Sukhoi Su-27

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Image:Su-27 in aerobatics show.jpg The Sukhoi Su-27 (Су-27 in the Cyrillic alphabet) (NATO reporting name 'Flanker') is originally a Soviet fighter aircraft designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau (SDB). It was intended as a direct competitor for the new generation of American fighters (which emerged as the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F/A-18 Hornet), with exceptional range, heavy armament, and very high agility. The Su-27 most often flies air superiority missions, but is able to perform almost all combat operations. Some believe the Su-27 to have been born from a competition between Sukhoi and Mikoyan-Gurevich, given the Su-27's and Mikoyan MiG-29's similar shape. This is not so. The Su-27 was designed as long-range air superiority fighter and interceptor, whereas the MiG-29 was designed to fill the role of short-range tactical support fighter.

The Su-33 Fleet Defense Interceptor was developed from the Su-27 design for use on aircraft carriers. Main differences include a tail hook and canards. Given the purpose of this interceptor, one would say that its closest counterpart is the American F-14 Tomcat, whereas the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29K would be analogous to the F/A-18 Hornet.

The Su-30 is a two-seat, dual-role, fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and deep interdiction missions.

Further versions include the Su-34 strike variant and the Su-35 improved air defence fighter.

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Background

In 1969 the Soviet Union learned of the United States Air Force's selection of McDonnell Douglas to produce the Fighter Experimental design (which was to become the F-15 Eagle). In response to that upcoming threat, the Soviets instituted the PFI (perspektivnyi frontovoy istrebitel, Advanced Frontal Fighter) program for an aircraft that could match the new American fighter on its own terms.

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), just as the F-15 program spawned the Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program that produced the F-16 and YF-17 Cobra. Sukhoi OKB was assigned the TPFI program. Image:701 v12.jpg 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 delta wing design), which first flew on 20 May 1977. The aircraft had a large delta wing, clipped, with two separate podded engines and a twin tail. The 'tunnel' between the two engines, like on the F-14 Tomcat, acts both as an additional lifting surface and hides armament from radar. While being developed, it was spotted by spy satellite at the Zhukovsky flight test center near the town of Ramenskoe, resulting in the temporary codename of Ram-K. It was believed that the Ram-K was being developed in two versions: a swing-wing fighter similar in function to the Grumman F-14 and a two-seat fixed wing interceptor aircraft which in fact turned out to be the unrelated Mikoyan MiG-31.

The T-10 was spotted by Western observers and assigned the NATO reporting name 'Flanker-A'). The T-10's development was marked by considerable problems, leading to a fatal crash on 7 May 1978. Extensive redesigns followed, and a heavily revised version, the T-10S, made its first flight on 20 April 1981. This, too, had considerable teething problems, leading to another fatal crash on 23 December 1981.

The production Su-27 (sometimes Su-27S, NATO designation 'Flanker-B') began to enter VVS operational service around 1984, although manufacturing difficulties kept it from appearing in strength until 1986.

The Su-27 served with both the PVO and Frontal Aviation. In V-PVO service it was primarily an interceptor, supplanting older aircraft like the Sukhoi Su-15 and Tupolev Tu-28. Although the 'Flanker' has some capacity to carry air-to-ground weapons, in Frontal Aviation service its primary role was neither air support nor battlefield air superiority--it was intended as a sort of aerial interdictor, tasked with fighting its way past enemy (presumably NATO) lines to strike tanker and AWACS aircraft. Soviet planners knew that NATO forces possessed a considerable advantage because of these assets, and believed that attacking them directly would limit NATO ability to maintain an extended air campaign. The Su-27 retains that role in CIS service, with later marks being equipped to carry the new Novator KS-172 AAM-L long-range anti-AWACS missile.

From 1986 a special Su-27 designated P-42, rebuilt from the prototype T-10S-3 aircraft and stripped to minimum weight, began 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.

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Design

Image:SUKHOI Su-27 FLANKER.png The Su-27's basic design is aerodynamically similar to the MiG-29, but it is substantially larger. It is a very large aircraft, and to mimimize its weight its structure has a high percentage of titanium (about 30%, more than any of its contemporaries). No composite materials were used. The swept wing blends into the fuselage at the leading edge extensions and is essentially a delta, although the tips are cropped for wingtip missile rails or ECM pods. The Su-27 is not a true delta, however, because it retains conventional tailplanes, with two vertical tailfins outboard of the engines, supplemented by two fold-down ventral fins for additional lateral stability.

The Su-27's Lyulka AL-31F turbofan engines are widely spaced, both for safety reasons and to ensure uninterrupted airflow through the intakes. The space between the engines also provides additional lift, reducing wing loading. Movable guide vanes in the intakes allow Mach 2+ speeds, and help to maintain engine airflow at high alpha. A mesh screen over each intake prevents debris from being drawn into the engines during take-off.

The Su-27 had the Soviet Union's first operational fly-by-wire control system, developed based on Sukhoi OKB's experience in the Sukhoi T-4 bomber project. Combined with relatively low wing loading and powerful basic flight controls, it makes for an exceptionally agile aircraft, controllable even at very low speeds and high angles of attack. In airshows the aircraft has demonstrated its maneuvrability with a Cobra (Pugachev's Cobra) or dynamic deceleration - briefly sustained level flight at a 120° angle of attack. Thrust vectoring has also been tested (and is incorporated on later Su-30MKI and Su-35 models), allowing the fighter to perform hard turns with almost no radius, incorporate vertical somersaults into level motion and limited nose-up hovering. The usefulness of the 'Flanker's' maneuverability in real-world combat is hotly debated, with some western experts claiming it is inferior to the F-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon. With the advanced capability of modern air-to-air missiles, its turn performance may be of little actual benefit in a real fight. Of course, as history has often demonstrated, pilot training and strategy is often of far greater significance than raw performance. Nonetheless, the Su-27 is today one of the world's most agile aircraft, civilian or military.

The naval version of the 'Flanker,' the Su-27K (a.k.a. Su-33), incorporates canards for additional lift, reducing take-off distances (important because the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier has no catapults). These canards have also been incorporated in some Su-30s, the Su-35, and the Su-37.

In addition to its considerable agility, the Su-27 uses its substantial internal volume for a very large internal fuel capacity. In an overload configuration for maximum range, it can carry 9,400 kg (20,700 lb) of internal fuel, although its maneuverability with that load is limited, and normal load is 5,270 kg (11,620 lb). The advantage is that for long-range missions, the Su-27 rarely requires drop tanks, reducing drag and leaving its pylons free for weapons.

The Su-27 is armed with a single Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 30 mm cannon in the starboard wingroot, and has up to 14 hardpoints for missiles and other weapons. Its standard missile armament for air-to-air combat is a mixture of Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer), Vympel R-27 (AA-10 'Alamo') weapons, and Vympel R-77 (AA-12 'Adder').

The limitation of the Su-27 is its cockpit and avionics. The Su-27 has a HUD, but it does not have a true HOTAS control system, nor does it have modern multi-function displays. (Later Su-30 and Su-35 aircraft have a 'glass' cockpit, designed by the French company Sextant Avionique.) The original radar, the Phazotron N-001 (NATO 'Slot Back'), is a pulse-Doppler set with track-while-scan capability, but its processor is relatively primitive, making it vulnerable to false alarms and blind spots, as well as being more difficult to use. Su-30 and Su-35 aircraft have the vastly superior Phazotron 'Bars' N-011M with an electronically steered antenna, improving range, multiple target capability, and sensitivity.

The Su-27 has an infrared search and track (IRST) system in the nose just foreward of the cockpit, which also incorporates a laser rangefinder. This system can be slaved to the radar, or used independently for "stealthy" attacks. It also controls the cannon, providing greater accuracy than a radar sighting mode.

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Production and users

Around 680 Su-27s 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; Ukraine has around 60; Uzbekistan perhaps 25.

The Russians presently plan to upgrade their aircraft to the Su-27SM standard, which will include a glass cockpit and a change to digital FBW. The radar is to be upgraded with a phased array (most likely Pero) allowing increased range. The self defense and navigation suites will also be upgraded, as well as an attack suite. They hope this will be completed by 2008.

China received 26 in 1991-92 and a further 24 in 1995-96 before signing an agreement in 1998 for licensed manufacture of 200 as the Shenyang J-11. Vietnam has twelve and has ordered a further 24. Ethiopia has 8 Su-27A and 2 Su-27U. Malaysia has ordered 18 Su-30MKM in 2003 worth US$900 million and expecting deliveries in 2006. The Su-30MKM is equipped with the latest missiles to include a variety of the AA-10 missiles, AA-12 and AA-11 as well as complete range of air to ground weapons to include guided and unguided missiles and bombs. Malaysia's aircraft comes equipped with canards and thurst vectoring engines for high agility. Indonesia has 2 Su-27 and 2 Su-30KI. About 10 went to Ethiopia, eight to Angola, and 20 to Syria. Iran is interested in purchasing 40 Su-27 to complement the dwindling numbers of US aircraft and complement the existing fleet of MiG-29 and Su-24 Fencers After years of negotiations, India finally ordered 50 Su-30MKI aircraft with more powerful AL-31FP engines, advanced avionics, canards, and thrust vectoring. Hindustan Aeronautics has a license to manufacture up to 140 additional aircraft through 2020.

Recently, the US Navy was rumored to be interested in obtaining the Su-27, possibly to replace F-14 Tomcats in service with aggressor squadrons (which have played the role of flankers). So far, this seems to just be a rumor, as the US Navy has already planned to buy F-35s to replace the role of the F-14 Tomcat, and eventually the F/A-18 Hornet.

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Combat service

During the Eritrean-Ethiopian War Ethiopian Su-27s flown by Russian pilots shot down up to five Eritrean MiG-29s.

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Variants

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Soviet-era Su-27 variants and derivatives include:

  • T10 ("Flanker-A"): Initial prototype configuration.
  • T10S: Improved prototype configuration, more similar to production spec.
  • Su-27S (Su-27 / "Flanker-B"): Initial production single-seater. The "T10P" designation is sometimes used for Su-27S single-seaters stripped of secondary strike capability.
  • Su-27UB ("Flanker-C"): Initial production two-seat operational conversion trainer.
  • Su-27SK: Export Su-27 single-seater.
  • Su-27UBK: Export Su-27UB two-seater.
  • Su-27K (Su-33 / "Flanker-D"): Carrier-based single-seater with folding wings, high-lift devices, and arresting gear, built in small numbers. They followed the "T10K" prototypes and demonstrators.
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Post-Soviet era variants and derivatives include:

  • Su-27P: Single-seat demonstrator with improvements such as inflight refueling probe.
  • Su-27PU (Su-30): Two-seat limited production machine with improvements such as inflight refueling probe, fighter direction avionics, new flight control system, and so on.
  • Su-30M / Su-30MK: Next-generation multirole two-seater. Apparently a few Su-30Ms were built for Russian evaluation in the mid-1990s, though nothing much came of the effort. The Su-20MK export variant was embodied as a series of two demonstrators of different levels of capability.
  • Su-30MKI: Substantially improved Su-30MK for the Indian Air Force, with canards, vectored-thrust engines, new avionics provided by several nations, and multirole capability.
  • Su-30MKK: Su-30MK for the Chinese air force, with updated Russian-built avionics and multirole capability, but no canards or thrust-vectoring engines. The Chinese navy also bought similar "Su-20MK2" machines with enhanced antishipping attack capabilities.
  • Su-30MKM: Su-30MK for Malaysia.
  • Su-30KI: Improved single-seater with Su-30MK features for Indonesia deal that fell through, following in the steps of an "Su-27SMK" evaluation aircraft flown in the mid-1990s.
  • Su-27M (Su-35, Su-37): Series of improved demonstrators for an advanced single-seat multirole Su-27S derivative. The series also included a two-seat "Su-35UB" demonstrator.
  • Su-27SM: Upgraded Russian Su-27S, featuring technology evaluated in the Su-27M demonstrators.
  • Su-27UBM: Comparable upgraded Su-27UB two-seater.
  • Su-32 (Su-27IB): Two-seat dedicated long-range strike variant with side-by-side seating in "platypus" nose.
  • Su-27KUB: Essentially an Su-27K carrier-based single-seater with a side-by-side cockpit, for use as a naval carrier trainer or multirole aircraft.
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Specifications (Sukhoi Su-27)

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References

  • Source for technical and weaponry data: Modern Combat Aircraft: Reference guide pp. 50-51 Minsk, "Elida", 1997, ISBN 985-6163-10-2 (Russian language).
  • http://www.warfare.ru - Very Comprehensive Russian Military Analysis
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Video games

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External links

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Related content

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