Hobby Master HA6407 | SU-33 Flanker D Bort 84, 2nd Aviation Squadron, 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment, Russian Navy, 2016

General Background:

In 1985 the approval was given for a naval variant of the Su-27 that would provide air superiority for its aircraft carriers. The new aircraft was designated Su-27 (K = Korabelny, Ship Borne) with a factory designation of T-10K which would later become Su-33, NATO Flanker D. Canards were added, strengthened frame and landing gear with a two-wheel nose gear. The drag chute was removed, a retractable tail hook added and wings, horizontal stabilizers and nose cone were made to fold. A retractable in-flight refueling probe was included on the port side.

The Aircraft:

Mid October 2016 the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and seven other Russian vessels left for the Syrian coast. On November 15, 2016 the carrier and its ten Su-33 and four MiG-29KR/KUBR aircraft took part in a large operation against ISIS in the Homs area using 500 pound bombs. Admiral Kuznetsov returned to its home port of Severomorsk in February 2017. One of the ten Su-33s was Bort 84 49051008201 of the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment 2nd Squadron “Tigers” was delivered on April 19, 1994.

Specifications for Sukhoi Su-27K (Su-33) Navy Flanker
Crew – 1
Dimensions
Length – 21.185 m (69 ft 6 in)
Wingspan – 14.7 m (48 ft 2 in)
Height – 5.72 m (18 ft 9 in)
Weight Empty – 18,400 kg (40,564 lb)
Maximum Take-off – 33,000 kg (72,752 lb)
Performance
Power Plants – 2 X 125.5 kN (28,200 lb st) Saturn Lyul’ka AL-31F3
Afterburning Turbofans Thrust – 12,500 kg Each Engine
Speed Maximum @ 11,000 m (36,000 ft) - Mach 2.165 / 2,300 km/h (1,430 mph) Maximum @ Sea Level – Mach 1.06 / 1,300 km/h (807 mph)
Service Ceiling – 17,000 m (55,780 ft)
Maximum Range – 3,000 km (1,864 mi)
Armament
Internal Gun – 1 X GSh-301, 30mm Cannon 150 Rounds
Twelve External Hardpoints - Maximum 8,000 kg (17,650 lb) R-27 Medium-To-Long-Range AAM / NATO A-10 Alamo R-60 Short-Range Lightweight Infrared Homing AAM / NATO AA-8 Aphid R-73 Short-Range AAM / NATO A-11 Archer R-77 – Medium-Range, Active Radar Homing AAM / NATO A-12 Adder, Exported Version RVV-AE
Air-To-Surface Missiles
Anti-Ship - Kh-31A / Kh-41 Anti-Radiation – Kh-25MP / Kh-31P
Guided bombs Freefall Bombs Cluster Bombs
Unguided Rockets S-8KOM/BM/OM S-13T/OF S-25OFM-PU Launched From O-25
Pods That Can Hold One Rocket. External Fuel Tanks