Sukhoi Su-37 ‘Terminator’ Jet Fighter Aircraft
The Sukhoi Su-37 (NATO designation: Flanker-F) is a Russian multi-role jet fighter aircraft.
The Su-37 is a single-seat, all-weather, fighter and ground attack prototype aircraft, derived from the Su-27 ‘Flanker’. The Su-27 is a successful Soviet fourth generation jet aircraft that has been exported to over 20 nations. The Su-37 test aircraft made its maiden flight in April 1996 from the Zhukovsky flight testing center near Moscow.
The Su-37 included several updates over the Su-27, including all-weather multi-mode passive electronically scanned array radar with synthetic aperture, terrain avoidance, terrain mapping and a rear facing radar. The airframe includes a percentage of parts made from composites, unlike the all-metal Su-27. Additionally, the Su-37 incorporates the AL-37FU engines equipped with thrust vectoring. The Su-37’s nozzles are variable in pitch only and travel plus or minus 15 degrees, but they can be operated differentially to provide a rolling moment. The aircraft is also the first Russian aircraft with Hands On Throttle and Stick, or HOTAS, system. The Su-37 also stores a radar in the tailcone of the plane that allows it to fire missiles behind the plane.
The engine not only incorporates 2D TVC but also is tough and resistant to engine surge even during classic, inverted and flat spins, giving better reliability and maneuverability, such as when the AOA is as high as 180 degrees.
The Su-37 can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons on 12 stations. The number of missiles and bombs carried can be increased to 14 with the use of multi-payload racks.
Russia has not ordered Su-37s, but it might find customers abroad, a market that now constitutes a sizable share of Sukhoi’s income. Several prototypes have been built, but the aircraft is not in production.
The most recent rumors regarding the development of the Su-37 is that the project was cancelled due to lack of funding. The two Su-37 prototypes were converted into Su-35 ‘Flanker-Es’, another Sukhoi prototype fighter.
From: wikipedia.org
