Su-27IB was the prototype for the "Su-32", a two-seat long-range strike fighter development of the Su-27 (akin to the American General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" fighter bomber). This influenced the Su-32FN and Su-34 "Fullback" developments (detailed elsewhere on this site) developments. The Fullback, now in frontline operation, is easily distinguished from its Su-27 roots by the "platypus" nose design and side-by-side seating for the crew. The aircraft carries an onboard toilet with a sleep area for the crew to provide some comfort for extremely long-range mission sets. The undercarriage main legs are also revised with additional wheels for the added weight of the redesign but the Su-27 origins are still clearly visible in the Su-34 design as a whole.
The Su-27K emerged as a carrier-based fighter and eventually became the "Su-33" in service ("Flanker-D" to NATO) for the Soviet-Russian Navy. These were still single-seat models but given carrier fighter qualities such as folding wings, arrestor gear, reinforced undercarriages and high-lift devices. Production of this mark was very limited. A navalized version of the MiG-29 was also developed.
The single-seat Su-27M existed as a demonstrator and included the Su-35UB of two-seat configuration.
The Super Flanker and Beyond
In 1985, a heavily modified Flanker flew for the first time with all-moving canards and other refinements of the base Su-27 design. This aircraft, based on an Su-27M model, went on to become the Su-35 ("Flanker-E") air superiority fighter (detailed elsewhere on this site). A single-seat model, the Su-35 introduced more powerful engines (AL-41F1S turbofans), all-digital FBW with quadruple redundancy, a new avionics fit, and the new Phazotron radar ranged out to 62 miles. The radar fit offered the ability to track up to twenty-four targets simultaneously. An in-flight refueling capability added nearly-infinite operational range. Three Multi-Function Display (MFD) units were installed in the cockpit for improved mission performance.
The Su-35 entered service in limited numbers and is also known as the "Super Flanker". When fully modernized, the Su-35 is said to be a 4++ Generation fighter intended to serve as a bridge product between older Flankers and the upcoming T-50 PAK FA Fifth Generation fighter.
The Su-37 ("Flanker-F") arrived as improved form of the Su-35 Super Flanker. Thrust-vectoring nozzles were installed at the engine exhaust to offer amazing inherent agility when coupled to the digital FBW system already in place. A fourth MFD was installed in the cockpit as was a sidestick control scheme. Only two Su-37s were built from existing Su-35 airframes and a first flight was had on April 2nd, 1996. Development of this aircraft was abandoned making it more of a technology demonstrator than a probable production aircraft.
The Su-47 "Berkut" (detailed elsewhere on this site) became another technological demonstrator born from the Su-27 line. The most noticeable change was its wing mainplanes which were swept forward while the aircraft retained much of the form and function of the original Su-27. Only one example was completed and saw testing by the Russian Air Force. A first flight was had on September 25th, 1997. The product proved (and disproved) many 4.5 Generation Fighter components which were to be featured later in Sukhoi fighter designs - including the upcoming PAK FA.
Post-Soviet Marks
After the fall of the Soviet Empire, the Su-27 continued its progression. The Su-27PD served as a single-seat demonstrator but instituted an in-flight refueling probe. The Su-30M/Su-30MK forms were modernized two-seat multirole fighters that found more success in export than in local service. A mid-life upgrade of the Su-27S brought about the "Su-27SM" designation ("Flanker-B Mod. 1") and these used components proven in the Su-27M demonstrator. The Su-27SKM single-seat multirole performer became an export product of the Su-27SK - key features becoming an improved Electronic CounterMeasures (ECM) suite, an in-flight refueling probe, and modernized cockpit. The Su-27UB became the modernized two-seat trainer version.
Su-27SM2 marked a 4th+ Generation Fighter upgrade to Su-27s in service with the Russian Air Force. These included technologies proven on the Su-35BM platform with more powerful radar and AL-41F1S engines.
Su-27 Operators
While the Soviet Union fell to history and Belarus gave up on their use of the Su-27 (some sold to Angola), operators of the Flanker remain plenty today (2015). This includes Angola, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russian, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and the United States (two purchased in 2009 from a private entity and used as aggressors in training). The Ukrainian inventory has consistently shrunk to feature just sixteen airworthy examples in 2015 (from a peak of seventy). Ukraine was once the most numerous Su-27 operator after Russia.
Su-27 Service
The Su-27 achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) during December of 1984 and saw its formal introduction come on June 22nd, 1985. When the West learned of the aircraft it provided the working name of "Ram-K" until 1982 when the series received the official "Flanker" name.
The Su-27 provided the Russian Air Force with an exceptional aircraft of considerable operating range and armament loadout. It was larger than the competing F-15 Eagle and, through its powerful nose-mounted radar, was given a tremendous scan-while-track ability against targets Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) - even at tree top levels. It could be used as interceptor, trainer, fighter and ground attack platform with consistent effectiveness across all sortie types. Range was such that the fighters could escort a flight of Russian strategic bombers to the British homeland and back - all the while possessing the performance and systems to tangle with enemy fighters directly. It was a proper counter to enemy bombers such as the Boeing B-52 "Stratofortress" conventional bomber and the more advanced Rockwell B-1 "Lancer" stealth bomber.
Due to the success of the Su-27 platform and its progressive evolution, the Flanker line will remain in frontline service with Russian forces a while longer - at least until the PAK FA gains a foothold in the Air Force inventory. For other global operators, the Su-27 will continue to see operational-level use for decades to come. Certainly one of the best fighter aircraft of its generation, the Su-27 has become the pinnacle of Soviet-Russian fighter development - a true classic alongside the F-14 and F-15 lines offered by the Americans (the F-14 has already been retired from USN service and plans are being laid to modernized the F-15 to keep it a viable fighting platform for decades to come).
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