Sea Flanker

Zvezda’s Su-33

- Rick Greenwood

It's not that long ago modellers could only dream of building models from the Russian Aviation Industry, let alone choose from different brands but over the last few years the popularity of such types has driven a seemingly endless release of kits of Eastern European subjects from major model manufacturers.

The Su-27 family has a multitude of variants in its line-up and offers the modeller some quite spectacular camouflage schemes, making it a popular choice. This kit from Zvezda is the naval version of the Flanker and is referenced as the SU-33 Flanker D. Compared with the Su-27, the Su-33 has a strengthened undercarriage and structure, folding wings and stabilators required for carrier operations. The Su-33 has forward canards at the leading edge of the wing, its wings also being larger than the Su-27 for increased lift.

Twenty four MiG 29-Ks were ordered in 2009 to replace the SU-33 between 2011 and 2015, although the SU-33 was retained after the Commander of the Navy's Air and Air Defence Forces, announced that a second fighter contingent would be created to supplement the current force, with the intention that the MiG29s be used by this new element. This saw the existing SU-33 airframes undergo refurbishment for future use and in late 2016 Sukhoi Su-33s were deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. They conducted combat sorties over Syria from the deck of the Russian aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov.

The Kit