1/72 Su-7IG "What if"

My build log for Su-7IG "93 blue" 

Brief history

When the PRC declared war on the USSR in 1968 the Soviet Union struggled to launch its Su-7 fitters from long runways, which had been cratered by Chinese air attacks in the opening days. This led the VVS to request a short takeoff and landing strike fighter be placed in production as soon as possible. Having flown in 1967 the Su-7IG was already In a suitable position for production. 

Entering production in January 1969 the Su-7IG “Fitter B” took fuselages from Su-7BMKs and mounted them onto the new variable sweep wings. The Su-7IG had four pylons, two under the fuselage and two Under each wing fence allowing the IG to carry 2,200ibs of stores, they also had two NR-30, 30mm cannon with 80 rounds per gun. 

Batches of fitter Bs arrived in the Vladivostok area in March 1969. Flying out of Vozdvizhenka the Fitter Bs began to fly tactical strike missions against Chinese Forces. However the lack of pylons became an issue, the Fitters only able to carry weapons on two pylons if external tanks are carried. 

By 1970 three regiments of the VVS where flying the Su-7IG. The Fitter Bs very quickly began to revive camouflage in order to help them with their new role, low level surgical strike. Flying under Chinese radar the Fitter-Bs would strike Chinese rear areas such as troop assembly areas, airfields and fuel dumps, armed usually with 500 pound bombs or UB-32 rocket pods they successfully rained havoc behind the PRC lines. 

1971,the Fitter Bs began to operate under a whole range of missions, Close air support being their main mission, tactical Strike and low level recon. For recon missions a KKR-1 camera pod would be Carried on the centre line this Fitter B became the Su-7IG/R and every 11th IG built was an IG/R variant. By the early part of 1972 the more modern and capable Su-17 series was available in sufficient numbers to take over most of the work being done by Su-7IGs. 

1973 saw the Su-7IGs being passed over to units based in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, here after unit work ups they began sorties against eastern China, here the IG saw combat against china’s mig-23 copy the Nanchang Q-6 attack fighter bomber.  In air to air combat the IG scored well, achieving a 2:1 ratio in air combat, however the lack of pylons meant all IG air to air missions where completed using guns only. 

In March 1974 with the soviet Chinese war dying down the IGs also began to wind down operations. The last mission, a recon sortie being flown on April 6th 1974. Post war the IGs where withdrawn and passed over to soviet training academies, others went on to export, the Su-7IG/K being the export designation, some ended up in Mongolian, Polish, Czech and East German service all being withdrawn from Warsaw Pact airforces in the mid eighties.