Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker-D, Zvezda 7297

The Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker family are the best looking (and not only looking) fighters in the world. These graceful lines of a big fighter with this snake-like profile and beautiful proportions are just excellent. Interesting thing for me is the fact that Sukhoi designers bureau previous planes were not particularly beautiful (except for the T-4 Sotka), being mostly "a tubes with wings". But Flanker is just great and it is not a copy of come western or other design. You will not confuse Su-27 and its modifications with either the F-18 or the F-15 or Mig-29. So it is an original and superb plane.

The Su-33 is the modification of Su-27 for use on aircraft carriers. As you know, USSR and Russia did not get along with this type of ships, so now (in 2025) it seems that a decision has been made to decommission the only Russian (and Soviet) aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov. Differences between Su-27 and Su-33 are nose canards. slightly different folding wings and stabilisers, shortened tail "sting", tailhook ,reinforced landing gear and other. This model was my third Su-33 try, first being horrible old Zvezda kit and second "Su-33" from Italeri, which actually was a usual Su-27 with canards and a tailhook plus different nose landing gear. When Zvezda issued its new Su-33 in 2016, my Italeri one was scrapped. The model is great, with plenty of detail and decals of high quality for two variants of Russian navy. Plenty of weapons also included. I assembled my model out-of-the-box, brush painted and made it "inflight".