Red Dragon 'Flankers': China's Prolific 'Flanker' Family

Review
"For the many Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fans out there, this book just broadens the scope of what was previously known about this theater and operator."
Large Scale Planes
"One of the most interesting discussions that pops up is one regarding production numbers. Rupprecht does a good job breaking down the methods by which researchers can analyze serial numbers and construction numbers to determine an individual airframe's place in the production run, as well as how many airframes are produced per production block. For anyone interested in Chinese ORBAT, this alone is worth finding a copy."
The Caffeinated Analyst
Noted for its exceptional performance, the Sukhoi Su-27 is not only one of the most capable fourth-generation fighters but its development history is also remarkably rich. The ‘Flanker’ story took on a new industrial and political dimension when the Su-27 was chosen by China to meet the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s requirement for a new fourth-generation type.
This was a win-win-situation: Russia received a much-needed multi-billion-dollar contract and the PLAAF, for the first time, obtained a true high-end fourth-generation fighter. However, what followed was a complex drama, with both sides telling different stories. Following the direct sale from Russia, China obtained a contract for license manufacturing. This yielded mixed success in the beginning and by the time the manufacturing procedures had evolved and improved, the licensed J-11 fighters no longer met the PLAAF’s requirements.
Subsequently, China developed indigenous variants of the ‘Flanker’ equipped with improved avionics, weapons, and engines, which Russia regards as a breach of the formal agreement. Regardless of whether these ‘Sino-Flankers’ are illegal copies, evolved clones or indigenous versions, the Chinese ‘Flanker’ series ultimately evolved into a wide range of variants, sometimes with no true counterparts in Russia.
This book provides a full overview of the Chinese ‘Flanker’ family, describing the genesis of this family and providing a review of the variants, their systems, and capabilities and how they are used by the People’s Liberation Army.