* During the 1950s, the US and the USSR were in a race to develop Mach 2 combat aircraft, with the Soviet effort including the development of the Sukhoi "Su-7" strike fighter. The Su-7 was built in numbers and widely exported, but though it was fast and sturdy, it was hobbled by limited range and a light warload.
In the 1960s, the Soviets modernized the design by providing it with "variable geometry" or "swing" wings, and then improved engines and avionics, resulting in the very successful "Su-17" series -- also known in export as the "Su-20" and "Su-22". This document provides a history and description of the Su-7 / Su-17 "Fitter" family.
