Developed in the former Soviet Union as a response to the F-15 Eagle from United States, the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker stands out among the most capable fighter jets in its category. Highly maneuverable and fast, the fighter jet gave rise to the Su-35, today the main fighter of the Russian Aerospace Force. But in the past, the Sukhoi jet also figured in an interesting Cold War dispute: that of records.
The great competition for hegemony between the USA and the USSR went beyond the presentation of newer military equipment. Like in a Super Trump, whoever went furthest and fastest also gained a lot of prestige.
In this sense, the two countries also competed for the records of the International Aeronautical Federation, the FAI. In 1962, the US Navy broke several climb time records with the F-4 Phantom II. Later, in 1973, the Americans were sured by the Soviets, who using the Mikoyan MiG-25 Foxbat – a model that is still the fastest fighter produced today – reached the 25 meter (82 feet) mark in 3:12 minutes, compared to the 3:50 of the American F-4.
Streak Eagle
Two years after being sured by the USSR's Foxbat, the Americans were already employing another fighter jet, the now legendary F-15 Eagle. The US Air Force requested the development of the F-15 specifically to outperform the MiG-25 in combat. However, the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) jet was used in addition.
Called the Streak Eagle, the F-15 was modified to regain the FAI records. The USAF removed all avionics and equipment expendable for the mission; the same goes for the paint job, leaving the plane bare metal.
Between January and February 1975, three test pilots broke eight climb time records, for the 3000, 6000, 9000, 12000, 15000, 20000, 25000 and 30000 meters marks. However, their stay at the top of the podium would not last long.
The P-42
In 1977, two years after the Streak Eagle's exploits, the Su-27 prototype took to the skies. Designated T-10 by Sukhoi, the model was designed to perform air superiority missions, a direct response to the F-15. It was also capable of carrying more weapons than its American adversary and had generally similar performance.
After years of testing and refinement, the Su-27 entered service with the USSR Air Force, marking the beginning of the operational life of an aircraft that is still very present in the current VKS, logically in newer variants. A year after the introduction of the Su-27 into military service, the Soviets chose the new fighter to retake the records achieved by the USAF Streak Eagle years earlier.
Despite the different model, the recipe was the same: make the plane as light as possible to take advantage of all the power of the engines; In the case of the Su-27, it was no small feat: each Saturn AL-31 had around 27 thousand pounds of thrust in afterburner mode.
Thus, as with the MiG-25 and F-15, the Russians stripped the Su-27 of everything that was not mission-critical: radar, avionics, IRST, weapons racks, and again, even the paint. The only markings were the P-42 on the side of the fuselage and the USSR flag on the tail. The aircraft was polished before flights, and all surfaces that could cause aerodynamic drag were reduced. Fuel was carefully calculated, enough only for the planned flight and nothing more.
Going further, the Su-27 received significant structural modifications to lose weight, with the radome being replaced by a lighter piece; refinements to the structure of the aerodynamic brake; the slats (moving parts on the leading edge of the wings) were replaced by a fixed structure; the landing gear structure was made with lighter material and the fenders were removed; logically, the 30 mm cannon and its ammunition locker were also removed. In the cockpit, only the most basic instruments for a safe flight remained.
Completely redesigned, the record-breaking Su-27 was given a new name: P-42. According to Sukhoi's then chief designer, Mikhail Simonov, the name was a tribute to the actions of Soviet fighter aircraft in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942, a turning point in World War II.
Breaking the Marks
With the changes, the P-42 had a maximum takeoff weight of 14,1 tons, two tons less than the original Su-27S.
The plane was so light that the brakes were insufficient to hold the aircraft on the ground. To solve the problem, a “Russian” solution was adopted: the P-42 was attached to a heavy tractor by means of a steel cable, which was released at the time of takeoff by means of an electronic lock.
Between October and November 1986, test pilot Viktor Pugachev set eight time-to-climb records in just two flights. These were four for land-based aircraft and four more for aircraft with a takeoff weight of up to 16.000 kg. Pugachev took the P-42 to 3000 meters in just 15,5 seconds and to 6000 meters in 37,5 seconds.
The following year, under the command of pilot Nikolai Sadovnikov, the Sukhoi P-42 climbed to 9 meters in 44 seconds; 12 meters in 55,2 seconds and 15 meters in 70,3 seconds, seven seconds less than the Streak Eagle. In this way, the P-42 beat the FAI numbers, previously established by the Americans with the F-15.
In total, the P-26 set 42 records, including those for climb time to certain altitudes, with and without loads, and maximum altitude in horizontal flight. In addition to Pugachev and Sadovnikov, the modified fighter was also piloted by test pilots Oleg Tsoi and Yevgeni Frolov, coordinated by chief engineer Rolan Martirosov. The records can be found on the Federation's website, by clicking here.
With the achievement of the marks, the P-42's mission was now complete, and quite successfully. The modified Su-27 was taken to the Monino Air Force Museum, where it remains preserved.
