Su-27 Flanker

Description : Excerpted from : Fact Book about Sukhoi Su-27 and It's Families.

Making a major improvement in the quality of Soviet fighters, the Su-27 is a long-range air superiority fighter comparable to the US F-15 Eagles in size and mission. The Su-27 is equipped with an analogy fly-by-wire control system, a powerful pulse-Doppler radar, and up to ten air-to-air missiles giving it a potent look-down shot-down capability. The Flanker also features a rearward-facing radar at the end of a long boom placed between the engines allowing the Su-27 to fire at targets behind the aircraft. The Su-27's high " Thrust to Weigh ratio "  (like : Power to Weight ratio/Tank) and refined aerodynamics allow superb flight characteristics at high angles of attack. In addition, the Soviet Navy purchased an improved Su-27 design, later re-designated theSu-33, to operate off its first class of large aircraft carriers. The Su-33 features " Canards "  for improved maneuverability as well as a strengthened airframe for carrier operations. An interesting feature of the Su-27 is its autopilot which is able to return the aircraft to right-side-up level flight at any altitude when the pilot press a " Panic Button ". Besides the Su-33, the basic of Su-27 airframe has also been developed into the Su-30 ,Su-35, and Su-37 fighters as well as the Su-34 bomber.

An large " Infrared Search and Track ( IRST) "  sensors (almost identical to the one used on the MIG-29)  partially obscured the pilot's forward view because of its installation in a faired housing immediately ahead of the wide-screen (offset to the right on the MIG-29). It has a day/night air-to-air search and track capability and is an integrated part of the on-board laser rangefinder for both air-to-air and air-to-surface modes of firing. However, it does not provide target identification capability and has only limited air-to-surface capability.

The Su-27 " Scoop/Wing-Screened "  air intake clearly shows here. Their design provides excellent results throughout a wide angle of attack range. Their squared shape is tapered for improved aerodynamics.

Forward Fuselage Section.
Clearly showing three-piece canopy with fuselage incorporated framing and the high cockpit setting giving excellent all-round visibility.

The Su-27, like the F-18 Hornet, features a " Leading Edge Extension "  or ( LEX ) however not fired with the full-span leading edge flap. To limit upward flap deflection a small pin aside the flap matches a notch in the LEX side. A significant advantage of the leading edge extensions and fuselage/wing blending is the creation of vortices that energizes the airflow over the outer wing panels, significantly increasing lift.

F/A -18 Hornet.

Close-up of the GS-301 30 mm cannon muzzle area covered with titanium plating (the best heat- absorbing material ). The louvers in the panel behind serve to diverge gun gas exhausts which build up during firing of the gun.

Two more static pilot tubes appear on the upper fuselage, on either side of the cockpit. Various
maneuvers with different angles of attack (AoA) require input from various sources. Information
is analyzed by the fly-by-wire flight control system and translated into flap and tailplane settings.

Especially design for rough field operations the single wheel sturdy nose gear features a mud guard/ FOD screen with downward facing deflectors louvers guiding all debris away from the large air intakes. It pivots around the wheel axis and is connected to the nose gear leg by two struts. A green colored antenna is located just aft and to the left of the wheel well.

Wheel well interior looking forward. The Sukhoi nose gear is pushed straight forward into the bay by a single actuator which has an integral fairing which remains visible on the outside of the bottom fuselage once the gear is retracted.

Dual landing lights are mounted high on the nose gear leg, well clearly off debris encountered on rough terrain.

Full size view of the main landing gear with large gear door and its two hinge assemblies. A fairing at the bottom fuselage houses the gear downlock/fuselage attachment.

Dark green dielectric panel covers  " Communication Antenna "  in the right fin tip with
" Trailing Edge Antennas " connected on-board radar warning and navigation systems. Note sever aluminum rivets forming a distinctive triangle on both sides of the dielectrical panel.

The pointed tailcone viewed from the side with the Odd Rod type antenna on top and green tail
warning sensors on the sides.

Neatly faired engine exhaust nozzles with interfacing feathers. Exhaust interior with afterburner
ignition rings and perforated cone is seen above. Note the chalk-written number on the cone remained intact despite the tremendous heat development inside.

Spinal mounted blade antenna and a small white bulb can be found immediately behind the canopy, followed by the main fuselage filler cap for the T-1.

The Su-27 is powered by two Lyulka AL-31F turbofan engines (with a single stage afterburner ) rated at 27,500 lbs of thrust each. The control system is hydrau-mechanical and interactively controlled by  the fly-by-wire control system. Left and right side engines are interchangeable and have an estimated time between overhauls of 1000 hours.

The advantage of heat-resistance titanium to cage the engines are equally appreciated by Soviet and Western aircraft designers, both using this material to cover the aft part of the engine nacelle.