The Sukhoi Su-27 is a Russian fighter and interceptor aircraft. It was designed in 1975 by the Soviet engineers, performing its first flight on May 20, 1977, as the T-10 prototype. After several years of test flights and corrections, it finally entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1985. When NATO found out about its existence, they call it "Flanker-A". It would be further develop into the Sukhoi Su-30 and Su-35. Being a lethal and reliable multirole fighter, more than 650 aircraft has been made so far.
Two Su-27 fighters flying in the skies over the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
The Sukhoi Su-27 first saw combat action in Georgia in 1992. In 2015, it would be deployed in Syria where it performed sorties to attack targets on land. In 2022 and 2023, it has been used by the Russian Air Force to intercept Ukrainian aircraft and to carry out ground-attack missions with smart bombs. In March 2023, a Russian Su-27 shot down an American reconnaissance and attack drone, an MQ-9 Reaper, which had approached Sevastopol, Crimean peninsula, flying in the skies over the Black Sea.
Technical Characteristics
The Sukhoi Su-27 is a two-engine, supersonic aircraft. It is fitted with cropped swept wings, which resemble a delta design, with leading edge extensions. Not only is it extremely maneuverable but it can also fly at very high altitude, breaking the world record in 1990 flying at 15,000 meters with a 1,000 kg payload. The engines air intakes are located under the wings, almost on the belly of the fuselage. It is equipped with the Phazotron Zhuk MSE radar and the OEPS electro-optical targeting system. It is powered by two Saturn AL-31F turbofan engines, with 27,600 lbf thrust.
Up until 2023, it has been produced in several variants, such as the T-10 (prototype); the Su-27S, which was first production version; the Su-27P, which is the interceptor variant, without air-to-ground weapons; the Su-27UB, which a two-seat trainer; the Su-27K, the carrier-based model with folding wings; Su-27SM, which is an upgraded version of the Su-27S, with new avionics.
Specifications
Type: Multirole fighter aircraft
Length: 21.9 m (71 ft, 10 in)
Wingspan: 14.7 m (48 ft, 3 in)
Wing Area: 62 m² (670 sq ft)
Height: 5.92 m (19 ft, 5 in)
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.35 (2,500 km/h) at altitudes.
Combat Range: 3,500 km.
Armament: a 30mm autocannon and air-to-air missiles, in interception role; rockets, smart bombs, and cruise missiles for ground-attack missions.
Below, a Su-27S about to take off from a Soviet military base runway in 1988.
The belly of two Su-27S interceptors flying at low altitude.
