Sukhoi Su-7

what is it?

The Sukhoi Su-7 (NATO designation name: Fitter-A) is a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as a tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the other hand, the soon-introduced Su-7B series became the main Soviet fighter-bomber and ground-attack aircraft of the 1960s.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 jet engine · 9.3 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 1,150 km/htop speed
• range 1,650 kmwithout refuelling
• size 15.2 tmax take-off weight
• built 1,874made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 71 years ago, in 1955.
• 🏎️Top speed is 8.8× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 9.3 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 3 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 1,650 km: 9× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 2.0× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1955-09-07

introduced

1960

retired

1986

status

still flying

number built

1,874

role

fighter and fighter-bomber / ground-attack aircraft

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association, Sukhoi

engines

1× Lyulka AL-7F-1 / AL-7

crew

1

length

16.8 m

wingspan

9.3 m

height

5 m

max take-off weight

15.2 t

top speed

1,150 km/h

range

1,650 km

ceiling

17,600 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.