05 Sukhoi T10-17
The development of the T10 was marked by considerable problems, leading to a fatal crash of the second prototype T10-2 on 7 July 1978 due to shortcomings in the FBW control system. Extensive redesigns followed (T10-3 through T10-15) and a revised version of the T10-7, now designated the T10S, made its first flight on 20 April 1981. It also crashed due to stability control problems and was replaced by T10-2, which became T10S-2. This aircraft also crashed on 23 December 1981 during a high-speed test, killing the pilot. Eventually, the T10-15 demonstrator, the T10S-3, evolved into the definitive Su-27 configuration.
The first Su-27 built to full production specifications was the T10-17 (“17 Blue”, f/n 05-02) and flew on 26 May 1982 at the Soviet Ministry of Aircraft Industry (MAP) aircraft factory No. 126 at Komsomol’sk-on-Amur/Dyzomgi (KnAAPO). 17 Blue flew the brunt of the state acceptance trials program, including live firing exercises. The aircraft sported a non-standard paint scheme with a pale blue forward fuselage contrasted with a deep blue for the wings, upper fuselage, and vertical tails. The aircraft was equipped with the Phasotron N001 Myech coherent Pulse-Doppler radar and necessitated a recontoured radome profile, which became the standard profile for all production Flankers. Stage A of the acceptance trials was officially completed on 21 August 1983. Over the course of three years and nine months, the ten aircraft involved (the “old style” T10-3, T10-4, T10-5, T10-9, T10-10, T10-11, and the “new style” T10-7, T10-12, T10-15, and T10-17) completed a total of 1,420 flight tests with the 267th Center for Testing Aviation Equipment and Training Test Pilots (267th TSPLI) at Akhtubinsk Air Base, Astrkhan Oblast.
In this image, T10-17 sits on the apron after arriving at Akhtubinsk Air Base from Sukhoi’s KnAAPO far-east factory for evaluation. Note a full load of inert (coloured red) missiles—six R-27ER (NATO reporting name: AA-10 “Alamo”) and four R-73 (NATO reporting name: AA-11 “Archer”)—and the opaque fairing ahead of the windshield indicates that the OLS-27 infrared search and track/laser rangefinding (IRST/LR) unit is not fitted.
05 Sukhoi T10-17
The development of the T10 was marked by considerable problems, leading to a fatal crash of the second prototype T10-2 on 7 July 1978 due to shortcomings in the FBW control system. Extensive redesigns followed (T10-3 through T10-15) and a revised version of the T10-7, now designated the T10S, made its first flight on 20 April 1981. It also crashed due to stability control problems and was replaced by T10-2, which became T10S-2. This aircraft also crashed on 23 December 1981 during a high-speed test, killing the pilot. Eventually, the T10-15 demonstrator, the T10S-3, evolved into the definitive Su-27 configuration.
The first Su-27 built to full production specifications was the T10-17 (“17 Blue”, f/n 05-02) and flew on 26 May 1982 at the Soviet Ministry of Aircraft Industry (MAP) aircraft factory No. 126 at Komsomol’sk-on-Amur/Dyzomgi (KnAAPO). 17 Blue flew the brunt of the state acceptance trials program, including live firing exercises. The aircraft sported a non-standard paint scheme with a pale blue forward fuselage contrasted with a deep blue for the wings, upper fuselage, and vertical tails. The aircraft was equipped with the Phasotron N001 Myech coherent Pulse-Doppler radar and necessitated a recontoured radome profile, which became the standard profile for all production Flankers. Stage A of the acceptance trials was officially completed on 21 August 1983. Over the course of three years and nine months, the ten aircraft involved (the “old style” T10-3, T10-4, T10-5, T10-9, T10-10, T10-11, and the “new style” T10-7, T10-12, T10-15, and T10-17) completed a total of 1,420 flight tests with the 267th Center for Testing Aviation Equipment and Training Test Pilots (267th TSPLI) at Akhtubinsk Air Base, Astrkhan Oblast.
In this image, T10-17 sits on the apron after arriving at Akhtubinsk Air Base from Sukhoi’s KnAAPO far-east factory for evaluation. Note a full load of inert (coloured red) missiles—six R-27ER (NATO reporting name: AA-10 “Alamo”) and four R-73 (NATO reporting name: AA-11 “Archer”)—and the opaque fairing ahead of the windshield indicates that the OLS-27 infrared search and track/laser rangefinding (IRST/LR) unit is not fitted.