Flanker Sukhoi Su-27
The Sukhoi 27 (Su-27 - NATO
designation: Flanker) is a Russian single-seater fighter
aircraft designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau (SDB) under
Pavel Sukhoi. The aircraft is currently in service with
the airforces of the CIS, China (as the J-11), Syria, and
Vietnam. India has also received a variant of Su-27s,
designated Su-30MKI's (Flanker-C). The export cost is
around $35 million per aircraft, or $70 million on a
ten-year supported lease.
Table of contents
1 Background
2 Weaponry
3 Technical details
Background
In 1969, the leaders of the Soviet Union decided to build
an air superiority fighter aircraft that would be a match
for the U.S. and other NATO fighters of the time, the PFI
(perspektivnyi frontovoy istrebitel, advanced frontal
fighter) program. It was supposed to have a greater range
and weaponry than its Western counterparts.
Eight years later the designers at
Sukhoi started to test a prototype named T10 (Flanker-A),
making the first test flight on May 20, 1977. However,
due to several technical flaws the aircraft did not meet
the expectations of the Soviet airforce(VVS). After the
second of the two prototypes crashed in July 1978,
killing a pilot the development work was greatly slowed.
It was not until 1981 that the SDB built a new prototype,
the T10S (Flanker-B), which was a radical redesign of the
T-10. The new design showed sufficient improvements that
it was accepted and became the Su27, entering service in
1984. However, it was not until 1990 that certain
problems were fully resolved. Despite that from 1986 a
special Su-27 designated P-42 started to set the first in
a series of performance records for rate of climb and
altitude, the aircraft setting 27 new class records
between 1986 and 1988.
It is a large and heavy aircraft, made of lightweight
aluminium alloy and flown with a complex fly-by-wire
control system, making it very manoeuvrable. In airshows
the aircraft demonstrated its manoeuvrability with a
Cobra or dynamic deceleration - briefly sustained level
flight at a 120 degree up angle of attack. Certain Su-27s
were also tested with thrust vector control, allowing the
craft to perform hard turns with almost no radius,
incorporate vertical somersaults into level motion and
limited nose-up hovering.
A naval variant, the Su-33, first tested in August 1987
was planned for the Admiral Kuznetsov.
Around 680 were manufactured by the USSR, and 400 are in
service with the Russian Tactical Air Force. Of the CIS
member states, Kazakhstan has around 30 and is due a
further 12 under agreement; Belarus has, possibly, 20;
the Ukraine has around 60; Uzbekistan perhaps 25. China
received 26 in 1991-92 and a further 24 in 1995-96 before
signing a agreement for licensed manufacture of 200 as
the J-11 in 1998. Vietnam has twelve and has order a
further 24. Ethiopia has 8 Su27A and 2 Su-27U.
Weaponry
Automatic cannon GSh-301 (caliber 30 mm., 1,500
rounds/min., 150 rounds in magazine)
10 mount points for rocket ordinance
Up to 6 medium-range AA missiles R-27, 4 small-range
thermal-seeking AA missiles R-73.
Su-27IB can be used to launch X-31 anti-radar missiles,
Air-to-Ground missiles X-29L/T (laser/TV guidance, which
may be projected to helmet), KAB-150 and UAB-500 bombs
with laser, TV or IR guidance.
Technical details
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 14.7 m.
Length 21.935 m.
Height 5.932 m.
Propulsion: 2 AL-31F turbojets (designed by the Lyulka
Engine Design Bureau), 7,600 kgf. thrust w/o afterburner,
12,500 kgf. thrust w/ afterburner
Mass:
Empty: 16,000 kg.
Normal: 22,500 kg.
Maximal: 30,000 kg.
Speed:
At ground level: 1,400 km/h
At altitude: 2,500 km/h (Mach 2.35)
Ceiling: 18,500 m.
Maximum operational range: 3,900 km
Takeoff distance: 650-700 m.
Landing distance: 620-700 m.
Maximum operational acceleration: 9 g
Text is available under
the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
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