#39, Su-27 Flanker: The Most Maneuverable Big Fighter Ever Built
The Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker stunned the Western world at the 1989 Paris Air Show when test pilot Viktor Pugachev performed a maneuver that seemed to defy physics, pitching the aircraft's nose up past 120 degrees while maintaining forward flight, then recovering smoothly. "Pugachev's Cobra" demonstrated that the Su-27 possessed aerodynamic capabilities that no Western fighter could match, and it signaled that Soviet aerospace engineering had produced a world-class air superiority platform.
The Flanker was designed as the Soviet answer to the F-15 Eagle, and in terms of raw maneuverability, it exceeded its rival. Its blended wing-body design, widely spaced engines, and relaxed static stability gave it extraordinary agility. The Su-27 has spawned the most successful family of fighters outside the West, the Su-30, Su-33, Su-34, and Su-35, with over 1,600 total variants built. These aircraft serve as the backbone of the Russian, Chinese, and Indian air forces. As a design platform, the Flanker's influence on non-Western military aviation is unmatched.
