| title (item) | field_cer_web | field_cer_navbox | g_geofield | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Szuhoj Szu-7 | Szuhoj repülőgépek - Sukhoi aircraft - Liste der Flugzeugtypen des Herstellers Suchoi - Самолёты ОКБ Сухого - ПАО «Компания "Сухой"» |
Acquired as a replacement for MiG-17s, the Su-7BMK initially proved nothing but trouble. They were extremely sensitive to foreign object damage and short-ranged. The S-3K unguided rockets – illustrated in this example from No. 55 Squadron installed on their original sevenround launchers on hardpoints under the fuselage and the wing – proved entirely useless. Out of 36 Su-7BMKs delivered between August 1966 and May 1967, 34 were still around, but four of these were awaiting assembly, while 13 were stored at Cairo West in expectation of their pilots completing their conversion training. As of 5 June 1967, conversion of pilots for No. 1 Squadron was months behind schedule, and most of the pilots of No. 55 Squadron flew fewer than 20 hours in the first half of 1967. All Su-7BMKs were left in ‘silver grey’ livery, but had an ‘anti-glare panel’ applied in light grey in front of the cockpit, and none ever received the usual identification stripes seen on other models. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)