Su-7BKL

This page is about the Soviet strike aircraft Su-7BKL. For other versions, see Su-7 (Family).

Su-7BKL

Su-7B

Su-17M2

Su-7BKL

Su-7B

Su-17M2

USSR

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.7	9.3	10.0

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:110 000

Purchase:620 000

Show in game

Description

The Su-7BKL is a rank VI Soviet strike aircraft with a battle rating of 9.7 (AB), 9.3 (RB), and 10.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update "Raining Fire".

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 11 000 m2 232 km/h

Turn time27 s

Max altitude19 000 m

EngineSaturn AL-7F-1-250

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight15 t

The Su-7BKL has the same flight performance as the Su-7B, with excellent acceleration and climb rate, along with decent manoeuvrability. The biggest advantage of the Su-7BKL is its acceleration and top speed, with a TWR above 0.8 across most flight regimes and fuel loads. This means that the Su-7BKL out-accelerates almost every aircraft at its BR, with the exception of Harriers at lower speeds. Top speed is just over Mach 1 at lower altitude, making the Su-7BKL faster than most aircraft it faces. Given its powerful engine, the Su-7BKL has an extremely impressive climb rate of almost 200 m/s. Given its acceleration, top speed and climb rate, few aircraft can keep up with the Su-7BKL in straight-line dashes.

The Su-7BKL's manoeuvrability performance is not as impressive. Its sustained turn rate at low speeds is competitive, but instantaneous turn rate and maximum angle-of-attack are both relatively low compared to its adversaries. This may make it more difficult to get guns on target. Additionally, some yaw instability occurs at medium speeds when pulling high-G turns. Finally, note that the Su-7BKL can break its wings in turns exceeding 9 G's, though this G-number isn't obtainable unless the aircraft is clean and carrying less than 20 minutes of fuel.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 11,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2,166	2,151	19000	27.5	28.5	168.0	159.6	1,250
Upgraded	2,323	2,232		26.6	27.0	225.2	195.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
X	X	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1,260	630	N/A	N/A	473	~10	~3

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 700	< 650	< 600	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Saturn AL-7F-1-250		1	8,446 kg		343 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)			Max Takeoff Weight
Weight (each)	Type		9m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel
2,200 kg	Afterburning axial-flow turbojet		9,411 kg	10,585 kg	11,664 kg	15,010 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	9m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	MTOW
Stationary	5,848 kgf	8,257 kgf	0.88	0.78	0.71	0.55
Optimal	6,664 kgf (1,000 km/h)	9,974 kgf (1,000 km/h)	1.06	0.94	0.86	0.66

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear630 km/h

• The pilot is protected by light aluminium plates and an armoured glass windscreen. These will not stop 20 mm AP frontally, but offer decent protection from the rear.
• The engine is only protected by fuel tanks underneath. These can reduce the damage from shrapnel, but it is otherwise unprotected.
• The flight control's cables go underneath the fuselage, and have a good chance to stay in one piece when hit.
• The aircraft does not come with flares but has RWR. It will struggle against anything higher than its BR.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 864 → 4 152

RB8 615 → 12 491

SB9 632 → 13 966

Total cost of modifications196 000

305 000

Talisman cost2 700

Crew training175 000

Experts620 000

Aces2 600

Research Aces1 010 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 330 / 600 %

226 / 226 / 226 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 310 Compressor Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 310 Airframe Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 350 New boosters Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 350 Wings repair Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 630 G-suit Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 630 Cover Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 510 Engine Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 510 EFS Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 510		NR_30_belt_pack Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 310 ZB-360 Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 310 S-3K Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 310 FAB-250 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 350 UB-16 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 350 UB-32 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 350 NR_30_new_gun Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 630 FAB-500 Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 510 S-24 Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 510

If you aim to play the Su-7BKL in ground battles, the first priority is to unlock the aircraft's anti-ground ordnance. The FAB-500 bombs and S-24 rockets are particularly helpful. Otherwise, focus on flight performance upgrades, starting with compressor, airframe, wings repair and engine. After those upgrades are researched and purchased, the other flight performance upgrades can be researched. The 30 mm ammunition belts can be researched last as the stock ammunition belts are quite potent.

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)

Offensive armament

The Su-7BKL is armed with:

• 2 x 30 mm NR-30 cannons, wing-mounted (80 rpg = 160 total)

The Su-7BKL comes equipped with 2 x 30 mm NR-30 cannons; these will be familiar to pilots which flew the preceding Su-7B, or the MiG-19PT and MiG-21F-13 in the parallel line. The Su-7 has greater ammunition capacity than earlier MiGs with the gun, 160 rounds giving a trigger time of approximately 4.8 seconds. With velocity ranging from 780-785 m/s depending on the shell, this is much faster than the earlier NR-23 or N-37D found on earlier Soviet jets. This greatly simplifies aiming, and with the 67.14 g of TNTe filler found in the HEF-I and HEFI-T shells, hits from this cannon will usually cripple or destroy enemy aircraft on the first hit. As the Su-7BKL is a strike fighter the guns may also be used against armoured targets; the mix of AP-T with 48 mm penetration and APHE with 37 mm penetration, but 22.48 g TNTe of explosive filler will do significant damage to enemy armour. It is recommended to attack from above, as most enemy tanks have weak roof armour and can be more effectively penetrated from above.

Suspended armament

The Su-7BKL can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 96 x S-5K rockets
• 160 x S-5K rockets
• 6 x S-24 rockets
• 42 x S-3K rockets
• 6 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (1,500 kg total)
• 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs (2,000 kg total)
• 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-54 bombs + 2 x 250 kg OFAB-250sv bombs (2,500 kg total)
• 4 x ZB-360 incendiary bombs

Usage in battles

In terms of playstyle, the Su-7BKL is almost identical to its predecessor Su-7B. At the start of the battle in Air realistic battles, you can use your payload to attack strategic bases or ground targets, it gets easier compared to the preceding Su-7B, as the Su-7BKL finally has a ballistic computer for its bombs which will allow for better accuracy during drops. After the ordnance is disposed of, you may either return to base for rearming or try to engage enemy planes. When fighting with enemy players, remember to maintain your speed as it is your biggest advantage. Do not commit into extended dogfights as your manoeuvrability isn't the best compared to most fighters and you will bleed your speed quite quickly. While flying the Su-7BKL, you can also use your guns to destroy some ground targets, the NR-30 cannons will easily destroy light pillboxes and light/medium AI tanks when you aim at their sides or rear (your ammunition capacity is limited and you'll have to aim carefully if you want to destroy at least few of those).

Enemies worth noting

A-10A / A-10A Late: these American strike aircraft might seem slow but they have access to the mid-range and fast AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles which are very accurate. It's almost impossible to dodge them even when flying above Mach 1.1. It's best to keep a distance from the A-10s, as the missiles have an all-aspect tracking and dodging them in a head-on is close to impossible. The best way to defeat the A-10 is from behind, as even from the sides the A-10 can quickly turn around and fire a missile. When coming at it from behind, approach as fast as possible as the A-10 is slow. Speed is your advantage to quickly win the fight if it doesn't respond fast enough. If you miss the attack, quickly turn back around and hope that the A-10 won't fire its missile at you. After a missed interception it's best to leave the A-10 and go after other targets as now the A-10 is aware of your presence, and going for a second interception would be taking an unnecessary risk.

Radars

The Su-7BKL is equipped with a SRD-5 rangefinding radar, located in the nose of the aircraft. It will automatically detect and lock onto planes within the range. It is linked with a gyro gunsight and can help with aiming at close range.

SRD-5 - Rangefinding radar
Maximum Tracking Range	Minimum Tracking Range	Azimuth Tracking Angle	Elevation Tracking Angle
3,000 m	300 m	±9°	±9°

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good horizontal flight speed
• Large variety of mounted weapons
• Powerful cannons capable of accurate strafing runs together with the ballistic computer
• Fast climb rate
• Good acceleration
• Has RWR

Cons:

• Mediocre controllability
• Subpar roll rate, even with the boosters modification installed
• No guided weapons
• No flares/chaff

History

The Su-7BKL is a further improvement of the Su-7B fighter bomber. The main goal was to shorten the take off and landing distances on both paved and dirt airfields, so the aircraft was fitted with rocket boosters to reduce take off length by 800 metres, and improved landing chutes with enlarged areas to decrease landing distance by 500 metres. Rear landing gear length was reduced and skis were installed to the wheels, in order to make unpaved airfield landings more effective.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Su-7BKL from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

Sukhoi Design Bureau (Сухого Опытное конструкторское бюро)
Jet fighters	Su-9 · Su-11
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Su-7	Su-7B · Su-7BKL · Su-7BMK
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