Site Content HomeUS Navy & Marine Aircraft
US Air Force Aircraft
Foreign Aircraft & Others
Credits & Bibliography
|
About the Italeri Model: This Su-27 is actually the second one I've built, the first being an SU-27K (not currently displayed). Both Flankers were absolutely identical, except this model lacks forward canards, a tailhook, and has a different nose gear strut. Both were manufactured by Italeri, and are superb; they are amung the best Italeri kits on the market. Both were quite simple to build; the challenge came in arming, painting, and decaling them. Both planes bristle with weapons, each of which had to be painted white (and I hate painting things white). Both are painted in a complex, four-color camouflage pattern that's easy to mess up. And both are festooned with decals, few of which could be excluded. Aside from that, these were excellent kits, and I really enjoyed working on them. Note: the kit does not come with AA-11s; the AA-11s on model came from an aftermarket weapons set. About the Su-27 Flanker: The Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker is widely regarded as the best fighter in the world. Able to carry six AA-10 Alamo radar-guided and four AA-11 infrared-seeking air-to-air missiles, the Su-27 can deliver a devastating punch to enemy aircraft at long range, adding new meaning to one of the first rules of air to air combat: shoot first and shoot often. Many Western analysts believe the Flanker can outfly the F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18 and every other fighter in Western inventory. Currently being developed to fight alongside the Su-27 is the Su-34, the "Strike Flanker." This two-seat aircraft takes advantage of the Flanker's load-carrying capability in the air-to-ground mission, and is the first tactical aircraft in the world to have working "facilities." There is also a carrier version of the Flanker, the Su-27K, which flies from the Admiral Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier. There is also an improved version of the Su-27: the Su-37 "Super Flanker." The Su-37 incorporates canard control surfaces behind the nose and multi-axis thrust vectoring which is connected to control stick and rudder pedals. Thrust vectoring actually moves the exhaust nozzles in different directions, giving the aircraft "super maneuverability," which allows the plane to perform maneuvers that are physically impossible in other aircraft. Maneuvers such as controlled flat spins, true square corners, and loops in which the plane never stops moving forward and, in fact, actually starts flying backwards while remaining in controlled flight, are only possible because of thrust vectoring.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright ©2003 David Jong [Jong Productions, Ltd.], All Rights Reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Updated: December 8, 2003. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
