Sukhoi Su-33UB

Sukhoi · Russia · first flew 1999 · fighter

The Su-33UB, also designated Su-27KUB, is a twin-engine carrier-capable Flanker derivative with an unusual side-by-side two-seat cockpit, intended as a naval trainer and multirole aircraft.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	21.94 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Side-by-side two-seat naval Flanker
Canards, folding wings, arrestor hook
Twin fins and widely spaced engines

Identify it by the broad side-by-side twin-seat nose, canard foreplanes, folding swept wings, twin tail fins and the widely separated engine nacelles of the Flanker layout.

Specifications

The Sukhoi Su-33UB has a length of 21.94 m (72 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16 m (52 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2100 km/h (1305 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Derived from the Su-33 shipborne fighter, the prototype T10KUB first flew on 29 April 1999 with a widened forward fuselage seating two crew abreast. It featured an enlarged wing and canards but never entered series production.

Variants

It remained essentially a single prototype used to test naval and multirole systems, sometimes linked to later Su-34-style side-by-side concepts. No production variants followed.

Where you'll see it

The aircraft did not reach operational squadrons and served purely as a technology demonstrator for Russian naval aviation. It has no UK relevance beyond the wider Flanker family's prominence in modern air power.

Related aircraft

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