Description

The Su-27 is a long-range air superiority fighter comparable to the US F-15 in size and mission. Su-27 entered production in 1982 and is in service with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Vietnam, and is built under license in China as the F-11. The Su-27 is equipped with an analog fly-by-wire control system, powerful pulse-Doppler radar, and up to ten air-to-air missiles, giving it a potent look-down shoot-down capability. The Flanker also features rearward-facing radar at the end of a long boom placed between the engines allowing the Su-27 to fire at targets behind the aircraft. The Su-27's high thrust-to-weight ratio and refined aerodynamics allow superb flight characteristics at high angles of attack. An interesting feature of the Su-27 is its autopilot, which is able to return the aircraft to right-side-up level flight at any altitude when the pilot presses a panic-button.