What if? 1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H') - Whif/Kitbashing

[dizzyfugu]

Ich werf' mal wieder was in die Runde - ist ja auch SF, vor realem Hintergrund. Denn dieses Modell stellt einen echten Entwurf von Suchoj dar, der in den späten 60ern angedacht wurde - auf der Basis des Mach 2 Abfangjägers Su-15(!) sollte ein Jagdbomber/Angriffsflugzeug entstehen, in einer Ära, als es keine klare Spezifikation für solch einen Flugzeugtyp gab und sich die Su-7 als ziemlich untauglich erwies. Es dauerta dann auch noch ein paar Jahre, bis anstatt der T-58Sh (wie der Entwurf hieß) z. B. die Schwenkflügler Su-17 und MiG-27 entstanden, und zu guter letzt die Su-25, als man dann nach 15 Jahren doch einsah, dass Überschall nicht wirklich notwenidig ist, wenn man Panzer oder Bunker jagen will...

Na ja, dies also, wenn die T-58Sh es tatsächlich zur Hardware-Stufe und ggf. auf ostdeutsche Stützpunkte "geschafft" hätte:


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
The Su-21 attack aircraft had its roots in the Su-15 interceptor, which itself was a development of Sukhoi's tailed-delta Su-9 and Su-11 interceptor fighters. Construction of the Su-15 (internal project designation T-58) began in mid-1960, state acceptance tests of the respective T-58-8M1 interception complex with radar and air-to-air missiles started in August 1963.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In 1966 series production at Novosibirsk began, the first pre-series Su-15 interceptor made its first flight from Novosibirsk on 6 March 1966. Once identified as a new service aircraft, NATO christened the type 'Flagon'. While the Su-15 was in series production, a number of improved design features were developed, tested and subsequently introduced with a new production series of the interceptor.

In 1969, under the influence of the Vietnam conflict and the conclusion that dedicated ground attack aircraft were needed in a modern battlefield, the Sukhoi OKB investigated options for a new close-support "mudfighter" aircraft. One option was a derivative of the Su-15, designated the "T-58Sh" -- the suffix "Sh" stood for "shturmovik (storm bird)", a general Soviet name for a close-support aircraft.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The T-58Sh design was based on the Su-15 fuselage and engine installation with two Tumansky R-13-300 turbojets, but with considerable modifications. These included totally new wings and stabilizers - the orginal delta wing for high speed gave way to tapered wings with a constant 40° sweep, and the horizontal stabilizers were modified, too. The original fin was kept, though, as well as most of the landing gear installation, even though the front wheel retracted backwards now, since the complete nose up until spar no. 10 had been redesigned: instead of the interceptor's large radome, a slanted, considerably shorter nose improved the field of view for the pilot. In its tip it housed a 'Fon' laser rangefinder as well as a missile guidance antenna. A Doppler radar was housed under the nose, too, and an ASP-PF gunsight and a PBK-2 bomb sight optimized for lob-bombing were installed. The cockpit was completely armored, as well as parts of the lower fuselage around the engine section. All internal tanks (holding 4.500kg/9.921lb of fuel in the fuselage as well as in the wings) were self-sealing.

Another novelty was the freshly developed, built-in Gatling cannon, the GSh-30A, also known as 9A-621. This formidable, six-barreled weapon had a pneumatic mechanism (instead of en electric system, which was used in US types like the M61 'Vulcan' gun), fired 30mm shells and achieved a staggering fire rate of 5.000rpm. The cannon's magazine held 280 rounds - a shift of fuel tanks from the fuselage into the new wings with more internal space allowed the belly installation behind the front wheel well. Furthermore, a total of nine external weapon hardpoints allowed an ordnance load of up to 5.500kg (12.115lb), which included laser-guided smart bombs/missiles as well as tactical nuclear weapons.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Two T-58Sh prototypes were completed, and the first of these flew on 6 April 1968, the second on 26 September 1968. After State Acceptance Trials the Su-15Sh entered service in 1970 - in parallel, OKB Mikoyan was also working on a ground attack variant of its MiG-23 VG fighter, the later MiG-27, which flew in 1971 for the first time.
This advantage in time to service worked in favor of the Suchoj aircraft, which was so different from its Su-15 origins that it received a new service-designation, Su-21 (which was, by Western observers, often miss-attributed to the late Su-15 interceptor versions with ogive radomes and new double-delta wings).
By 1972, four squadrons were equipped with the new aircraft. Interestingly, none of the Su-21 were deployed to Afghanistan. Instead, the new fighter bombers were exclusively allocated to Attack Regiments in the potential Western conflict theatre, two of them based in Poland and two in Eastern Germany.

The basic version of the aircraft was produced at Factory 31, at Tbilisi, in the Soviet Republic of Georgia. Between 1969 and 1975, 182 Su-21 were produced. Much like the Su-15 interceptor variants, there were no exports, the Soviet/Russian Air Force remained the only operator - the more versatile MiG-23/27 filled that role. Later, foreign customers would receive the Su-25K from Sukhoi's export program, as well as the Su-20 and 22 VG fighter bombers.

During its service career, the Su-21 was constantly upgraded. One of the most significant changes was an MLU programme which, among others, introduced the 'Shkval' optical TV and aiming system, which was coupled with a new 'Prichal' laser rangefinder and target designator in an enlarged nosecone. This system enabled the aircraft to carry out all-weather missions, day and night, and also allowed to deploy the new 'Vikhr' laser-guided, tube-launched missiles, which were very effective against armored vehicles.
These updated aircraft received the designation Su-21D ('dorabotanyy' = updated). Two respective prototypes were built in 1982–84, and all aircraft were brought to this standard until 1988.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The only engagement of the Su-21 in a real combat scenario was its employment during the First Chechen War - which also signalized the type's retirement, after the conflict was over. Together with other Russian Air Force air assets, The Su-21s achieved air supremacy for Russian Forces, destroying up to 266 Chechen aircraft on the ground. The entire Air Force assets committed to the Chechen campaign between 1994 and 1996 performed around 9,000 air sorties, with around 5,300 being strike sorties. The 4th Russian Air Army had 140 Su-17Ms, Su-21Ds, Su-24s and Su-25s in the warzone supported by an A-50 AWACS aircraft. The employed munitions were generally unguided bombs and rockets with only 2.3% of the strikes using precision-guided munitions.

The Su-21 was a controversial aircraft. It was relatively reliable, benefitting from its two engines and solid armor, which was seen as one of the most important features for a true battlefield aircraft - inofficially, it was nicknamed 'ома́р' ('lobster') among the crews.
It had a high payload and was a very stable weapon platform. But the type suffered from the fact that it was an interceptor derivate which had originally been designed for dashes at Mach 2.5 at high altitudes. Consequently, the airframe had to be enforced to withstand higher G loads at low level flight and with heavy external loads, so that it was basically overweight. The extra armor did not help much either.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Additionally, the R-13 jet engines (basically the same that powered the 3rd generation MiG-21MF) were thirsty, even when running without the afterburner extra power, so that the type's range was very limited. Its ability to dash beyond Mach 1 even at low altitudes was of little tactical use, even though its high rate of acceleration and climb made it ideal for suprise attacks and delivery of tactical nuclear weapons - the latter was the main reason why the type was kept in service for so long until it was replaced by Su-24 bombers in this role.

Another source of constant trouble was the GSh-30A cannon. While its firepower was overwhelming, the vibrations it caused while firing and the pressure blasts from the nozzles could badly damage the aircraft's lower fuselage. There had been several incidents when the front wheel covers had literally been blown apart, and in one case the gun itself detached from its fuselage mount while firing - hitting the aircraft itself from below!

In the end, the Su-21 could not live up to the expectations of its intended role - even though this was less the aircraft's fault: the military demands had been unclear from the beginning, and the T-58Sh had been a second- choice solution to this diffuse performance profile.
Eventually the MiG-27 and also the Su-17/22 family as well as the biggher Su-24 tactical bomber, thanks to their variable geometry wings, proved to be the more flexible aircraft for the ground attack/fighter bomber role. But the lessons learned from the Su-21 eventually found their way into the very successful, subsonic Su-25 ('Frogfoot') family. The last Su-21D was retired in January 1997, after a service career of 25 years.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr
 

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length (with pitot): 17.57 m (57 ft 6 1/4 in)
Wingspan: 12.24 m (40 ft 1 in)
Height: 4.84 m (15 ft 10 in)
Empty weight: 11.225 kg (24.725 lb)
Loaded weight: 17.500 kg (38.580 lb)

Powerplant:
2× Tumansky R-13-300 turbojets,each rated at 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf) dry and at 70.0 kN (15,730 lbf) with afterburner

Performance:
Maximum speed: 1.250km/h (777mph/674nm) at sea level
Range: 1.380 km (855 ml)
Ferry range: 1.850 km (1.146 mi)
Service ceiling: 17.000 m (55.665 ft)

Armament:
1× GSh-30A gatling gun with 280 RPG in the lower fuselage
9× hardpoints (three under the fuselage, three under each wing) for a weapon load of up to 5.500kg (12.115lb),
including iron bombs, unguided missiles and rocket pods, guided weapons, napalm tanks or gun pods; two R-60 (AA-8 "Aphid") AAMs were typically carried for self-defense on the outer pylon pair


Die hier ist das Vorbild (mehr als die Skizze gibt es leider nicht):


Verlinkt von: http://www.zonamilitar.com.ar/foros/threads/su-15-flagon.9144/page-3

Entstanden ist das Modell aus einer Su-15TM von PM Models, dem Bug einer MiG-27 von Academy und Tragflächen einer A-7 von ESCI, bei denen der Pfeilungswinkel auf 40° reduziert wurde - sowie viel Spachtel und Improvisation. So musste z. B. die Position der Fahrwerksschächte verschoben werden, die Lufteinläufe wurden vereinfacht, alles kleine Details.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H') - What-if/Kit-bashing - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H') - What-if/Kit-bashing - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H') - What-if/Kit-bashing - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Der Anstrich ist einer russischen Su-22 auf ostdeutschem Boden entlehnt, typisch für die 80er. Alles per Hand/Pinsel gemacht, und leicht verwittert. Aufkleber sind aus diversen Sheets zusammengepuzzelt.


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H') - What-if/Kit-bashing - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Und noch mal im Überblick 


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sukhoi Su-21D (T-58Sh/Su-15Sh, NATO code 'Flagon H'); aircraft '02 Blue' of 20th GvAPIB, 125th ADIB, 16th VA, Soviet Air Force; Templin (GDR), April 1985 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Bilder sind, wie üblich, "so aufgenommen, wie man's sieht". Lediglich bei den Flugszenen sind Fahrwerk und Display/Ständer wegretuschiert.