JC Wings JCW-72-SU22-001

JC Wings JCW-72-SU22-001 is a 1/72 scale diecast model of the Sukhoi SU-22M (NATO reporting name: Fitter J) of the Libyan Arab Republic Air Force (LARAF), Gulf of Sidra incident, August 19, 1981.

Gulf of Sidra incident (1981)

The first Gulf of Sidra Incident took place on August 19, 1981, when two Libyan Su-22 Fitters fired upon two VF-41 “Black Aces” F-14 Tomcats, who thereupon each shot down a Libyan Su-22. Libya had claimed that the entire Gulf was its territory with an exclusive 62-nautical-mile (115 km; 71 mi) zone. Two further incidents occurred in 1986 and 1989.

Sukhoi Su-17/20/22

Sukhoi designed the Su-17 and its subvariants, the Su-20 and Su-22 (NATO reporting name: Fitter), as Soviet single-seat, single-engine fighter-bombers with variable-sweep wings. Based on the Su-7, the prototype first flew on August 2, 1966, and entered service in 1970.

The Su-17 served for decades and received numerous upgrades. Sukhoi exported the type widely, and operators used it in multiple conflicts. Factories produced over 2,500 airframes before ending production in 1990. Russia retired its fleet in 1998, but several countries continue to operate the aircraft.

Domestic Su-17s use the Lyulka AL-21 axial-flow afterburning turbojet, while export models use the Tumanskiy R29 engine. The Su-17 carries two wing-root-mounted autocannons and twelve hardpoints, to carry up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of ordnance.