Thanks to several tipsters who alerted me to the public release of a test flight of the Russian 5th-generation fighter prototype: the so-called PAK-FA, or in English, “Future Air Complex for Tactical Air Forces.” Some observers also show it dubbed the T-50.
It looks as if the Russians are trying their hand at an F-22 knock off, with a v-tail, large monolithic wing surface and centerboard intakes. The thing literally looks like a Mig-29 cockpit bolted onto a hacked F-22 stern.
According to Global Security.org, the Sukhoi-built PAK-FA sports two giant AL-41F engines and has a crub weight of about 40,000 pounds — a bit less than the F-22.
Given the budgetary hassles surrounding the American F-22 program and the trajectory that tactical aviation is taking into the UAV world, it stands to reason that Russia slash Sukhoi may run into the same sticker shock LockMart is encountering with American taxpayers. I hear that India is playing some role in the development of the PAK-FA, so that may help defray the costs and justify continued development.
But wasn’t it Russia that developed the simple, reliable, cost-efficient Kalashnikov? Why are they always trying to play on the wiz-bang high-tech turf America has dominated for the last 50 years in high-end military hardware? I guess it’s more a question of what the big-money buyers want (China, India), rather than what’s worked best in the past.
– Christian
{ 80 comments… read them below or add one }
YF-23 anybody?
http://www.military.cz/usa/air/in_service/aircraf…
very true..the ngine cowling on the rusian version does not appear as stealthy tough. I always liked the Northrop version the best.
F-22 knock off? More like the missing link between the F-15 & the F-22. Soviet casualties in WW2 are estimated to be between 8.8M & 10.7M. The Russians don't have fond memories of using quantity to overwhelm quality.
Any bets that LockMart people are, even now, beating down doors to jack up f-22 sales? Showing the video to DOD and Congress might be good for a few hundred additional now that we have a new red menace on the horizon, eh!
The nose does look Mig, but the aft end looks Northrop YF-23 to me, too.
I wonder what had a lower observable nose, this or an F-35? Are the stealth composites or the sensors anywhere approaching a F-35 or F-22?
Somehow I doubt it.
This is going to be a nice design for the Chinese to counterfeit.
Relax, ew really are speculating about its abilities, Does look like it was ripped off the f-22 but then ask how's they get the plans?
And what about the shuttle they copied way back in the day?
Face it the problem is not Russia itself but the fact that other people are able to obtain our high end tech for a fraction of the price it cost to do all the research and dev to actually get our's flying.
So bottom line wait for USA to pay then punk the plans and build em at half the cost!
ALERT! There are unconfirmed analysis that the T-50 may have design that indicates possible use on carriers. In other words, Russian version of the F-22N (NAFT).
Look at couple of PAK FA pictures from different angles and you see that PAK FA and F22 have as much in common as F14 and F15(2 engines and sharp angled intakes). But if you look at Su 27 and SU47 and Pak Fa you see evolution that dint need any copying . Stealth basicaly means reduced radar detection range,not invisible to radar and even this only from frontal view but as technology evolves so does anti stealth measures so it would be foolish to bet all on stealth and end up with overpriced plane that is also very expensive to operate And also F22 is 15+ years old technology moved on,and while you are at bashing lack of high tech in russian planes remember mig31 has had phased array radar almost 20 years before of any western fighter and even couple of years before the first western airplane B1 bomber.Russians just have diferent demands on their planes ,example: in US you have 20 people hand picking up debris from runways prior to flights ,they have huge wheels with 'mudgards' and intake screens so most of their fighters can fly out of improvised airstrips ,only plane in US that could operate in anything similar might be the A10
F22 is 15 years old but its RCS is still 500 time smaller than T-50 (from what claimed by russian themselves). That plane is NOT a stealth. Its a huge improvement in terms of RCS compared to Su-27/30, which has RCS of 2-digit number. Yes, Mig31 had PESA 1st. So what? US has had AESA operational for years now and the Russian does not until now.
Oh and the phased array radar wasn't the only thing russians had first on the 4th generation planes ,digital uplinks between planes 20+ years ago(US planes don't even have it now),IRST( cut due costs in F22),off-bore lock on helmet mounted sight ,thrust vectoring( 2d only on F22 and none on JSF ),rearward looking radar, and list goes on.
Some more fact the PAK FA unlike US planes was more or less private venture state paid only 22% of the budget ,and we all now that when you play with your own money you can't escalate the cost of things like F22 or JSF did knowing that goverment will pay in the end.
No datalink between US planes? Ok, thats funny. AFAIK, F-14 used IRST too. And remember there's no country invest so much on TVC than the US. In design there's a trade-off always. You can have a 3D and a big rear RCS or a all-aspect stealth and 2D. You cant have both. Trade-off, dude. And lastly, whose Sukhoi belong to?
First of all get the idea of all aspect stealth out of your head,that only exsists in LM brochures and on Fox News both F22 and JSF and any other plane trying to be stealthy ,have huge emphasis on head on stealth and even that doest make them invisible it just reduced detection form 75mile to 25miles on lets say a SU35 radar on a more powerfull awcs or ground concrol radar one detection range might still be 80miles, as soon as the stealth plane is illuminated from let say 20-30 degres of bore the RCS multiplys by huge amount and suddenly its detectable at 75miles by a fighter and 150miles by awacs ,and forget any smal RCS from the rear ,unless you have B2 like hidden exhaust radar is looking at the engine turbine blades so RCS just explodes sky high and this has nothing to do with thrust vectoring.And one more thing to be stealthy it needs its radar switched off so its blind (no IRST,budget cuts) and has to have some other plane provide the data.One more thing why would you think that stealth would be unbeatable some sort of magic or what ,for every measure there is a countermeasure that is normally developed sooner rather than later.
you really like Russia dude. The Pak Fa could'nt even touch the F-22 it would'nt even see it. The F-22 is so much better,Russia does'nt even have any money.The F-18 could beat the Pak Fa.
No one is bashing the plane, but it's obvious this is not the F-22 killer many had predicted.
The Russians are smart, going with a lower priced (if not as stealthy) approach that had super cruise, and (perhaps)a larger internal missile load than the the F22 (don't quote me on that).
I'm far from an aircraft expert, but from what I have read the aircraft's ability to super cruise may have alot to with it looking like a Raptor from certain angles.
Its not the capabilities I find eerie, or the resemblance to the F22, but the fact that this technology could very much wind up in the hands of the Chinese or Iranians.
Yes that is what ive hated all along. People get on here and say how can such and such be a enemy. Well they may not be but when your having to make all your equipment and there buying theres from another guy who wants you to fail. Thats pretty much an ememy.
So china may not go to war with us they will however feed there vassal states enough weapons to threaten us and then make the demands for us to follow. And the world will nod at the peaceful chinese who stand up to the imperialist.
Shut up and swallow peons, shut up and swallow.
China is the most probable enemy of Russia in this century because of vast Siberian resources that Chinese claim to be their own historically, so PAK FA won't be in their hands, as it is the only chance to get superiority in air against overwhelming Chinese army. This is also why India is a member of this project. It may be even easier for Chinese to steal the design of F22 because of lots of them in U.S. universities and companies. You're just looking in wrong direction. It's more likely that PAK FA and F22 will fight together in joint Russia-NATO forces.
Amen. Chinese are freaking perpetrating espionage everywhere in American educational institutions. It is amazing that mainland Chinese are allowed at all in the U.S.
That looks like a very capable aircraft but stealth…..that's about as stealthy as a Hyundai with wings. They will sell it to whomever has the money to buy it, that what the Russians do.
Eh, I'd say that the plane looks like parts from an Su-27 were grafted onto the body of an YF-23. The result looks terrible, but the knowing the specs would be nice.
The whole report just tells me Russia rather compete with us then unite with NATO. They arm any country whose governments are against us. People refuse to admit it but the cold war has been back for about 2 years.
The cold war never went anywhere, it was just swept under the rug. Now that that rug has been pulled back. And while we're fighting the needed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and preparing for one with Iran. We are being out played by Russia. We dropped the ball. And now they have it.
First reason is lack of funds they just sell to anyone that pays,unlike US sukhoi have do develop their planes on their with limited budget, private venture,second US orchestrated the Afghanistan war for them,and now is up to their neck fighting former allies ,that has to be ruskis wet dream,you would feel the same in their position,actualy i think it would only be fair that ruskis suport the taliban,instead they support the US at least in limited terms ,they cant loose face to much ,imagine ruski army doing transpot all over US soil ,so ruskis are more than fair to US.And when we are at arming Iran ,Iran has more US planes than Russian ones and parts are still being bought in US for them.
Its funny you say it not competitive to F22 ,you realy have no grounds to claim that ,as far as you knov SU 27-30-35 are the pinacle of 4+ generation fighters and they can take on any western fighter and have an edge over them(proven on red flag),so why would sukhoi built a new aeroplane 15 years after F22 and not aim at it as direct competitor to be beaten .Its still a prototype has no fancy paint job but that is ,is there any reason why it couldn't be better than F22 .But undestand this it made for different customer that places emphasis on different things ,unlike US AF that most operates outside its US waging war on who ever is out of favor at the time .Russians rearly operate outside their borders ,that are covered by air defense systems(S-300-400) that you could only dream of in the west ,so stealth is of only limited value(and remember F22 and JSF are stealty to some extent but only realy to head on ,not from most other angles) and it would be daft to think that stealth can't be beaten while at the same time stealth penalties on airframe design,aerodynamics,weight and operating costs are severe to say the least,remember the about F22 whistleblower that reported that LM sometime in mid production changed stealth coating to one couple of times cheaper but also very hard to maintain and of leser preformance.
What are you smoking… and where did you get your "facts" from a Russian propaganda book? Pretty much everything you said is all false, and has no backing of even a slither of evidence what so ever.
Yea, I'm agreeing with thunder. If I recall, the Russians don't fly at red flag and just because you make an airframe that dazzles in an airshow doesn't mean it's relevant or effective in a real engagement. If stealth can be beaten so easily, why are the russians employing it?
Ya but russian aircraft do, try to keep up.
They do in Indian hands and so far they clubbed the oppoistion ,and as always US cry that wasn't fair so last time they had to play with hands tied behind their backs .
And get this 60' legarcy Mig 21(upgraded with israeli electronics) used as bait and Su 35 as a club beat crap out of dozens of F16 and F15 ,and the F22 dind't want to play in fear of its radar signature being recorded
Stop borrowing money from china(they practicaly own you,and every F22 and JSF you build ) before you go about of labeling them your no.1 enemy
China is our enemy & we are fools for borrowing money from them. They own us financially & they are still planning to defeat us militarily. I'm just waiting for the people who talk out of both sides of their *** & say we need to cut the F-22(already done) & F-35 projects & we can still defeat other nations' aircraft,etc. I know,lets force the rest of the world to sign an agreement that only we can have UAV fighter aircraft & everybody else has to fight in manned aircraft. That's the fairy tale land that all of the UAV advocates seem to be living in,"only WE are smart enough to fight in unmanned aircraft,bwahahahaha…." Take your meds already.
I also see some Black Widow in their. Its a pretty good looking aircraft…not black widow cool though.
As for the US going further into debt…yes, it is ridiculous…I thought it was bad before Bush…he made it really bad…and now Obama is making it even worse then Bush! my god…its simply called spending less then you make, Its Not That Hard!
It is hard if you are the one on the other end of the pole. The person who gets all their benefits cut. I'm disabled and a vet and did not even get any COLA. No increase, my cost of living has doubled in the last 5 years and I get no increase in money. So yes it's easy if people don't mind going back to eating dog food because they can't afford anything else. Or are you too young to remember that? I say yeah stop spending foolishly and stop the pork, stop the weapon systems that will never work and eat up billions of dollars. Pull all our troops out and bring them home. Kill the terrorists with unmanned planes and call it a day. How about that. The F-35 is a POS that will never fly. Kill it now by the time it does fly, if it does it will be outdated.
Look i aint wealthy by any streach of the imagination. Kinda poor really always have been.
But sence the damn cultures over there are so f'ed up we cant just use drones. Its like they did in vietnam bombing places to ruin doesnt do anything but piss people off and in the end is just not cost effective.
The culture and mindset over there hate drones because they cant fight them really. They can use it to say we are cowards. Which means they get more recruits. Just doesnt work we tried it once before.
American taxpayer has no real moral high ground over the dept .''About 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year''."More than 1 million homeowners now have three or more mortgages on their property,over 1.8 million owners have loans that equal 100% or more the value of their homes.The average U.S. household owes about $112,000. And that figure is only expected to rise''.
Hilarious , I guarantee the radar , avionics and weapons
and counter measures are at least ten years behind the Eurofighter and f22 , nevermind
their tactics.
No Awacs support , few decent pilots and appalling training due to twenty years of
disastrous cuts in the military.
It’s no threat and never will be Putin is a western stooge
who has resided over the collapse of the Russian armed forces .
Russia is a broken state incapable of any carrying through any modern
weapons programme.
If we had given the Georgians enough stingers and
javlins they could have sent the commies back home
to their vodka in a day or two.
Bye bye Russia !!!
Just a few corrections for the writer of this article:
1. The T-50 looks absolutely nothing like the Raptor, and it certainly does not look like a MIG 29. This is a completely new fighter with the closest relative being the SU-47 Berkut.
2. This plane is not flying with the AL-41 engines, its flying with completely new Saturn 117S engines that produce 14.5 tons of thrust each. This will allow supercruising, operations at high altitude (like the F-22), and a very high top speed (most likely Mach 2+). 3D TVC thrust vectoring engines combined with moving leading edges (LEX) will make this fighter a killer in a dog fight.
3. The T-50 is being developed with India which is buying several hundred aircraft at 200 million each. The Indian Air Force is locked in an arms race with the China which is developing their own stealth 5th generation fighter the J-XX. 4. The rest of the world does not have the infatuation with UAV's that the US has, and continue to develop, build and fly advanced 4.5 generation fighters, and now this, a true 5th generation fighter. While UAV's may be handy hunting insurgents, until the issues of radio jamming, destruction of communications satellites with ASAT weapons, the use of EMP weapons, and cyber hacking of drone control systems is solved, they will be of little use against a technological opponents such as China.
5. The US WAS the whizbang champs until Mr. Gates killed the F-22. The F-35 has made us the laughing stock of the aerospace military world. Now years behind schedule, billions over budget and on course to meet the 1 trillion dollar price tag predicted by the 2009 JET report, is this the better deal that our Sec. of Defense was so proud of for replacing the F-22?
The T-50 is a wake up call for American air power. Unfortunately, it seems no one is home to take the call….
I like it! Has a bit of resemblance to the YF-23 but that’s expected they had the luxury of cheery picking the best ideas from all previous stealth designs. Finally a non US 5th gen aircraft.
This thing is huge, plus its engines are huge and will probably have a heat signature the size of the Sun. Raptor needs an IRST targeting system ASAP!
Raptor probably has about the same IR signature or do you thik Icecream is pouring down the exhausts,but on other hand all Ruski aircraft have had IRST for years
The new PAK-FA does NOT have to be equal to or better than the F-22 to be a nightmare for western aligned forces, it just has to be able to take anything but an F-22.
No-one is getting F-22's except the USAF, not even the USN. If they can take F-35's, Typhoon's etc with favourable kill ratio's than that is any country a Russian supplied force will go up against plus the US Navy. Burning nuclear aircraft carriers on the nightly news will NOT do the sitting presidents foreign policy the world of good.
Also if they can get the kill ratio's against F-22's down from the 20 to one against some wargames indicate down to say 5 to one than the small size of the Raptor fleet will make any losses at all front page one the New York Times "Shock Horror Gasp Scandal" material. At Russian prices people will buy a lot of them, and if an opposing force has, say 75 PAK-FA's and loses five for every one they kill than that is ten percent of the whole F-22 fleet shot down, the rest being publicly ridiculed in the world press, Congressional speeches demanding investigations etc.
The f22 has been out there for many years and this is probably aimed at f22. Fresh!
I say it will as good as f22. Russians aren’t stupid. Plus india… But don’t take me seriously.
I can’t wait until the j XX gets out. The jxx costs a lot less than f22. It will come out after 2016. There isn’t much data about it out there but it’s basically an f22 on steroids. Do u think the jxx or T-50 will be sold to iran?
I think people should calm down. T-50 is obviously rooted from Su-27 family (again?). Not a brand new design. Anyway, what else do you expect. Its at best semi-stealth. And that's all we can say about it now. Its engine, radar, EW system, etc… dont exist yet. So what a big deal? It can fly. Of course. but then what?
I'm actually very glad for this. A little competition is a good thing, and the Russians aren't dummies. Keeps us from getting complacent. I was cheering for the test pilot too. Maybe a little too cold to be dousing him with Gatorade though.
Good Afternoon Folks,
Before anybody blows out an artery how this issue about a some had information.
This aircraft, like the F-22 has been in development since the late 1980′s. A total of 18 airframes have been constructed. Six are in the Russian Federation with the builder, non with the RFAF. The other 12 are in India, where further R&D will take place on the what will be the Su-35. Unlike the F-22 the Su-35 is planned to be a multi role A/F aircraft much like the F/A -18.
The current plans to buy the Su-35 by the RFAF is to start buying in 2015 and they plan for a total of 48. The IAF plans on building and operating 160 Su-35′s in their variant. None will go to China.
The RFAF will consist of 194 Mig-29′s, 168 Mig-31′s and 48 Su-35′s by 2020.
As planned the PLAF core air force will have 120 J-10′s, about 125 Su.27′s and 72 Su.30M’s if they can come to a deal with Russian on buying more Su-27′s and Su-30M’s.
The core of India IAF is to have about 300 Su-27′s, 79 Mig-29M (Naval Variant) 40 Su-30M’s and 160 Su-35′s. This included new Su-27′s and Mig-29M’s recently ordered from The Russian Federation.
Notes on the RFAF they still have a large number of Mig-19′s, Mig-21 and a few M-25′s hanging around that they are in the process of scrapping as new Mig-31′s come on line. Most RAFAF fighter/attack aircraft are based east of the Urals Mountains
Note on the PLAAF and PLAN. They have quite a few J-5′s,6′s and 8′s that they are still flying mostly with the South Seas fleet off Hainan Island and off remote air strips on Woody Island of the Spratly (Nansha) Island chain and Rocky Island of the Paracel (Xisha) Island chain in the South China Sea. China has a hand full of still flyable 1950′s era bombers the B-5′s and B-6′s and about a half dozen sea planes that are attached to the North Seas Fleet. Right now all of the Russian built Su-27′s and Su-30′s the Chinese have are based in Beijing Provence. For military transport China had 14 but now 13 Il-76′s. The Chinese are attempting to buy a mix of 48 Il-76′s and Il80′s from Russia. Currency valuation issues and Russian production problem have held up any military buys from China now for over five years.
The number for the RFAF, PLAAF and PLAN are gross numbers on any give day as indicated by information of maintenance only about 50% or fewer airframes are flyable. The IAF is an unknown in it’s maintenance.
At this time none of these countries are a threat to, or indicated that they might be a threat to the United States. The US has excluding any F-35′s, 187 F-22′s and in excess of 2400 AF and Naval combat fighter/attack aircraft. All US air craft are rated superior to any of the Russian or Chines aircraft currently in existence or proposed including the yet to be built Su-35.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Byron! wtf! no coherent arguments danget!
Hehehe the russian chris crockers are out.
Americans' wilful ignorance of Russian technology never ceases to amaze…there are other countries out there, and , amazingly enough, their scientists are not dumb. Incredible but true.
There is a level of sophistication here, and calling it an F-22 knockoff is plain dumb. Without knowing a lot more abotu the tech specs it will be impossible to evaluate the new aircraft fully, but it would be a big mistake to undrestimate it on the basis of prejudice.
As for sticker shock: staggeringly, the Russians appear to be capable of producing high-tech weaponry at lower prices than the West. Unbelieveable.
I agree, more like an YF-23 without the diamond wings.
LOVED the video. It was like a Cold War/Tom Clancy flashback…man, it can almost make you miss the good' ol' days. =D
…PS: once Congress sees this, the time (Congressional time) it takes to restart F-22 production you can measure on an egg timer.
:)
Hopefully your right. We need more F-22's :) (Even before this *F-22 killer*) =P
Nominal performance not equal real combat effectiveness. but more chips on either (Special english applicable). The Mig-29 shocked occidentals couterparts when unveileved….More agile than F-16 & f-15, etc w/o fly by wire same on Su-27. The first pseudo aesa radar first operative w/i Mig-31. First production 3D nozzles russian too, F-22 2D only. Producttion very reliable an operative ramjet missiles years ago…Europeans are now crushing brains to put the first in fly. Propfan on An-70, A400M are near to died for the engine. IRST first aplication RUSSIAN on board Mig-29, late 80s. The archer (otan code) break a new path, years ago. If you can choose the seat for a figther ride….a russian true?. Every international effort to carrie heavy loads? Russian Antonov. Who supplie the ISS?. Who design the first operative "active protection systems" for tanks? Who has the current most effective Anti-ABM?. This year is 2010 How will be this uggly bird after FIVE years?.
Good Morning Folks,
In an aviation magazine this month there is a decent story about F-18′s vs. Mig-29′s of the Royal Malaysian AF, the Royal Malaysian AF have perhaps the best Mig pilots in the world in number of flight hours in Migs.
This is an annual training exercise with the US Marines.
Anyone interested in this topic beyond that of a ten year old boy looking at plastic airplane models hanging from his ceiling, might read this article. The USMC in fact does real well against the best of the Mig pilots.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Dude, what magazine?
It's Firefox!
Actually…it looks very different… :(
maybe : http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/Horn…
Sounds like that RMAF dude made the same mistake that the Duke make w/Col. Toon early in the dogfight over se asia – trying to outrun an opponent in a vertical climb….
People are always obsessed with quoting aircraft capabilities and stats, and think that a quick reference to wikipedia makes it easy to compare one fighter to another.
The truth is that unless you are in the "know," you can only guess at how stealthy something is, how fast or far it flies, and so on. The numbers you see are rarely the real ones, and besides a real contest of ACM or CAS is determined by many factors like pilot experience, how the aircraft are engaging each other, asset numbers, fuel states, weapons, intelligence, forward air control, etc.
The Russian's build beautiful and deadly airplanes, no doubt, this is an example of one. Trying to compare it to the F-22 is stupid, as most of us don't have access to the actual aircraft manuals, and obviously the PAK-FA just took it's baby steps.
So basically, this plane exists and is considered a threat, because a former third world country is in an armsrace with another former third world country and has the money to pay the bills a former superpower can't? We do live in interesting times.
It does look like someone stuck and an (Y)F-23 and Su-47 in a blender and tried to put the whole thing back together. With bigger engines.
There are some obvious similiarities between this aircraft and the F-22, mainly in planform ares, but that is probably due to the laws of aeronautics than espionage. There are also obvious design features taken from the Sukhio lineage, primarily in the engine placement and wide fueselage. Overall, based on the geometry of the plane, it probably could easily best the F-35 as far as aerodynamics go. What will be really interesting is to see what electronic package they put into it.
Overall, I'd say it's a damn sexy design.
"Soviet casualties in WW2 are estimated to be between 8.8M & 10.7M "
Pretty idiotic comment again for a person from the country that fought some minor scrimishes and engaged in full scale war only after the "threat" of USSR taking on Berlin all alone. (Killing some 6 million Axxis soldiers on the way)
and don't cite lend-lease as Russia paid for it, till the 90s)
Will America still want to sell India Block 60 F-16s and Super Hornets, and inviting them over for Red Flag exercises, knowing full well that the Indians are helping Russia build a Raptor killer? Or are they totally clueless when India stabs Uncle Sam in the back?
Sorry but I just don't understand America's strategic thinking.
I actually like that India has a piece of this- that means China probably will NOT get a big order.
There's no guarantee Russia won't eventually sell this to China, or Iran, or Libya, or Syria, before winding up again in Chinese hands.
Why would China want this? They making their own 5th Gen F-22 killer. :)
Hey, they gotta steal their technology from somewhere.
True, but think they got enough when they hacked into the F-35 file last year. (Granted F-35 is no where near as great in air combat as the F-22)
dont worryn pak fa is not going to chinees hands because russians build thi ac with india ———
Amazing what morons post on this site. Stop borrowing from the Chinese ? Well then genius, how does America finance its $1 trillion annual capital account deficit ? Try a collapsing U.S. government bond market, 10% interest rates, 16% unemployment and GDP contracting at 5 or 6%. Think you can buy any Pentagon toys in that scenario ? The government would be more worried about suppresing domestic insurrection than fighting air wars. As for arming Georgia, perhaps you need to ask yourself why that wasn't done. Why not even the talk of military intervention. Think the people on the NSC know a little more about the end result of those actions than you ? I'm sure Russia would be more than willing to supply Iraqi resistance fighters and Afghan Pashtuns with similiar capabilities – ask the Israelis how their Merkavas fared in 2006. Not to mention, if Georgia did really piss off Russia, Russia could reduce Tbilisi to rubble in about 10 minutes via MRBM and SRBM attack and there is nothing NATO or the U.S. could do to prevent it short of starting a nuclear war and guess what …even Cheney isn't going tot rade New York, D.C. and London for Tbilisi (or Kiev or Riga for that matter).
makes me wonder about the radar technologies each country has. could it be stealthy only according to their own radar systems.
im am not glad at all that thay made this plane it is better than the f-22 so thay may out do our performens we are in some truble if we dont make something better and fast.
How can people assume weather or not the F-22 is superior to this plane when the plane is still in the prototype stages. We still have yet to see how it preforms in a dogfight situation.
I would also like to point out that it is arrogent to believe that the Russians are unable to best the USA in fighter development. They have done it before, why not again?
Regardless whether the can match the U S or not they sure build em nice lookin'
The first stealth fighter, the American F-117A, was designed in the 1970s using a novel mathematical theory for determining radar cross-sections of general three-dimensional bodies, and optimizing it subject to constraints. Ben Rich, chief of Lockheed's Advanced Development Projects division (the so-called `Skunk Works'), wrote that "the Rosetta Stone breakthrough for stealth [fighter] technology" was a new theory developed by Pyotr Ya. Ufimtsev, not a new development in engineering. Although the theory was conceived at the height of cold war tensions in the mid-1970's, it was instigated by a research paper published by this Soviet radar engineer.
That looks like an updated version of the Mig-31 from the 1981 movie "Firefox" except real!. Looks like the F-22 MUST stay in active service for the future because I can promise once this becomes production places like China, Pakistan, and even south america will get their hands on one. More than likely they will build it in large numbers with many upgrades just like the T-10 series was.
Russian casualties in WW II were high because the war was taken to their heartland..
they dont have the luxury of being surrounded by 2 oceans….they are surrounded by
a bunch of crazy mooooooooosllllleeeeemmm states if you dont know…not to mention
china…
The T-50 is a prototype that has a lot of work. Aviation Week mag reports it
will take 3 – 5 years to develop and will unlikely be close to the F-22 in most
aspects. Certainly it is going to be a threat, but to whom? I don't think any U.S.
forces will need to worry. The Indians want it to go up against the Chinese
who doubtfully have the technology to come up with a decent 5th gen aircraft.
Russia will not sell the T-50 to Iran, China, or Syria because it would tip their
hand that the aircraft is inferior to any F-22 / F-35. The Russians do build
some nice stuff and the SU-35 is a decent 4th gen fighter. Their technology
is only lacking in the electronics. U.S. has a big lead in this department.
no stealth exhausts
Extremely disappointing, especially when you look at the Wikipedia page for the Su-37. It was cheaper, faster, stealthier, more maneuverable, and cooler-looking than the F-22.
It looks like a beautiful machine to me. The after burners don't look stealthy.
Perhaps it will be Russia's final maned fighter
Non-stealth "after burners" is temporary solution for prototype and, probably, for the only frist production series. Future engine should be much stealthier.
Sorry about typo
frist = first
It’s kind of odd that the author has such a hard time spotting the differences between the F-22 and the PAK-FA, they’re as great and as many as the differences between the Eagle and the Flanker (which also happen to have a similar role). Perhaps looking at it from various angles or seeing them side by side would help?
Fortunately they don’t want to make it as high strung as the F-22. Do you see that thing at the front wheel? Yep, that’s a mud-guard. And the number of parts has actually decreased coming from the flanker, or so they say. At the same time though, the increase in price is indeed huge, which is odd for a country with a somewhat poor economy. I wonder whether they’ll ever match the F-22 in numbers…