Sukhoi Su-7

The Sukhoi bureau, revived in 1953, began with the S-1 aircraft, from which the Su-7 grew. The powerful AL-7F engine and the sharply swept wing gave a speed above two thousand kilometres per hour, and the rugged airframe allowed the fighter to be retrained as a strike machine. The Su-7B fighter-bomber became the backbone of Soviet strike aviation of the 1960s and was delivered to nine countries. Pilots respected its low-altitude speed and reliability, although landings demanded attention: the machine came in fast. The reserve holds a Su-7BKL with a wheel-ski undercarriage for unpaved strips, awaiting completion of the engine bay restoration.