Italeri Su-27D Sea Flanker

The twin-engine air superiority fighter Sukhoi Su-27K "Sea Flanker," later renamed Su-33, is the carrier-based variant of the famous Sukhoi Su-27. The naval version was developed and constructed to operate from the aircraft carriers of the Russian fleet while retaining the outstanding flight performance and appealing aerodynamic design of the Su-27. To this end, the aircraft underwent a series of structural modifications that reinforced the airframe and landing gear, making it suitable for naval operations, such as the introduction of an arrestor hook. The new folding wings also optimized storage capacity in the hangars of the aircraft carriers. The first operational deployments took place in the mid-1990s aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov.