For your viewing pleasure, here are some photos of my Academy 1/48 scale SU-27 Flanker-B.  The Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO name: Flanker) is a single-seat Mach-2 jet fighter originally manufactured by the Soviet Union, and designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau.  It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth generation fighters, with long range (over 2000 nm), heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high maneuverability.  The Su-27's closest US counterpart is the F-15 Eagle. 

Approximately 670 SU-27 Flanker-Bs were built.  A number of countries today still have the SU-27B in service, including the U.S.A.  The USAF purchased four SU-27s from the Ukraine and uses them as aggressor aircraft in Air Combat Training. 

The SU-27 received notoriety in 1989 when it performed the now famous Cobra maneuver at the Paris Air Show.  Since then, the routine has been performed as a demonstration feature at most air shows.

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Construction
Building this kit posed few issues.  The cockpit module goes together well and paints up nicely.  The assembled module fits perfectly into the fuselage.  The only complaint I have with the cockpit module is that it lacks detail.  However with a closed canopy you can’t see much of the cockpit.  The wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and fuselage went together without too many problems.  Joining the air intakes to the engine compartments presented the most serious issue of the kit.  In short, the fit was poor and required a good deal of filling and sanding.  The rest of the kit went together easily, including the two piece canopy—they fit like a glove.

Painting
Paints used for the aircraft model were airbrushed with Tamiya acrylic paint and Model Masters and Floquil enamel paints. 

The following paints were used:

• Floquil Grimy Black                           Floquil Weathered Black 

• MM Flanker Blue/Gray                       MM Blue (FS 35109) 

• Tamiya Light Blue (XF-23)                MM Dark Green (FS34079)

• MM Gloss Black (FS 17038)             MM Burnt Metal 

• Floquil Reefer White                          Floquil bright Silver 

• MM Chrome Silver (FS 17178)          Tamiya Clear Blue (X-23) 

• Tamiya Clear Red (X-27)                    Alclad II Stainless Steel 

• Floquil Signal Red

Decals
The decals for this kit performed well enough.  I applied them over two coats of Future and used Micro Sol setting solution to ensure the decals snuggled down to the model surface.  Even with several applications of setting solution there is some silvering.  The decal sheet provided some sharks body decals.  I chose not to use them and just went with the sharks teeth on the air intakes.

Comments
I have never been a fan of Academy aircraft model kits because of what I feel is their poor engineering.  But this SU-27B kit is a cut way above their typical kits. The kit overall detail is quite good and the parts fit is pretty decent.  The vinyl tires were a nice touch.  The quality of the whole package is good. It was an enjoyable build and I am pleased with the finished model.  Enjoy the photos.

Burt Gustafson

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