Russian 5th-generation fighter to perform maiden flight Jan 29

[Kshasty]

Source: RIA Novosti

Russia is expected to hold the first test of its fifth-generation fighter on Friday, a source at Russia's largest aircraft building enterprise said on Thursday.

"The flight was initially scheduled for Thursday, but has been postponed," the source at the Gagarin KNAAPO company, a subsidiary of Russia's major aircraft holding Sukhoi, said.

Russia's only known fifth-generation project is Sukhoi's PAK FA and the current prototype is the T-50. It is designed to compete with the U.S. F-22 Raptor (so far the world's only fifth-generation fighter aircraft) and the F-35 Lightning II, but has yet to take to the skies.

The PAK FA is believed to possess advanced avionics, stealth capability, a ferry range of 4,000 to 5,500 km, and endurance of 3.3 hrs; it is armed with next-generation air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-ship missiles, and has two 30-mm cannons.

Read more: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100128/157701528.html

[Ganja Ninja]

1. Looks very close to the F22.

[FBaggins]

3. More like a cross between an f-22 and an f-16

Which is likely to be about where the performance falls as well.

[mojowork_n]

4. It's a joint Russian-Indian venture

From the wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_PAK_FA

In January 2010 it was reported that the Bangalore-based HAL has negotiated firmly to get a 25 per cent share of design and development work in the FGFA programme. HAL's work share will include critical software, including the mission computer; navigation systems; most of the cockpit displays; the counter measure dispensing (CMD) systems; and modifying Sukhoi’s single-seat prototype into the twin-seat fighter that the Indian Air Force (IAF) wants. Further, Russia's expertise in titanium structures will be complemented by India's experience in composites like in the fuselage. A total of 500 aircrafts are planned with option for further aircrafts. The Russian Air Force will have 200 single seated and 50 twin-seated PAK FAs while the Indian Air Force will get 200 twin-seated and 50 single-seated FGFAs.

Bad grammar in the summary aside, who knows what it's going to be capable of? Or where and how all of those software engineers in Bangalore got their expertise? It might just turn out to be a pretty sophisticated package.

[Regret My New Name]

5. What do you base that on?

[FBaggins]

6. :-) On what do you base the claim that a child has her father's eyes and mother's ears?

Because that's what it looks like.

The wings and horizontal stabilizers look like a Falcon while the main fuselage and (semi)verticle stabilizers look like the Raptor.

[PacerLJ35]

7. Not the best way to gauge capability

The Russians have always been pretty good at copying western designs and turning them into success stories. It all started with the Tupolev Tu-4, which was essentially a reverse-engineered B-29 bomber that they detained after World War II (US crews emergency diverted to Russia a few times during bomb raids on Japan...the crews were returned but the airplanes were retained).

Since then, we've seen the IL-76, otherwise known in the USAF as the "C-141ski", and the AN-12, known as the "C-130ski", as well as the AN-225, or the "C-5ski". Russia's reusable spacecraft, Buran, looked a lot like NASA's space shuttle orbiter design. The MiG-25 looked similar to the F-15 (although it was nowhere near as capable of a dogfighter). Their Mil-28 attack helicopter suspiciously looks a lot like the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

Anyways, their "F-22ski" may be a dud, but the combo of different aeronautical designs may actually prove it to be a very capable aircraft. No way to tell by just looking at it. In any case, we've got to assume it's a great airplane...for now, because it won't be too long before countries like N. Korea, Iran and China start either buying these aircraft or license building them (as China has been doing with the Su-27, Su-32 and other designs).

[jmowreader]

12. They've also done some VERY successful original designs

Specifically, the Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter (lots of guns, rockets and missiles PLUS enough room in the back to carry a squad of grunts!) and the Ka-50 "Black Shark" helicopter, the only single-seat attack helicopter.

[PacerLJ35]

15. That is true...just pointing out the fact that Russian "look alikes" aren't necessarily shabby

[jmowreader]

18. They really aren't

Russian consumer goods are not so good, but they never really had a problem making military equipment.

One thing people who call the Ilyushin 76 "C-141ski" don't realize is the Ilyushin is more versatile than the C-141 was. The American plane needs to operate from paved runways--one of the reasons they finally replaced it with the C-17, which does not. The Ilyushin was designed to operate from any kind of runway because there are still plenty of unimproved runways in Russia.

Oh, and while the C-141 is no longer in service, the Il-76 is going strong, As we speak they are flying aid into Haiti in these planes.

[PacerLJ35]

21. IL-76s were common on the Baghdad ramp

The IL-76 is a very stout airplane, but at the same time, the Russians aren't that big into something called "maintenance". Those guys would get in trouble from the USAF ramp folks all the time...once they started engines without clearing behind them, and nearly blew over a few stands and trucks. I still recall the time a buddy of mine walked out there to get a look at one, and some guy walked up to him wearing some crazy fish-net wife-beater shirt, smoking a cig (on the airplane) and smelling of alcohol...he asked where the pilot-in-command was, and that guy said "Me!". Nuts!!!

The Iraqis would talk fondly of their IL-76s. One of the reasons why they liked them is because "C-130 requires too much maintenance. IL-76, if over heat engine, just change the oil". I never thought of the C-130 as a very complex and hard-to-maintain airplane, but pretty much anything western is going to require more maintenance than a Russian airplane.

[ddeclue]

8. It's an F22-ski!

:rofl:

Very clearly an F22 copy.. The Russians just love to rip off U.S. designs ever since the B-29! There's a C-130ski, a Space Shuttle-ski...it's hilarious..

[PacerLJ35]

17. True, but some of those designs are pretty good at what they do

The IL-76 and AN-12s are proven workhorses...they can take quite a beating, much more so than their American counterparts. Some have proven to be duds, but the Russians are great at making pretty stout aircraft that can handle degraded conditions well.

[TheLastMohican]

23. Good evening, troll

For your information, the laws of physics are the same in Russia as in US.
There is nothing of F22 in this design, zilch, nada.

C-130, wtf?
The Russians have cargo aviation unmatched by the entire world - IL-76, AN-124, AN-225 is just a huge beast.

And I can guarantee you know next to nothing about the Buran project.

So quit trolling.

[PacerLJ35]

25. I don't think Russian airlifters are "unmatched by the entire world"...

That's a stretch. The IL-76 and AN-12 are very sturdy airplanes, I'll give you that. But they lack the performance of more modern Western designs. The C-130J will simply drop-kick the AN-12, and the C-17 is worlds better than the IL-76. The old C-141 was at least as good as the IL-76, and the AN-12 doesn't climb much better than an H-model Herk.

The 124 is a big airplane, but it's about as difficult to maintain as the C-5 is, and doesn't have quite the range (with a real payload). The updated C-5M is by far a more efficient and better-climbing aircraft. The 225 is undoubtedly a one-of-a-kind aircraft but it was a one-off design and isn't really used much.

[TheLastMohican]

26. Isn't really used much?

It flies like crazy delivering supplies back and forth all over the world. There is a plan to construct 2 more such beasts.
Its latest effort is delivering supplies to the Haiti earthquake survivors.
And AN-124s are hauling all the stuff to Afganistan. They are indeed large, durable and easy to maintain.
I flew in one just one month ago.

You guys are either misinformed or purposefully spreading false information.

[DemoTex]

11. Can it do this?

[TheLastMohican]

22. This is a photoshopped F-22 with stars

This is the real thing

[era veteran]

2. Just wait until our Roswell spaceships come on line

Time to up defense spending gremlins will be out.

[1]

9. ha! it's based on the su-47, who's nato name is "Firkin"...

as in that's one fast firkin plane the ruskies have there...

[asdjrocky]

10. Planes that kill stuff are sooo sexy.

[Statistical]

13. The sad thing is they so are.

[asdjrocky]

14. I know.

I have to fight against my conditioning, I was born an American boy.

[PacerLJ35]

16. Who are you kidding? The C-130 is the sexiest of them all...

Of course I'm a little biased...

[jmowreader]

19. More than a little, zoomie

You drivin' a C-130H or a C-130J? I've flown on the H-model, but the J-model is too new for me to have been in one.

[PacerLJ35]

20. Used to fly Es and H1s, now flying the J

The J is fantastic...near-jet performance and the displays up front give you so much information, you'd have to be brain dead to get lost

[Obamanaut]

24. I am (was) a maintenance man, but I enjoyed working

on the EC and WC 121 more than any of my career. There were others faster and more exciting, but these were fun.

I also flew into typhoons in these, as flight engineer. That was fun too.