Sukhoi Su-27

The Su-27 was designed as the answer to the American F-15 and emerged from a long refinement as one of the best fighters of its time. The blended layout, static instability and fly-by-wire control gave manoeuvrability that service pilots had never known. Two AL-31F engines and an enormous internal fuel load allow combat at ranges of three and a half thousand kilometres without external tanks. In 1989 Viktor Pugachev demonstrated the Cobra at Le Bourget on the Su-27 — braking into a 120-degree angle of attack. The Su-27 family grew into dozens of versions, from the carrier-borne Su-33 to the multirole Su-30. The museum Su-27 is an early-series single-seater with a full set of weapons on its pylons. It is the largest fighter in the exhibition.