On 20th May 1977 the first T-10 prototype flew for the first time. The rest of the story is well known, as the Flanker became one of the most famous Soviet aircraft in the world.
T-10 at Monino (http://su-27flanker.com/)
This first prototype (see photo above) was quite different to the serial machines. Now it is known that the development was difficult and protacted, as the prototype suffered from stability issues. Sukhoi had to redesign the fuselage, and the first production version was based on the T-10-7.
All the effort was worth it. The Flanker was one of the great successes of the Russian Defence Industry in the 1990s, and was exported in large numbers. This ensured the survival of the company during the economical crisis. Nowadays it is still in production, and it will last a few more years.
All the effort was worth it. The Flanker was one of the great successes of the Russian Defence Industry in the 1990s, and was exported in large numbers. This ensured the survival of the company during the economical crisis. Nowadays it is still in production, and it will last a few more years.
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