Dear new friends:
I’m just to begin a new model: the Trumpeter 1/48 Sukhoi Su-15TM Flagon-F but there is rather scarce info available about its cockpit, panel and especially its rare and never photographed optical sight.
This is a KT-10 sight and it was introduced late in Flagon’s production. Older Flagons were subsequently upgraded by the introduction of this item. It seems that When Soviet rigid policies included the possibility of dogfighting in the new war scenarios, they provided their IA-PVO fighters with guns and short-range missiles , and beside them, with a simple optical sight as they waited for MiGs 29s and Su-27s dogfighters.
I found some shots of an old optical sight called KT-10 but it was used in anti-aircraft russian artillery and armored vehicles. is it possible that they adapted it to give a rapid solution in their ageing sprint fighters?
Until today I have found no photograph or diagram showing the actual position of this sight.
The examination of post-Soviet static Flagons pictures provides few information about this detail; barely a shadow behind the windscreen. The only cockpit shot I found was from a Su-15 before the sight introduction, so no info again.
Some circunstantial evidence points towards a modification in the windscreen lenght. Late production Flagons show a new windscreen design and it might be related to the introduction of the sight.
Since no room remains upon the panel it is very probable that the sight had been placed hanging from the windscreen frame with its projector pointing downwards and the angled colimation glass inclined upwards (with the danger of sun glare blinding the pilot). This disposition might explain the windscreen modifications.
Does anybody have a good photograph or a credible diagram or mere information about this Su-15 installation?
Paul Binet-Barbé