Combat aircraft

C

ONCEIVED IN 1969 as

Russia’s answer to the F-15

Eagle, the Su-27 ‘Flanker’ has

become the benchmark for

all  ghter aircraft of the

Russian Aerospace Forces

(VKS). The basic Su-27 has given rise to

various derivatives, notably the Su-30

and Su-35 multi-role  ghters, the Su-33

carrier-based  ghter and the Su-34

‘Fullback’ tactical bomber.

The  rst prototype of the Su-27  ew on

May 20, 1977. However, it was far from

the thoroughbred that was to follow.

In the second of a three-part review of fi ghter aircraft in Russian

service, Combat Aircraft turns to the Sukhois. The Su-27 reset

the standard in Russian fi ghter aviation — arguably it is the most

important single type in Russia’s contemporary aviation history.

REPORT Piotr Butowski

Under the supervision of Mikhail

Simonov — for which he deserves special

tribute for overcoming several areas of

resistance and bureaucracy — the design

was thoroughly revised. Thus, the revised

Su-27 made an altogether far more

successful return to the air on April 20,

1981, and series production was

launched at Komsomolsk-on-Amur

during the summer of 1982.

The  rst operational unit equipped with

the Su-27 was a  ghter aviation regiment

based at Dzyomgi at Komsomolsk-on-

Amur, the same air eld as the production

plant. Although this is regularly glossed-

over, the Su-27 actually made its combat

OUT-FLANKING

THE ENEMY

‘Bort 51 Red’ is

serial RF-93729, a

Su-27SM3 of the

3rd Composite

Aviation Regiment

at Krymsk. It

carries twin B-8

pods for 80mmm

rockets under

each wing during

the ‘Aviadarts’

exercise.

Dmitriy Pichugin

FORCE REPORT // RUSSIAN FIGHTERS

86 April 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

86-88 Russian Fighter pt2 Su-27 C.indd 86 15/02/2018 12:49