PAK-FA

Not interested - don't post.

I just read on Ria that they have tested the engine on a Su-27M six days ago. They didn't mention anything about the date of the first flight except "it will be shown this year".
Anyways it would be awesome if we get to see it in the next few days...

No. They tested the engine on an Su-35BM. An Su-27M, i.e. Su-35, is not actually used. The few prototypes that were built are basically sitting in hangars at Lipetsk. The media and Sukhoi now refer to the Su-35BM, and Su-35S (the serial production variant derived from the Su-35BM) as the Su-35. Hence your confusion. But yes the engine and many of the avionics were tested on the Su-35BM. There is also some speculation in Russian forums that the MiG-35 was also a testbed for some PAK-FA avionics, as MiG does have a share in the PAK-FA project.

Ah, I see... thanks for the clarification.

Here's a little update:
Russian 5th-generation fighter to make maiden flight on Friday
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100128/157703215.html

How many of these will VVS order? So far,they have been ordering only symbolic numbers of airplanes and sold the rest to India,etc...

Good news! We'll finally get to see the PAK-FA take its maiden flight on Friday and assess the performance of the aircraft.

The plane flew for 45 minutes. The test was a success. Still no photos as of right now.

LOZZZ for VVS orders, right now in the process of being delivered are 48 Su-35S (serial variant of Su-35BM), 32 Su-34 (5 have already been delivered), 62 Yak-130 (unspecified number, some say 6, were already delivered) and planned for order is an unspecified number of Su-25TM or SM, both have been mentioned. Additionally, planned for order are 24 MiG-29K, to replace the Su-33, and after 2015 plans for MiG-35.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp0yd6no7B4

It did not burst into flames!!!

But no flying was shown either.

You beat me to it. But yes. The actual flight has yet to be televised. However there are rumors that plenty of close up shots were taken of the plane earlier at the facility. So I would imagine that there will be a detailed press release coming in the next couple of days.

It's beautiful...

here's another video and some photos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFS82swb7rM

http://sukhoi.org/img/gallery/wallpaper ... _10_29.jpg
http://sukhoi.org/img/gallery/wallpaper ... _10_30.jpg
http://www.sukhoi.org/img/gallery/wallp ... _10_31.jpg

It's hideous. The cockpit is from the Su-27, the landing from the MiG-31. The body will still be changed, to accommodate the new landing gear, and potentially a new cockpit. It's still unclear how many hardpoints it has (lenta.ru alone posted two figures, 8 internal and 8 external, and 10 internal and 2 external pylons). I'll wait to see a finished copy.

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I'll wait to see a finished copy.

==That would be at least five years away.

And I must say, the aerodynamic design is not as radical as it should be, F-22 was designed in the 80's, there has been shit loads of development in aerodynamics and flight control since then, making something faster and more agile than F-22 is easily achievable.

The aerodynamic design isn't even finalized. The prototype shown is missing it's weapons bay, it has the wrong landing gear, and we can expect changes to the nose to accommodate cockpit and radar.

It looks a bit like a fat Flanker.

Two engines, two tails, a space between the engines, tall cockpit.... holy shit it looks like a Flanker. Fyi so does a Fulcrum, an F-15, an F-14, F-18, even the MiG-31 has some resemblance. I wonder if we have a pattern going here...

The F-18 is thinner than a Flanker, the F-15 has its own distinctive blocky look, the F-14, IIRC, is bigger than the flanker, the MiG-29 is smaller and more rugged looking, and from what I've seen, the MiG-31 looks more like a F-18 than a Flanker.

And the PAK-FA looks less similar then a MiG-29, or F-15. Arguably less similar then the F-14 or F-18. Btw the difference between the MiG-29 and Su-27 is almost non-existent. They used the same airframe design. So you "more rugged look" is just your imagination. Or maybe poor maintenance on the part of the VVS.

Quote:

Btw the difference between the MiG-29 and Su-27 is almost non-existent. They used the same airframe design.

Maybe, but the Flanker looks more long and graceful to me and the Fulcrum seems to have more straight lines and is smaller.

Ok....

Fulcrum


Flanker


Fulcrum


Flanker

yep they're planes