1/72 Grumman F-17A 'Flankercat'

Gallery Article by Ken Duffey on Jan 3 2010

Silly Week 2010

 

With the running down of the US Navy's F-14 Tomcat fleet in the early 2000's, a proposal was put forward by ex-Grumman VP of Advanced Programs and Chief  Engineer on the F-14, Robert W. Kress and retired USN fighter pilot Adm.  Paul Gilchrist suggesting that the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker might make a good replacement.

Following negotiations with the Russian government, Rosboronexport and the Sukhoi design bureau, a licence was granted for the tandem two-seat Su-30 to be built at Grumman's Bethpage facility in New York.

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The baseline Flanker was 'Amercanized' - with the Russian AL-31F engine being replaced by the Pratt & Whitney F-119 turbofan, conferring increased thrust and reduced SFC. 

It was fitted with the Raytheon AN/APG-71 digital multi-mode radar and Martin-Baker NACES zero-zero ejection seats replaced the Russian K-36 originals.

The first F-17A 'Flankercat' entered service with VF-1 aboard the USS Enterprise in 2005 and to date, a total of 237 have been built by Grumman.

Ken Duffey

Photos and text © by Ken Duffey