Sukhoi Su-27SMK "Flanker" (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

The Sukhoi Su-27 is one Russian response to the F-15 Eagle, which was itself an American response to the MiG-25 "Foxbat".

All Russian military aircraft were assigned a reporting name by the western military alliance NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and fighters were given names starting with the letter "F".   In the case of the Su-27, the reporting name was "Flanker".

Like the F-15, the Flanker has twin tails and two engines, but that's about where the external similarities end.   The Eagle is square and boxy, but the Flanker is curved and as elegant as a greyhound.   It's therefore very appropriate that it's the aircraft used by Russia's premier jet display team, the Russian Knights.

Sukhoi have developed many models of the Su-27, this one is an Su-27SMK which was displaying at the 2005 MAKS airshow at Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow.