Book Review of
Fitter, Flying with Air Forces in E. Europe
Author: Duke Hawkins
HMH Publications
Duke Hawkins Series no. 023
ISBN: 978-2-931083-13-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $36.00
Duke Hawkins Series no. 023
ISBN: 978-2-931083-13-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $36.00
HISTORY:
The Sukhoi Su-22 (izdeliye S-32) is a variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed for the Soviet military. Its NATO reporting name is "Fitter". Developed from the Sukhoi Su-7, the Su-17 was the first variable-sweep wing aircraft to enter Soviet service. Two subsequent Sukhoi aircraft, the Su-20 and Su-22, have usually been regarded as variants of the Su-17.
The Su-22 has had a long career and has been operated by many other air forces, including the Russian Federation, other former Soviet republics, the former Warsaw Pact, countries in the Arab world, Angola and Peru.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 19.02 m (62 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 13.68 m (44 ft 11 in) wings spread
10.02 m (33 ft) wings swept
Height: 5.12 m (16 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 38.5 m2 (414 sq ft) wings spread
34.5 m2 (371 sq ft) wings swept
Airfoil: root: TsAGI SR-3S (5.9%); tip: TsAGI SR-3S (4.7%)
Empty weight: 12,160 kg (26,808 lb)
Gross weight: 16,400 kg (36,156 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 19,430 kg (42,836 lb)
Fuel capacity: 3,770 kg (8,311 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Lyulka AL-21F-3 afterburning turbojet engine, 76.4 kN (17,200 lbf) thrust dry, 109.8 kN (24,700 lbf) with afterburner
Maximum speed: 1,400 km/h (870 mph, 760 kn) / M1.13 at sea level
1,860 km/h (1,160 mph; 1,000 kn) at altitude
Combat range: 1,150 km (710 mi, 620 nmi) hi-lo-hi attack with 2,000 kg (4,409 lb) weapons load
Ferry range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi)
Service ceiling: 14,200 m (46,600 ft), g limits: +7
Rate of climb: 230 m/s (45,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 443 kg/m2 (91 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.68
Armament:
Guns:
2 × 30 mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 autocannons (80 rounds per gun, 160 rounds total)
UPK-23 or SPPU-22 gun pods for 2 × Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannons
Hardpoints: 12 hardpoints with a capacity of up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of:
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles: K-13, R-60, R-73
Air-to-surface missiles: Kh-23 Grom, Kh-25ML, Kh-29L/T/D
Anti-radiation missiles: Kh-58, Kh-27PS, Kh-28
Bombs: drop bombs, laser-guided bombs, electro-optical bombs, napalm bombs, drag chute bombs and cluster bombs
Rockets: S-5, S-8 & S-13
THE BOOK:
HMH Publications is located Belgium.
This book is of soft-cover of 138 pages in 9 ½” x 9 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of an all-black SU-22UM-4K in flight. It is with the Polish Air Force.
It has the Polish Air Force checkerboards on its wings and rudder. There is a cone inside the air intake in the nose that is red and yellow. On the side of the nose is a white illustration of a wolf’s head. Under the cockpit there is a further checkerboard and large white no. 305. On the sides of the rudder there is white 8elt. It carries white rockets and medium-grey drop tanks under its wings.
This photo is shown again inside the book, but flying in formation with a Polish F-16C.
The back cover shows two Su-22’s in flight. Both are jet black silhouettes showing no markings.
A ghostlike pale illustration of Duke Hawkins, wearing pilot gear is shown.
Including the covers, the book contains 297 color photos.
These contain walk-around photos of:
Three photos of the nose of the Su-22, 13 photos of the canopy, 31 photos of the inside of the front and rear cockpit, 2 photos of drop-tanks, 4 photos of wings, 31 photos of landing gear and their compartments, 3 photos of the elevators, 7 photos of the rudder, 2 photos of drag chutes, 11 photos of the engine exhaust, 33 photos of the fuselage interior areas, 11 photos of the engine, 11 photos of weapons and 2 photos of boarding-ladders.
The last page of the book shows 24 color cover arts of other Duke Hawkins series books by HMH Publications: Jaguar, F-15 Fighting Falcon, Dassault Mirage 2000, Fulcrum, Panavia Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab AJ37 Viggen, Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, Dassault Mirage F1, Harrier II, Mig-31 Foxhound, Dassault Mirage III, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, F-4E/F Phantom II, SIAI Marchetti SF-260, Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot, Dassault Alpha Jet, Atla A-400M, Flanker E, Grumman EA-68 Prowler, C-160 Transall, Su-22 Fitter (this book) and Aircraft Carrier Juan Carlos I.
This book is a neat book showing predominantly Polish Air Force Su-22’s, with just a couple in Czech Air Force and Russian markings.
Color schemes are mostly wave pattern camouflage, over-all jet black and white. There are some Ju-22's shown painted with tiger heads and stripes.
It will be of great interest to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. Casemate is the N. American distributor of MHM Publications books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Sukhoi Su-22 (izdeliye S-32) is a variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed for the Soviet military. Its NATO reporting name is "Fitter". Developed from the Sukhoi Su-7, the Su-17 was the first variable-sweep wing aircraft to enter Soviet service. Two subsequent Sukhoi aircraft, the Su-20 and Su-22, have usually been regarded as variants of the Su-17.
The Su-22 has had a long career and has been operated by many other air forces, including the Russian Federation, other former Soviet republics, the former Warsaw Pact, countries in the Arab world, Angola and Peru.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 19.02 m (62 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 13.68 m (44 ft 11 in) wings spread
10.02 m (33 ft) wings swept
Height: 5.12 m (16 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 38.5 m2 (414 sq ft) wings spread
34.5 m2 (371 sq ft) wings swept
Airfoil: root: TsAGI SR-3S (5.9%); tip: TsAGI SR-3S (4.7%)
Empty weight: 12,160 kg (26,808 lb)
Gross weight: 16,400 kg (36,156 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 19,430 kg (42,836 lb)
Fuel capacity: 3,770 kg (8,311 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Lyulka AL-21F-3 afterburning turbojet engine, 76.4 kN (17,200 lbf) thrust dry, 109.8 kN (24,700 lbf) with afterburner
Maximum speed: 1,400 km/h (870 mph, 760 kn) / M1.13 at sea level
1,860 km/h (1,160 mph; 1,000 kn) at altitude
Combat range: 1,150 km (710 mi, 620 nmi) hi-lo-hi attack with 2,000 kg (4,409 lb) weapons load
Ferry range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi)
Service ceiling: 14,200 m (46,600 ft), g limits: +7
Rate of climb: 230 m/s (45,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 443 kg/m2 (91 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.68
Armament:
Guns:
2 × 30 mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 autocannons (80 rounds per gun, 160 rounds total)
UPK-23 or SPPU-22 gun pods for 2 × Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannons
Hardpoints: 12 hardpoints with a capacity of up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of:
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles: K-13, R-60, R-73
Air-to-surface missiles: Kh-23 Grom, Kh-25ML, Kh-29L/T/D
Anti-radiation missiles: Kh-58, Kh-27PS, Kh-28
Bombs: drop bombs, laser-guided bombs, electro-optical bombs, napalm bombs, drag chute bombs and cluster bombs
Rockets: S-5, S-8 & S-13
THE BOOK:
HMH Publications is located Belgium.
This book is of soft-cover of 138 pages in 9 ½” x 9 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of an all-black SU-22UM-4K in flight. It is with the Polish Air Force.
It has the Polish Air Force checkerboards on its wings and rudder. There is a cone inside the air intake in the nose that is red and yellow. On the side of the nose is a white illustration of a wolf’s head. Under the cockpit there is a further checkerboard and large white no. 305. On the sides of the rudder there is white 8elt. It carries white rockets and medium-grey drop tanks under its wings.
This photo is shown again inside the book, but flying in formation with a Polish F-16C.
The back cover shows two Su-22’s in flight. Both are jet black silhouettes showing no markings.
A ghostlike pale illustration of Duke Hawkins, wearing pilot gear is shown.
Including the covers, the book contains 297 color photos.
These contain walk-around photos of:
Three photos of the nose of the Su-22, 13 photos of the canopy, 31 photos of the inside of the front and rear cockpit, 2 photos of drop-tanks, 4 photos of wings, 31 photos of landing gear and their compartments, 3 photos of the elevators, 7 photos of the rudder, 2 photos of drag chutes, 11 photos of the engine exhaust, 33 photos of the fuselage interior areas, 11 photos of the engine, 11 photos of weapons and 2 photos of boarding-ladders.
The last page of the book shows 24 color cover arts of other Duke Hawkins series books by HMH Publications: Jaguar, F-15 Fighting Falcon, Dassault Mirage 2000, Fulcrum, Panavia Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab AJ37 Viggen, Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, Dassault Mirage F1, Harrier II, Mig-31 Foxhound, Dassault Mirage III, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, F-4E/F Phantom II, SIAI Marchetti SF-260, Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot, Dassault Alpha Jet, Atla A-400M, Flanker E, Grumman EA-68 Prowler, C-160 Transall, Su-22 Fitter (this book) and Aircraft Carrier Juan Carlos I.
This book is a neat book showing predominantly Polish Air Force Su-22’s, with just a couple in Czech Air Force and Russian markings.
Color schemes are mostly wave pattern camouflage, over-all jet black and white. There are some Ju-22's shown painted with tiger heads and stripes.
It will be of great interest to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. Casemate is the N. American distributor of MHM Publications books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.