The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, all-weather attack aircraft developed in the Soviet Union. This variable-sweep wing, twin-engined side-by-side two-seater carried the USSR's first integrated digital navigation/attack system. It remains in service with former Soviet air forces and various air forces to which it was exported.

The aircraft was officially sanctioned on August 24th, 1965, under the internal codename T-6. The first prototype, T-6-1 was completed in May 1967 and flew on July 2nd with V.S. Ilyushin at the controls. The initial flights were performed without the four lift engines, which were installed in October 1967. At the same time, R-27s were replaced with Lyulka AL-21Fs. STOL tests confirmed the data from S-58VD that short-field performance was achieved at the cost of significant loss of flight distance as the lift engines occupied space normally reserved for fuel, loss of under-fuselage hardpoints, and instability during transition from STOL to conventional flight. So the six-engine approach was abandoned.

On August 7th, 1968, the OKB was officially tasked with investigating a variable geometry wing for the T-6. The resulting T-6-2I first flew on January 17th, 1970, with Ilyushin at the controls. The subsequent government trials lasted until 1974, dictated by the complexity of the on-board systems. The day or night and all-weather capability was achieved - for the first time in Soviet tactical attack aircraft - thanks to the Puma nav/attack system consisting of two Orion-A superimposed radar scanners for nav/attack, a dedicated Relyef terrain clearance radar to provide automatic control of flights at low and extremely low altitudes, and Orbita-10-58 onboard computer. The crew was equipped with zero-zero Zvezda K-36D ejection seats, allowing the pilots to bail out at any altitude and flight speed, including during takeoff and landing.

The first production aircraft flew on December 31st, 1971, with V.T. Vylomov at the controls, and on February 4th, 1975, T-6 was formally accepted into service as the Su-24. About 1,400 Su-24s were produced.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-24MR "Fencer-D" attack aircraft. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-3/4-inches
Length: 12-1/4-inches

Release Date: February 2019

Historical Account: "After the Fall" - The Ukrainian Air Force is a part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force headquarters is located in the city of Vinnytsia. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, a large number of aircraft were left on Ukrainian territory. Ever since, the Ukrainian air force has been downsizing and upgrading its forces. In spite of these efforts, the main inventory of the air force consists of Soviet-made aircraft. Currently 36,300 personnel and 144 aircraft are in service in the Ukrainian air force and air defense forces but approximately only eighty aircraft are airworthy. All ICBMs and strategic bombers have been taken out of service (some however were given to Russia).

Since 1991's Ukrainian independence the air force has suffered from chronic underinvestment, leading to the bulk of its inventory becoming mothballed or otherwise becoming inoperable. Despite this Ukraine still possesses the world's 27th largest air force and the 7th largest air force in Europe, largely due to the ability of its domestic defense industry Ukroboronprom and its Antonov subsidiary to maintain its older aircraft.

The air force currently takes part in the War in Donbass. Following the September 5th, 2014, ceasefire Ukraine Air Force has been forbidden from carrying out missions in the contested areas of Donbass.