Sukhoi SU-30MKK Flanker G by Trumpeter

1/72 scale
Kit No. 01659
Retail: $33.00
Decals: Two versions – both for People’s Republic of China Air Force
Comments: Engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail; detailed ejection seats; optional position speed brake; four Vympel R-27R semi-active radar air-to-air missiles, four Vympel R-27T heat seeking air-to-air missiles, four R-77 radar guided missiles, two KH-31 anti-ship cruise missiles, and four R-73 short range heat seeking air-to-air missiles; includes color plates and paint guide for weapons

History

The Sukhoi Su-30MKK (NATO reporting name, Flanker-G) is a twin-seat, twin-engine high-performance strike fighter developed by Sukhoi in 1997 from the Su-30 (Flanker-C/G/H), which was itself an evolution of the original Cold War era Su-27 “Flanker” series. The Su-30MKK has its origins in an Invitation to Tender (ITT, equivalent to a Request for Proposal) submitted to the Russian Federation by China. During a visit to the Russian Federation at the end of 1996, Chinese Premier Li Peng signed an agreement worth $1.8 billion U.S. dollars to purchase 38 advanced multirole combat aircraft. Technical negotiations began immediately.

The resulting Su-30MKK entered service with the Peoples’ Liberation Army Air Force and the Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy Air Force in the 2000-2002 period and has since become an export purchase equipping the Air Forces of Indonesia, Uganda, Venezuela and Vietnam. While the initial order was for 38 aircraft, China has reportedly purchased an additional 32, bringing the total to 70. The multi-role variant offers enhanced combat capabilities against aerial, ground and sea-based targets.

The Su-30MKK retains the air combat capabilities and agility of the Su-27 but also features new avionics to optimize it for the precision strike role. It is powered by two Lyulka AL-31F turbofans rated at 28,000 lbs. of thrust each with afterburner. Maximum speed is Mach 2, and it has a range of 1,900 miles. Service ceiling is 56,800 feet. Its rate of climb is estimated by Western intelligence to be 60,000 feet per minute — if this figure is accurate, it can get to its service ceiling in less than 60 seconds. In addition to the impressive array of missiles it can carry, its main armament is a single 30mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 cannon carrying 150 rounds.

The design of the Su-30MKK is reportedly quite advanced. A higher percentage of composite materials is used on the Su-30MKK in comparison to the original Su-30MK. In addition, new aluminum alloys were used to replace the old type used on Su-30MK for weight reduction. The twin rudders mainly made of carbon fiber composite material were larger on Su-30MKK in comparison to that of the original Su-30MK, and the type has greater fuel capacity than its predecessors.

According to Sukhoi Design Bureau, many of the new avionics and upgrades of current avionics were specially developed to meet the Chinese requirements. In addition, Russian sources claim that the electronic warfare systems of Su-30MKK utilize the latest technologies available in Russia, and that the radar warning receivers are so effective that the information provided by them alone would be enough to provide targeting information for the KH-31P anti-radiation missile without using other on-board detection systems.

While the bulk of available information comes from sources that have reason to exaggerate and inflate claims as to the aircraft’s capabilities, the significant investment by China in particular in this aircraft indicate that it could well be a formidable potential adversary.

The Kit

Trumpeter’s SU-30MKK Flanker G is injection molded in light grey and consists of 168 parts (including 5 clear parts for the canopy, gunsight, and landing gear lights) on 13 sprues. The fuselage and wings are molded as single parts divided into upper and lower halves. The cockpit features detailed ejection seats and individually mounted control yokes in a tandem seating arrangement, but relies on a decal for the main instrument panels.

A series of holes will have to be drilled in the lower wing surface to accommodate the kit’s plentiful ordnance; there is such an abundance of it that it cannot all be carried at once, so modelers will have some nice extras to add to their spares box. Thankfully the instructions include a guide as to how to configure different ordnance loads. A large dorsally mounted dive brake can be positioned open or closed.

A note on the kit’s armament. While the instructions do not call out the type of missiles specifically (i.e. anti-ship missile), they do provide just enough information in the form of the original Russian designation (KH-31, for example) for modelers to do a bit of research and figure out what they’ve got on their hands. All told, there are 16 air-to-air missiles of four different types, and two cruise missiles, all with the necessary pylons for fixing them to the underside of the wings.

The large intakes feature separate internal ramps as well as intake fan faces, complemented by detailed burner cans for the business end of the jet engines. While the weapons load schematic indicates that R-73 heat seeking missiles can be attached to the wingtip rails, the instructions also provide an alternate choice for an unidentified pod of some kind that is probably an electronic countermeasures device. Finally there is a detailed painting and marking guide for the various weapons and their respective pylons.

Markings

The markings do not provide individual unit information, but do offer two different versions of PLAAF (Peoples’ Liberation Army Air Force) aircraft. The first of these is a machine painted in a scheme of Dark Blue Grey (identified in the instructions as “Grayish Blue”) over Aircraft Gray, with a nose cone painted in Medium Gunship Grey, as are the outboard forward quarters of the horizontal stabilizers (undersurfaces only). The second is for an aircraft painted in overall Light Gray with a white nose cone and white flashes at the top of each vertical tail, and the outboard forward quarter of the horizontal stabilizers (undersurfaces only). The Painting and Marking Guide for both the aircraft and its weapons loads call out colors in the Gunze Sangyo/Mr. Hobby, Vallejo, Model Master, Tamiya and Humbrol lines.

NOTE: While the instructions provide no paint guide whatsoever at the construction stage, the Painting and Marking Guide indicates that the cockpit and instrument panel (and presumably all cockpit interior surfaces) are to be painted what is called Mr. Hobby H117. This color can be challenging to find on paint charts, but it is actually RLM 76 Light Blue.

Conclusion

This is a relatively detailed kit that is to be commended for the simplicity of its engineering. It offers enough detail and more than enough weapons options to satisfy many modelers out there, as it can be configured for both air-to-air and air-to-sea engagements. Highly recommended.

References

• militaryfactory.com
• airforce-technology.com
• milavia.net
• wikipedia.org