Hobby Master HA6307 | Sukhoi SU-34 Fullback Fighter Bomber Red 24, Russian Air Force, Ukraine, March 2022

General Background:

The Sukhoi Su-34 “Fullback” is an all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/strike aircraft developed for the Russian Air Force and Navy with the intent to replace the Su-24M “Fencer” and Tu-22MS long-range bomber. The Fullback is based on the Su-27 “Flanker” and has an armored cockpit that is occupied by two-crew seated side-by-side. The aircraft’s main role is deployment against ground and/or naval targets. As of April 2018 there have been 122 aircraft manufactured including 7 prototypes. The export designation of the Su-34 is Su-32.

The Aircraft:

Su-34 Red 24 was produced as T10V-30 RF-95808 in 2013 as the 30th Su-34 to be built and 3rd in a contract for 10 aircraft this year. Red 24 was assigned to the 2nd Guard Bomber Aviation Regiment, 21st Mixed Aviation Division (14th Air & Air Defense Army) based in the Central MD. On March 5, 2022 during the invasion of Ukraine this aircraft was shot down with Major Krasnoyartsev being captured while the other perished. This aircraft and the same crew had served in Syria. Russia suffered several losses this day.

General characteristics for Su-34 “Fullback”
Sometimes referred to as the “Hell Duck”
Country of Origin – Russia
Manufacturer – Sukhoi Aircraft Company
Number Produced As Of April 2018 - 122 For Russia
Role - all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/strike aircraft
Crew – 2 Seated Side-By-Side
Dimensions
Length – 23.34 m (72 ft 2 ins)
Wingspan – 14.7 m 99948 ft 3 ins)
Height – 6.09 m (19 ft 5 ins)
Wing area – 62.04 m² (667.8 ft²)
Weights
Empty – 22,500 kg (49,608 lbs)
Loaded – 39,000 kg (85,980 lbs)
Maximum Take Off – 45,100 kg (99,425 lbs)
Performance
Powerplants – 2 X Saturn AL-31FMI Turbofans Internal Fuel – 12,100 kg (15,400 l / 31,970 U.S. gallons
Maximum Speed @ Altitude – Mach 1.8+ (1,931 km/h / 1,200 mph) @ Sea Level – Mach 1.2 (1,400km/h / 870 mph)
Service Ceiling – 15,000 m (49,200 ft)
Range @ Low Altitude – 1,100 km (680 mi / 590 nmi)
Armament
Guns- 1 X 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-301 Auto-Cannon w/ 180 Rounds
Hardpoints – 12 Wing And Fuselage With Capacity Of 8,000 – 12,000 kg (17,600 – 26,500 lbs)
To Carry Combinations Of Rockets B-8 Rocket Pods For 20 X S-8KOM/OM/BM B-13 Rocket Pods For 5 X S-13T/OF O-25 Rocket Pods For 1 X S-25OFM-PU S-80FP Missiles Air-To-Air 2 × R-27R/ER/T/ET 2 × R-73 2 × R-77 Air-To-Surface Kh-29L/T/D Kh-38MAE/MKE/MLE/MTE Kh-25ML/MT Kh-59ME/MK/MK2 Kh-58 Anti-ship Kh-31A/AD Kh-35U P-800 Oniks Kh-41 Anti-radiation Kh-25MP Kh-58 Kh-31P/PD Cruise Kh-36 Kh-65S/SE Kh-SD Bombs KAB-500KR TV-guided KAB-500L laser-guided KAB-500OD guided KAB-500S-E satellite-guided KAB-1500KR TV-guided KAB-1500L laser-guided OFAB-250-270 OFAB-100-120 FAB-500T general-purpose 2 × BETAB-500SHP P-50T ODAB-500PM RBK-500 cluster SPBE-D