1:72 Sukhoi Su-27SK Flanker-B 6001, 370th Fighter Division, Vietnamese People's Air Force, Phan Rang Air Base, Vietnam (Hobbymaster)
The Su-27, NATO codename Flanker, is one of the pillars of modern-day Russian Military Aviation. Built to counter the F-15 Eagle, the Flanker is a twin-engine, supersonic and highly maneuvrable air superiority fighter. The Flanker is equally capable of engaging targets well beyond visual range and in a dogfight given its amazing slow speed and high angle attack manoeuvrability.
The Flanker is powered by two AL-31F afterburning turbofan engines, that are placed in separate, widely spaced engine nacelles.
The Su-27 has twin vertical fins fitted on the outer sides of the fuselage and twin ventral fins underneath. The airbrake is placed in the center of the mid-section of the aircraft behind the cockpit. The tricycle landing gear of Su-27 and Su-27UB has a single wheel on each strut. The nose wheel is fitted with a mudguard to protect against foreign object damage (FOD).
The Su-27 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces [Russian: Военно-воздушные силы, Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (VVS), meaning "Military Air Forces") in 1985. The primary role of the Su-27 was long range air defence against American B-1B and B-52G/H bombers, protecting the Soviet coast from aircraft carriers and flying long range fighter escort for Soviet heavy bombers such as the Tu-95 "Bear", Tu-22M "Backfire" and Tu-160 "Blackjack".
There have been several related developments of the Su-27. The Su-30 is a two-seat, dual-role fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions. The Su-33 'Flanker-D' is a naval fleet defense interceptor for use on aircraft carriers. Further versions include the side-by-side two-seat Su-34 'Fullback' strike/fighter-bomber variant, and the Su-35 'Flanker-E' improved air superiority and multi-role fighter. The Shenyang J-11 is a controverial Chinese built version of the Su-27.
Systems and Avionics
The basic Su-27 is fitted with the SUV-27 fire control system, which incorporates the RLPK-27 radar sighting system, OEPS-27 electro-optical sighting system, SEI-31 integrated indication system, IFF interrogator and built-in test system. The fire control system in integrated with the PNK-10 flight navigation system, radio command link, IFF system, data transmission equipment and EW self-defence system.
The RLPK-27 system is controlled by the Ts-100 digital computer and includes the N001 pulse-Doppler lookdown-capable radar with a range of 80-100 km in the front hemisphere and 30-40 km in the rear hemispehere for a fighter-sized target. It can simultaneously track up to ten aerial targets in track-while-scan mode and provide interception of the top priority target.
The OEPS-27 electro-optical sighting system consists of the OLS-27 infrared/laser search-and-track system (IRST) and the Shchel-3UM helmet-mounted target designator and is controlled by the Ts-100 digital computer. The OLS-27 sensor is placed forward of the cockpit canopy in the centre. The system acquires and tracks aerial targets by their thermal signatures. The helmet-mounted sight and the laser range finder of the IRST can also be used to visually acquire and determine coordinates of air and surface targets.
The SEI-31 integrated indication system provides flight, navigation and sighting data on the ILS-31 head-up display (HUD) and head down display. The EW self-defence systems provides warning to the crew when illuminated by enemy radar and employs both passive and active countermeasures. The aircraft is equipped with the SPO-15 Beryoza RWR and APP-50 chaff and flare dispenser that is placed in the tail section between the engine nozels. In addition, the aircraft can carry the Sorbtsiya active ECM pods on its wingtips.
Armament
The Su-27 was primarly conceived and its primary role was that of an interceptor. While ti can carry a fully load of air to air mieeisl in its 10 weapn stations, it could carry bombs & cokrt pods ina secondary groudn attack role.
Guns: 1 x 30 mm GSh-301 cannon, 150 rounds
Air-To-Air missiles : Up to 6 x R-27R SARH or R-27T IR air-to-air missiles & 4 Up to 6 x R-60 or R-73 IR air-to-air missiles
Air-To-Ground Weapons - Various Unguided General Purpose and/or CLuster bombs & Rocket Pods
ECM Pods- Sobritsaya ECM Pods on wingtips
Pugachev's Cobra
The Cobra maneuver, first performed by legendary Russian pilot Viktor Pugachev in 1989 wile flying a Su-27, is a dramatic and demanding maneuver in which an airplane flying at a moderate speed suddenly raises the nose momentarily to the vertical position and slightly beyond, momentarily stalling the plane and making it a full-body air brake, before dropping it back to normal, during which the aircraft does not change effective altitude.
The maneuver relies on the ability of the Flanker to be able to quickly change angle of attack , which momentarily stalls the plane without overloading the airframe, and sufficient engine thrust to maintain approximately constant altitude through the entire move. IN many ways, the maneuver was the real life equivalent of Maverick's "I'm gonna hit the brakes, he'll fly right by" fantasy maneuver in an F-14 in the movie Top Gun.
Close Encounters of the Su-27
The Su-27 was involved in many intercepts of NATO & US aircraft. The most well known was the collision of a Russian Su-27 with a Norwegian P-3. On 13 September 1987, a fully armed Soviet Su-27, Red 36, intercepted a Norwegian Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft flying over the Barents Sea. The Su-27 performed a couple of close passes by the side of the P-3, colliding with the P-3 on the third pass. The Su-27 disengaged and both aircraft landed safely at their bases(
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/that...e-barents-sea/).
Ethiopian Air Force Su-27s reportedly shot down two Eritrean MiG-29s and damaged another one during the Ethipian_Eritrean War at the end of last century. One of theose Eritrean MiG-29's fell to Ethiopian Air Force Capt. Aster Tolossa's Su-27 - probably the only female pilot in the world to have shot down an enemy jet in modern air to air combat. Although the story behind it is too good to be true, almost like a scene from a movie. She is said to have intercepted the Eritrean MiG-29, communicated with the Eritrean MiG pilot only to realize that he was her former instructor. She begs him to leave the airspace, which he doesn't and later she shoots him down.
Su-27SK service with the VPAF (Vietnam People's Air Force)
The Su-27SK was the Export variant of the Su-27S single-seater.S stands for
Sereeynyy(Production) & "K" stands for
Kommehrcheskiy (Commercial). It was exported to China in 1992-1996 and developed into Shenyang J-11.The Su-27SK had a reinforced landing gear, a MTOW of 33000 kgs and slightly downgraded avionics compared to the Russian Su-27S.
Vietnam became the second Asian country to purchase the Su-27 aircraft after China. In 1994, in an effort to modernize the VPAF, five single seat Su-27SKs and one Su-27UBK twin seat trainer were ordered. The first two aircraft arrived in May 1995, the remainder had been delivered by late 1996 to the VPAF. They equipped the 937th Fighter Regiment based at Phan Rang air base in Hau Giang province.In December 1996 an additional batch of two Su-27SKs and four Su-27UBKs was ordered. The single-seaters were accepted by the VPAF at Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia. In December 1997, the aircraft were airlifted to Phan Rang, shortly followed by the Su-27UBK two-seaters. However, the last two Su-27UBK were lost when the An-124 carrying the planes was lost in a fatal crash.Two Su-27UBK were delivered as replacements six months later in June 1998. This second batch went to the 935th Fighter Regiment at Bien Hoa air base, Dong Nai province. One Su-27SK (6007) was lost in a crash in 1998. Later the Flankers of 937th Fighter Regiment at Phan Rang were also transferred to the 935th Fighter Regiment at Bien Hoa, consolidating the fleet at Bien Hoa and to use Phan Rang to base ex-Polish Su-22M4/UM3K Fitters.In 2004, the Su-27s were transferred to 925th Fighter Training Regiment at Phu Cat and 935th re-equipped with SU-30MK2Vs at Bien Hoa.
The VPAF Su-27UB and Su-27SK Flankers are now being upgraded to Su-27UBK and Su-27SKM standards, to ensure their continued viability against modern threats. Although their flight performances provide excellent capabilities for visual range combat, the platforms’ avionics, sensors and electronic warfare systems date back to the 1980s meaning they are increasingly outmatched by those of neighbouring states such as China’s J-11B and J-16 fighters. The VPAF received its first enhanced Su-27UBK in late October 2019, after the fighter was sent to Factory No. 558 in Belarus for an overhaul. Belarus was reportedly chosen for the upgrades because of the very short overhaul time, although the country does not currently field any Flanker squadrons of its own. Belarus previously operated Su-27 fighters inherited from the Soviet Union, which have since been placed in storage, but the country has ordered a dozen more modern Su-30SM fighters from Russia which began deliveries in 2019.
Aircraft Type: Single Seat Air Superiority Fighter
Manufacturer :Sukhoi OKB
Crew : 1
Dimensions
Maximum Length: 21.935 m (71.96 ft)
Wingspan:14.7 m (48.2 ft)
Height:5.932 m (19.45 ft)
Weights
Empty:16,300 kg (35,935 lbs)
Normal Takeoff: 23,000 kg (50,706 lbs)
Maximum Takeoff:28,000 kg (61,730 lbs)
Performance
Engines: 2 X Saturn/Lyul'ka AL-31F afterburning turbofans
Dry Thrust Per Engine: 75.22 kN (16,910 lbf)
Afterburner Thrust Per Engine: 122.6 kN (27,560 lbf)
Fuel Capacity: 11,975 l (3,163 U.S. Gallons)
Maximum Speed @ Altitude: 2,500 km/h (1,553.43 mph)
Maximum Speed @ Sea Level: 1,400 km/h (870 mph)
Maximum Mach: 2.35
Service Ceiling: 18,500 m (60,696 ft)
Range @ High Altitude: 3,900 km (2,423 miles)
Range @ Sea Level: 1,400 km (870 miles)
Maximum G-Load: 9
Takeoff Run: 650 m (2,132 ft)
Armament
Gun: 1 X 30 mm GSh-301 Cannon with 149 Rounds
Hardpoints: 8 X External Plus 2 X Wingtip Rails (Total 10)
Missiles
Air-To-Air : R-60/AA-8 Aphid, R-27/AA-10 Alamo,R-73/AA-11 Archer
Air-To-Ground: Dumb & Cluster Bombs, Rocket Pods, ECM Pods( wing tips)
Enjoy this Intro from the old Flanker flight simulator -
Flanker 2.0.It was one of my favorite flight sims that had a flyable Su-27P & Su-33 and later received a massive upgrade and added a flyable MiG-29K. Flanker 2.0 is spiritual predecessor of the very popular flight simulator - DCS World (and its numerous addons)
I still have the CD and fond memories of this classic flight sim..its a pity that it stopped working from Windows 8 onwards.
Loved that tagline- Falcons Beware!! There's a new bird of Prey on your Tail.
The thing I like about the HM FLanker, Tomcat & MiG-23 models is that they come packed in these beautiful thermocol boxes
The Model - comes with 4 X R-73 and 6 X R-27R air to air missiles:
Close up pics - Outstanding detailing!!!
In-flight
The real VPAF Su-27SK:
6001 in three tone blue delivery scheme
After upgrade to Su-27SMK standards, the VPAF Su-27s received this sand /green paint scheme similar to their Su-30MK2Vs
