Sukhoi Su- designations

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-10 ............................. four-engined supersonic bomber project,(second use of that designation)
Su-11 ............................ (NATO: "Fishpot-C")
Su-11U .......................... (NATO: "Maiden")
Su-15 ............................ (NATO: "Flagon")
Su-17 Strizh ................... (NATO: "Fitter") (= S-32*)
Su-19M ...........................single-seat fighter derivative of Su-15 (project)
Su-20 ............................ (NATO: "Fitter")
Su-22............................. (NATO: "Fitter")
Su-24 Chemodan ............ (NATO: "Fencer")
Su-25 Grach ................... (NATO: "Frogfoot")
Su-26 ............................ Aerobatics-capable sports aircraft
Su-27 ............................ (NATO: "Flanker-B")
Su-28 ............................. same as Su-25UT
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-38L ............................ Agricultural aircraft, prototype built (2001)
Su-39 (Su-25TM) ............ Two-seat variant of Su-25 (NATO: "Frogfoot")
Su-41 ............................... Multifunctional interceptor project
Su-47 (S-37*) Berkut ...... Forward-swept wing technology demonstrator for Russia's fifth-generation fighte (NATO: "Firkin")
Su-49 .............................. Single-engine trainer project
Su-80 .............................. Redesignation of S-80
Su-137 ............................ Early designation of Su-37M

(NOTE: * the Su- designations are not to be mistaken for the "S-" ones, which Sukhoi allocates to projects).

http://www.militaryparitet.com/nomen/russia/avia/data/ic_nomenrussiaavia/68/
http://www.militaryparitet.com/nomen/russia/avia/data/ic_nomenrussiaavia/7/
http://www.militaryparitet.com/nomen/russia/avia/data/ic_nomenrussiaavia/59/

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/

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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/

Click to expand...

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/

Click to expand...

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!

Click to expand...

My mistake. Please accept my apologies.

Stargazer2006 said:

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

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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:

Stargazer2006 said:

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

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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:

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.

Hi,

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

The elusive Su-5:

hesham said:

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.

Click to expand...

Hi Stargazer,

please add these aircraft to the second series,they were confirmed concepts and
designations

- Unconfirmed designations in my files,also some speculations;

Su-16 ? may it was a supersonic bomber project,led to develop T-4
Su-21 ? may it was improved Su-15
Su-23 ? may it was the same as T-4 or T-100
Su-36 & Su-38 ? they were mentioned in UAE's magazine,as a Su-35 with
more modern equipment (Avionics ........etc)

hesham said:

please ad these aircraft to the second series,they were confirmed concepts and designations

Click to expand...

Done. I've also added the Su-41, Su-44, Su-80 and Su-137.

hesham said:

Hi Stargazer,

please add these aircraft to the second series,they were confirmed concepts and
designations

- Unconfirmed designations in my files,also some speculations;

Click to expand...

non-existent designations except Su-38 and Su-80
Su-44 was nothing more than fan-art

flateric said:

non-existent designations except Su-38 and Su-80

Click to expand...

You mean Su-38 as agricultural or a developed version of Su-35 ?.

I dunno where they got that BS about 'developed versions of Su-35 named Su-36 and Su-38' from

I've

flateric said:

non-existent designations except Su-38 and Su-80
Su-44 was nothing more than fan-art

Click to expand...

I've removed Su-44. Do you mean the Su-41 and Su-137 are also wrong, or were you talking only about hesham's suggestions?

flateric said:

I dunno where they got that BS about 'developed versions of Su-35 named Su-36 and Su-38' from

Click to expand...

My dear Flateric,

just to explain,in the UAE's magazine "The Air Force" by Arabic language,and in IDEX glory from many
years,the Sukhoi company itself told the author this Info ?.