Sukhoi Su-27

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-27

The Sukhoi Su-27 (Russian: ????? ??-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a
twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was
intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth-generation
fighters such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle, with 3,530-kilometre
(1,910 nmi) range, heavy aircraft ordnance, sophisticated avionics and high
maneuverability. The Su-27 was designed for air superiority missions, and
subsequent variants are able to perform almost all aerial warfare operations. It
was designed with the Mikoyan MiG-29 as its complement.

The Su-27 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1985. The primary role
was long range air defence against American SAC 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 are several related developments of the Su-27 design. 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 Chinese licence-built version of the Su-27.

In 1969, the Soviet Union learned of the U.S. Air Force's "F-X" program, which
resulted in the F-15 Eagle. The Soviet leadership soon realized that the new
American fighter would represent a serious technological advantage over existing
Soviet fighters. What was needed was a better-balanced fighter with both good
agility and sophisticated systems. In response, the Soviet General Staff issued
a requirement for a Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel (PFI, literally
"Prospective Frontline Fighter", roughly "Advanced Frontline Fighter").
Specifications were extremely ambitious, calling for long range, good
short-field performance (including the ability to use austere runways),
excellent agility, Mach 2+ speed, and heavy armament. The aerodynamic design for
the new aircraft was largely carried out by TsAGI in collaboration with the
Sukhoi design bureau.

When the specification proved too challenging and costly for a single aircraft
in the number needed, the PFI specification was split into two: the LPFI
(Lyogkyi PFI, Lightweight PFI) and the TPFI (Tyazholyi PFI, Heavy PFI). The LPFI
program resulted in the Mikoyan MiG-29, a relatively short-range tactical
fighter, while the TPFI program was assigned to Sukhoi OKB, which eventually
produced the Su-27 and its various derivatives.

The Sukhoi design, which was altered progressively to reflect Soviet awareness
of the F-15's specifications, emerged as the T-10 (Sukhoi's 10th design), which
first flew on 20 May 1977. The aircraft had a large wing, clipped, with two
separate podded engines and a twin tail. The ‘tunnel’ between the two engines,
as on the F-14 Tomcat, acts both as an additional lifting surface and hides
armament from radar.


Role
Multirole fighter, air superiority fighter

National origin
Soviet Union / Russia

Manufacturer
Sukhoi

First flight
20 May 1977

Introduction
22 June 1985

Status
In service

Primary users
Russian Air Force
People's Liberation Army Air Force
Ukrainian Air Force
See Operators section for others

Produced
1982–present

Number built
809

Unit cost

US$30 million

Variants
Sukhoi Su-30
Sukhoi Su-33
Sukhoi Su-34
Sukhoi Su-35
Sukhoi Su-37
Shenyang J-11

The Soviet Air Force began receiving Su-27s in June 1985. It officially entered
service in August 1990.

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 Soviet fighter jet performed different close passes, colliding with the
reconnaissance aircraft on the third pass. The Su-27 disengaged and both
aircraft landed safely at their bases.

These aircraft were used by the Russian Air Force during the 1992–1993 war in
Abkhazia against Georgian forces. One fighter, piloted by Major Vatslav
Aleksandrovich Shipko was reported shot down in friendly fire by an S-75M Dvina
on 19 March 1993 while intercepting Georgian Su-25s performing close air
support. The pilot was killed.

In the 2008 South Ossetia War, Russia used Su-27s to gain airspace control over
Tskhinvali, the capital city of South Ossetia.

On 7 February 2013, two Su-27s briefly entered Japanese airspace off Rishiri
Island near Hokkaido, flying south over the Sea of Japan before turning back to
the north. Four Mitsubishi F-2 fighters were scrambled to visually confirm the
Russian planes, warning them by radio to leave their airspace. A photo taken by
a JASDF pilot of one of the two Su-27s was released by the Japan Ministry of
Defense. Russia denied the incursion, saying the jets were making routine
flights near the disputed Kuril Islands. In another encounter, on 23 April 2014
an Su-27 nearly collided with a United States Air Force Boeing RC-135U over the
Sea of Okhotsk.

A squadron of Su-27SM3s was deployed to Syria in November 2015 as part of the
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War.

Ukraine

During the post-Euromaidan Ukrainian crisis of 2014, a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27
was scrambled to intercept Russian fighter jets over Ukraine's airspace over the
Black Sea on 3 March. With no aerial opposition and other aircraft available for
ground attack duties, Ukrainian Su-27s played only a small role in the (ongoing)
War in Donbass. Ukrainian Su-27s were recorded performing low fly passes and
were reported flying top cover, combat air patrols and eventual escort or
intercept of civil aviation traffic over Eastern Ukraine. On 15 April 2014, a
video purportedly showing a Ukrainian Su-27 being shot down was released, but
the video proved to be a hoax, taken from a previous video of the Syrian Civil
War involving a different aircraft model. Videos taken of low-flying Su-27s
involved in the operation revealed they were armed with R-27 and R-73 air-to-air
missiles.

On 16 October 2018, a Ukrainian Su-27 flown by Colonel Ivan Petrenko crashed
during the Ukraine-USAF exercise "Clear Sky 2018" based at Starokostiantyniv Air
Base. The second seat was occupied by Lieutenant Colonel Seth Nehring, a pilot
of the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard. Both pilots died
in the crash, that happened about 5:00 p.m. local time in the Khmelnytskyi
province of western Ukraine.

Specifications (Su-27SK)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 21.9 m (72 ft)
Wingspan: 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in)
Height: 5.92 m (19 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 62 m² (667 ft²)
Empty weight: 16,380 kg (36,100 lb)
Loaded weight: 23,430 kg (51,650 lb) with 56% internal fuel
Max. takeoff weight: 30,450 kg (67,100 lb)
Fuel capacity: 9,400 kg (20,724 lb) internal
Powerplant: 2 × Saturn AL-31F turbofans Dry thrust: 75.22 kN (16,910 lbf) each
Thrust with afterburner: 122.6 kN (27,560 lbf) each


Performance
Maximum speed:
At altitude: Mach 2.35 (2,500 km/h, 1,550 mph)
At sea level: Mach 1.13 (1,400 km/h, 870 mph)

Range:
At altitude: 3,530 km (2,193 mi; 1,906 nmi)
At sea level: 1,340 km (800 mi; 720 nmi)

Service ceiling: 19,000 m (62,523 ft)
Rate of climb: 300 m/s (59,000 ft/min)
Wing loading:
With 56% fuel: 377.9 kg/m² (77.3 lb/ft²)
With full fuel: 444.61 kg/m² (88.01 lb/ft², 91.98 lb/ft² for Flanker SM.)

Thrust/weight: 1.07 with 56% internal fuel; 0.91 with full fuel
Maximum g-load: +9 g

Armament

Guns: 1 × 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 autocannon with 150 rounds
Hardpoints: 10 external pylons with a capacity of up to 4,430 kg (9,770 lb) and
provisions to carry combinations of: Rockets:
S-8KOM/BM/OM
S-13T/OF
S-25OFM-PU

Missiles:
6 × R-27R/ER/T/ET/P/EP air-to-air missiles
4 × R-73E AAMs

Bombs:
RBK-250 cluster bomb
RBK-500 cluster bomb


Avionics

N001E radar
Phazotron Zhuk-MSE radar
Phazotron Zhuk-MSFE radar
OEPS-27 electro-optical targeting system
SPO-15 Radar Warning Receiver




*