Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-H – Red 03, 31st Fighter Rgt, Russian Air Force 2015

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA9501: Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-H Red 03 of 31st Fighter Rgt, Russian Air Force 2015. Production run of 1,000 models. One of my personal all time favourite diecast models.

Length 12 inches Wingspan 8 inches

In 1994 – 1996, an initial batch of five original Su-30 (Su-27PU) fighters, contracted for the Russian Defence Ministry, were delivered to 54th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment based at Savasleyka air base. After the regiment was disbanded in 2002, the aircraft became part of 4th Centre for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel in Lipetsk where they were flown mostly by Russian Falcons aerobatic team. No further orders of the variant were made. However, the Russian Defence Ministry was impressed with the export Su-30MKI’s performance envelope and ordered a total of 60 Su-30SM fighters, under two contracts signed in March and December 2012, respectively. The Su-30SM attained full operational capability (FOC) in January 2018, by a resolution of the Russian president.

Designed as two-seat multi-role variant of the Su-27, the Su-30 was first flown (as the Su-27PU) on December 31, 1989. The design grew from a Soviet need for a long-range interceptor based on the Su-27 with the addition of a second pilot and retractable in-flight refuelling probe. Similar to the F-15E Strike Eagle, the Su-30 is still a highly capable Air Superiority Fighter while an advanced avionics suite make it formidable in the Air-to-Ground Strike Fighter role. The Su-30 has spawned numerous sub-variants, including several designed for the export market.