PROGRAMME:
Experimental version of
Su-27 with foreplanes (T-10-24) flew May 1985; first of six prototypes
(successively T-10S-70, Su-27M, Su-35) flew 28 June 1988; another was
exhibited at 1992 Farnborough Air Show; in final stages of flight
testing early 1993; 11 prototype and preseries aircraft ('701' to '711')
built by September 1994, of which '711' modified for thrust-vectoring
experiments; first flight at Zhukovsky (with nozzles fixed) 2 April
1996; two more aircraft ordered in late 1995 may indicate start of
production of service development batch by KNAAPO at Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
DESIGN FEATURES:
Advanced development of
Su-27; airframe, power plant, avionics and armament all upgraded;
quadruplex digital fly-by-wire controls under development by Avionika;
longitudinal static instability; tandem 'triplane' layout, with
foreplanes; double-slotted flaperons; taller, square-tip twin tailfins
with integral fuel tanks; reprofiled front fuselage for larger-diameter
radar antenna; enlarged tailcone for rearward-facing radar; twin-wheel
nose landing gear; axisymmetric thrust vectoring nozzles under
development for use on production aircraft (see Su-37 in Addenda). Tests
with side-stick controller on starboard side of cockpit of Su-27 testbed
LMK-2405 are unlikely to lead to change from conventional centre stick.
POWER PLANT:
Two Saturn/Lyulka AL-35F
(AL-31FM) turbofans; each 137.3 kN (30,865 lb st) with afterburning.
Retractable flight refuelling probe on port side of nose.
ACCOMMODATION:
Pilot only, on Zvezda
K-36MD zero/zero ejection seat.
AVIONICS:
Radar: Phazotron N011
Zhuk 27 multimode low-altitude terrain-following/avoidance radar, search
range 54 n miles (100 km; 62 miles) in forward sector, 30 n miles (55
km; 34 miles) rearward, able to track 10 targets and engage four
simultaneously. Phazotron Zhuk-PH phased-array radar under development
for later use, search range 89 to 132 n miles (165 to 245 km; 102 to 152
miles) in forward sector, 32 n miles (60 km; 37 miles) rearward, with
simultaneous tracking of 24 air targets and ripple-fire engagement of
six; N014 rearward-facing radar, range approximately 2 n miles (4 km;
2.5 miles), may enable firing of rearward-facing IR homing air-to-air
missiles.
Flight: Fully automatic
flight modes and armament control against ground, maritime and air
targets, including automatic low-altitude flight and automatic target
designation. RPKB nav system includes laser-gyro INS and Glonass GPS.
Instrumentation: EFIS,
with three colour CRTs; HUD.
Mission: New-type IRST
moved to starboard; small external TV pod; all combat flight phases
computerised. Shown at Farnborough with GEC Ferranti TIALD (thermal
imaging airborne laser designator) night/adverse visibility pod fitted
for possible future use.
Self-defence: Enhanced
ECM, including wingtip jammer pods; RWR.
ARMAMENT:
One 30 mm GSh-30 gun in
starboard wingr00t extension, with 150 rounds. Mountings for up to 14
stores, including R-27 (AA-10 'Alamo-A/B/C/D'), R-40 (AA-6 'Acrid'),
R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid'), R-73E (AA-11 'Archer') and RVV-AE (R-77; AA-12
'Adder') air-to-air missiles, Kh-25ML (AS-10 'Karen'), Kh-25MP (AS-12 'Kegler'),
Kh-29T (AS-14 'Kedge'), Kh-31P (AS-17 'Krypton') and Kh-59 (AS-18
'Kaz00') air-to-surface missiles, S-25LD laser-guided rockets, S-25IRS
IR-guided rockets, GBU-500L and GBU-1500L laser-guided bombs, GBU-500T
and GBU-1500T TV-guided bombs, KMGU cluster weapons, KAB-500 bombs and
rocket packs. Maximum weapon load 8,000 kg (17,635 lb).
DIMENSIONS
EXTERNAL:
|
Wing
span, over ECM pods:
|
15.16
m (49 ft 8{3/4} in)
|
Length
overall:
|
22.20
m (72 ft 10 in)
|
22.21
Height overall: 6.36 m (20 ft 10{1/4} in)
|
WEIGHTS
AND LOADINGS:
|
Weight
empty: 17,000 kg (37,479 lb)
|
Max
fuel: 13,400 kg (29,542 lb)
|
Max
T-O weight: 26,000-34,000 kg (57,320-74,957 lb)
|
Max
power loading: 124 kg/kN (1.21 lb/lb st)
|
PERFORMANCE:
|
Max
level speed: at height: Mach 2.35
|
(1,350
kts; 2,500 km/h; 1,555 mph)
|
at
S/L: Mach 1.14 (755 kts; 1,400 km/h; 870 mph)
|
Service
ceiling: 18,000 m (59,055 ft)
|
Balanced
runway length: 1,200 m (3,940 ft)
|
Range:
with max internal fuel:
|
more
than 2,160 n miles (4,000 km; 2,485 miles)
|
g
limit: +10
|
LENGTH
(m) 22.20
|
HEIGHT
(m) 6.36
|
WING
SPAN (m) 15.16
|
MAX
T-O WEIGHT (kg) 34000
|
MAX
LEVEL SPEED (knots) 1350
|
MAX
RANGE (nm) 2160
|
SERVICE
CEILING (m) 18000
|
(source: Jane's)