Sukhoi Su- designations

Stargazer

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Believe it or not, there wasn't a topic on this subject until now... Perhaps many forum members consider these to be self-evident? On closer inspection, the Su- system is more complicated than it seems.

First of all there have been two separate Su- systems that have often confused historians. The first one started in 1940 with the Su-1 and ended in 1949 with the Su-17. The list was chronological in order of creation of the projects. All numbers in the list were allocated, except perhaps the unknown "Su-16". All types reached at least the prototype stage except Su-13 and Su-14.

Su- 1 = I-135, Aircraft "330" ......... High-altitude fighter aircraft prototype, 1 built (1940).
Su- 2 = BB-1 ............................... Single-engined two-seat light bomber, over 500 built (1940-1942).
Su- 2?= ShB "Ivanov" ................... Su-2 modified for the ground attack role, one conversion (1940).
Su- 3 = Aircraft "360" ................... Second prototype of the Su-1 with revised wing. It did not fly (1941).
Su- 4 ....................................... Like Su-2 with engine and armament upgrade
Su- 5 = I-107 .............................. Mixed-power (propeller and motorjet) fighter prototype, 1 built (1945).
Su- 6 = "Article 81" = OBSh ......... Single-engined ground attack aircraft, 10 built (1941). Prototypes known as "A", "S", "SA", "S2A", "S3A".
Su- 7 ....................................... Mixed-power high-altitude interceptor developed from ground attack Su-6, 1 built (1944-45).
Su- 8 = Project "B" = DDBSh ........ Twin-engine two-seat armored ground attack aircraft used in German-Soviet war, 2 built (1944).
Su- 9 = Project "K" (NATO Type 8) Experimental jet fighter resembling the Messerschmitt Me 262, 1 built (1946).
Su-9UT ....................................... Planned two-seat trainer version, never built.
Su-10 = Project "E" .................... Four-jet tactical bomber prototype, 1 built (but no photos exist) (1946).
Su-11 = Project "KL" (Type 8) ...... Version of Su-9 with new wings and Lyulka TR-1 engines, 1 built (1946-47).
Su-12 = Project "RK" ................... Twin-engined, twin-boom reconnaissance/artillery spotter, "greenhouse" nose, 1 built (1947-49); was to be produced in Czechoslovakia
Su-13 = Project "KD" ................... Su-9 re-engined with Klimov RD-500 engines (Soviet copies of the R-R Derwent turbojet) and night fighter version, none built.
Su-14 = Project "N" ..................... Jet-powered V-tailed attack project, not built.
Su-15 = Project "P" ...................... Prototype all-weather jet interceptor which never reached production, 1 built (1949).
Su-16
Su-17 = Project "R" ...................... Prototype jet fighter which never reached production, 1 built (1949).
 
A few aircraft that were designed over that period did not get an Su- designation. Apart from the ShB mentioned with the Su-2, there was also:
  • a series of twin-engined, twin-fin transport designs designated as the DGS project, none built.
  • a modification of the Tupolev Tu-2 as a bomber trainer with Shvetsov ASh-21 engines, designated the UTB-2 (1946).
  • An undesignated experimental jet project with an annular air intake around the fuselage (1944).
  • An undesignated mixed-power tandem-seat trainer design.
Of course there must have been others, and this list is by no means exhaustive.
 
Now to the second Su- series. Being a standardized official designation system, it allocates uneven numbers to military/combat types and even numbers to civilian/general aviation types. It is mostly chronological, with a few exceptions, but a few numbers have never been allocated. For some reason there doesn't seem to have been any Su-1, Su-3 and Su-5 in this system, which aggravated the confusion with the first one even more!

As the sub-types of the following are often numerous and reasonably well-documented, I will only give the basic designators (except when the NATO name changes), and details of only the more recent types:

Su- 7 ............................. (NATO: "Fitter-A").
Su- 7U ........................... (NATO: "Moujik").
Su- 9 ............................. (NATO: "Fishpot-A/B").
Su- 9U ........................... (NATO: "Maiden").
Su-11 ............................ (NATO: "Fishpot-C").
Su-11U .......................... (NATO: "Maiden").
Su-15 ............................ (NATO: "Flagon").
Su-17 Strizh ................... (NATO: "Fitter").
Su-24 Chemodan ............ (NATO: "Fencer").
Su-25 Grach ................... (NATO: "Frogfoot").
Su-26 ............................ Aerobatics-capable sports aircraft.
Su-27 ............................ (NATO: "Flanker-B")
Su-29 ............................ Development of Su-26
Su-30 ............................ Multirole evolution of the Su-27 (NATO: "Flanker-F").
Su-31 ............................ Development of Su-26
Su-32 Morskoi Zmei ........ (NATO: "Fullback").
Su-33 (Su-27K) .............. Carrier-capable version of Su-27, delivered from 1994 (NATO: "Flanker-D").
Su-34 ............................ formerly designated Su-27IB and Su-32FN (NATO: "Fullback").
Su-35 (Su-27M) .............. Land-based version of the Su-33 (NATO: "Flanker-E").
Su-37 Terminator ........... Thrust-vectoring, multirole evolution of the Su-35 Flanker offered as an interim fighter (NATO: "Flanker-E" version 2).
Su-38 ............................ Agricultural aircraft, prototype built (2001).
Su-39 (Su-25TM) ............ Two-seat variant of Su-25 (NATO: "Frogfoot").
Su-47 (S-37*) Berkut ...... Forward-swept wing technology demonstrator for Russia's fifth-generation fighte (NATO: "Firkin").


(NOTE: * the Su- designations are not to be mistaken for the "S-" ones, which Sukhoi allocates to projects).
 
Thanks for the link! Second and third parts of the Sukhoi listing can be found here:

http://www.militaryparitet.com/nomen/russia/avia/data/ic_nomenrussiaavia/7/
http://www.militaryparitet.com/nomen/russia/avia/data/ic_nomenrussiaavia/59/

I will add stuff and make a few corrections in days to come.
 
Hi, Stargazer!

At least two types havn't included in yours' list - Su-28 jet trainer and Su-80 airliner.
 
The list doesn't currently include the Sukhoi Su-26, 29, and 31 aerobatic aircraft.
http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/civil/su-26/

Sukhoi Su-80GP multi-purpose mixed cargo aircraft/
http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/civil/su-80/

Sukhoi SuperJet 100, could this be a the Sukhoi Su-100?
http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/projects/rrj/

Current military aircraft:
http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/military/
 
Triton said:
The list doesn't currently include the Sukhoi Su-26, 29, and 31 aerobatic aircraft.
http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/civil/su-26/

Are you kiddin' me?? Go up five posts, and the types you're mentioning are listed alright!

Triton said:
Sukhoi Su-80GP multi-purpose mixed cargo aircraft/
http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/civil/su-80/

This aircraft has always been refered to previously as the "S-80" and therefore belonged in the "Sukhoi S- designations" topic, not here. Apparently Sukhoi have given it an "Su-" designation now, which I wasn't aware of. Thanks for the info.

Triton said:
Sukhoi SuperJet 100, could this be a the Sukhoi Su-100?
http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/projects/rrj/

This thread is ONLY about "Su-" designations, not all Sukhoi projects!!!
 
Stargazer2006 said:
Are you kiddin' me?? Go up five posts, and the types you're mentioning are listed alright!

My mistake. Please accept my apologies.

Stargazer2006 said:
This thread is ONLY about "Su-" designations, not all Sukhoi projects!!!

Fair enough. Though I wonder if Sukhoi considers the Su-100 designation in use for the Superjet 100.
 
Here is the Su-49 trainer project:
 

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Stargazer2006 said:
...
Su-24 Chemodan ............ (NATO: "Fencer").
...

In my opinion Chemodan is the nickname of the aircraft used only by pilots, never used officially by the OKB/manufacturer, because Chemodan means ... suitcase! ;)

(Russian readers please correct, if I'm wrong.)
 
Hi,

you forget in the second Su-series many aircraft and projects,such as;

Su-10 was a four-engined supersonic bomber project,second use of that designation.
Su-19M was a single seat fighter derivative of Su-15.
Su-20 and Su-22 well know aircraft.
Su-28 or Su-25UT.
 
Su-38L and Su-49 cutaway views in CAD form, from CAD/CAM/CAE Observer #5 (29), 2006:
 

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The multi-role Sukhoi Su-30 sub-types family graphic.

Gives the designations production sources and customers. It is in Russian but is fairly understandable.
 

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Hi,

http://ru-aviation.livejournal.com/3609913.html
 

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