Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker-B

Ukrainian Air Force, Ukraine, 2023

Hobby Master 1:72 HA6021

Halfway through 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States supplied AGM-88 HARM missiles to Ukraine. This information was only disclosed when Russian forces showed images of a tail fin from one of these missiles in early August 2022. In early September 2022, a Ukrainian Su-27S was spotted with an AGM-88 HARM mounted on the wing pylons. This is the first time a Su-27 has been spotted with an AGM-88. The missile was directly mounted on the APU-470 missile launchers, the same ones used by the MiG-29 and Su-27 to fire missiles such as the R-27 (air-to-air missile). This suggests that mounting the missile on Soviet aircraft is much easier than experts initially thought. All that is needed is an interface for the various cables and the missile’s attachment points. Previous images of a Ukrainian MiG-29 using an AGM-88 indicated that the display recognized the missile as an R-27EP, designed to lock onto airborne radars. This suggests that the aircraft use their own avionics to fire the missile, without the need for additional modifications.

Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker-B

Designed by the Soviet Union to challenge the superiority of fourth generation US fighters such as the F-15 Eagle, the Su-27 was first flown on May 20, 1977. This one seat Mach-2 fighter had the Soviet Union's first operational fly-by-wire system. The aircraft is very large compared to the MiG-29, its closest Soviet counterpart, but it is built with a high percentage of titanium, which helps minimize its weight. It is exceptionally agile and is perhaps most famous for its "Cobra" maneuver, which is a short, sustained level flight at a 120 degree angle of attack, often performed at air shows.

Hobby Master "1:72 Air Power Series" diecast airplanes feature:

• Molded metal construction with plastic components.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Inscriptions and posters printed with a stamp that do not fade or fall off like decals.
• opening of awnings, revealing detailed within the cockpit.
• Extended / retracted interchangeable landing gear.
• Display stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
• Authentic detachable artillery cargoes complete with placards.