Hobby Master 1/72 Su-27SKM: Paris Airshow

In 2005, Sukhoi brought this stunningly camouflaged Su-27SKM to the Paris Airshow. The SKM variant is a single-seat multi-role fighter for export. It is a derivative of the Su-27SK but includes upgrades such as advanced cockpit, more sophisticated self-defense electronic countermeasures (ECM) and an in-flight refuelling system.

Designed by the Soviet Union to challenge the superiority of fourth generation US fighters such as the F-15 Eagle, the Su-27 was first flown on May 20, 1977. This one seat Mach-2 fighter had the Soviet Union's first operational fly-by-wire system. The aircraft is very large compared to the MiG-29, its closest Soviet counterpart, but it is built with a high percentage of titanium, which helps minimize its weight. It is exceptionally agile and is perhaps most famous for its "Cobra" maneuver, which is a short, sustained level flight at a 120 degree angle of attack, often performed at air shows.

Hobby Master "1:72 Air Power Series" diecast airplanes feature:

• Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
• Opening canopies, revealing detailed cockpit interiors.
• Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.
• Presentation stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
• Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
• Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.