Sukhoi Su-57 / T-50 / PAK FA first flight - pictures, videos and analysis [2010]

[sublight]

This site is totally hammered.... You might want to turn jpg's off until the frenzy is over....

 

[Avimimus]

After eight years of waiting it is time to break out and celebrate. Congrats to the Sukhoi (and other) teams!

P.S. The design seems to leave plenty of room for increasing internal volume by giving it a hunchback and possibly expanding the bays down between the engines. It would be neat if someone (more qualified than I) would look at how this shift in volume distribution would effect airflow. I can't help but to imagine versions with hunchbacks.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Back OT: Has anyone seen any official dimensions for the T-50?

Looks smaller than Su-27 from the video when you see both together.

 

[Deino]

Here's ARES' Blog first analysis:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a021e786e-04be-426b-ad32-dcbb54b90d00&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

Deino

 

[Just call me Ray]

Hey look, he refers to Flateric and links to us!

 

[Sundog]

Back OT: Has anyone seen any official dimensions for the T-50?

Looks smaller than Su-27 from the video when you see both together.

That's weird, because it looks bigger to me. But, it could be because of the shaping. When looking at images of the YF-23 with the YF-22, the YF-22 looks bigger, when, in fact, the YF-23 was the larger aircraft.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Few closeups from first video, deinterlaced to remove line artifacts. Looks like an intake in the tailfin root?

 

[Mike Pryce]

A very interesting day!

The most interesting thing for me are the variable LERX/strakes. Presumably to allow benefits of vortices (lift, handling, trim) without needing large AoA, and related drag. Fixed strakes tend to be optimised for low or high speeds - making them variable means you get both regimes without most penalties.

Could the pods/fairings outboard of the strakes be the actuators for them? This is a prototype, so maybe they wanted to try it out without needing fuselage actuators (maybe to save redesign if it does not work or maybe the variable strakes were added late).

Also the nose view indicates carrier use would be very practical - excellent 'over the nose' pilot viewing angle. Variable strakes would add lift while keeping the nose relatively flat, helping more on carrier landings with an otherwise highly swept wing.

One other thing is that one video (on Ares IIRC) shows a lot of rivets and non-stealth air data sensors around the nose. The latter especially indicate either it is not intended to be max stealth, or that this protoype is more like the 'XF' version than the 'YF'. YF-22 had stealth air data systems as they are integral to the concept.

Hmmm, nice to speculate on something real!

 

[Matej]

Few closeups from first video, deinterlaced to remove line artifacts. Looks like an intake in the tailfin root?

Heat exchanger perhaps? Or the part of the thrust reverser.

 

[fightingirish]

MOSCOW, January 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's fifth-generation fighter performed its maiden flight on Friday.

* The T-50 is the domestic name of Russia's fifth-generation fighter plane which has been developed as the Advanced Front-Line Aviation Complex (PAK FA) for Russia's Air Force.

* The project started its development by the Sukhoi design bureau since it won the tender in April 2002.

* The Tikhomirov Institute of Instrument Design, which developed the Irbis radar for the Su-35BM Flanker, has been working on the T-50 radar. The new fighter's radar and fire-control system will be designed on the basis of the Su-35BM's systems.

* The new fighter's exterior design was approved on December 10, 2004.

* Last summer, the fighter's design was approved, and the prototype blueprints were delivered to the KNAAPO aircraft building company based in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where three experimental fighters will be built for testing.

* In February 2009, the first prototype was constructed. After the plane was successfully tested on the runway, a decision was made to stage the maiden flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, rather than in Moscow.

* The prototype fifth-generation fighter made a 47-minute maiden flight on January 29, 2010, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

* Although T-50 specifications remain classified, fragmentary data on its engines imply that this heavy-duty fighter will have a take-off weight of more than 30 metric tons and will be close in dimension to the well-known Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker.

* The new fighter's exterior was designed using Stealth technology, also known as LO technology (low observable technology).

* The combat aircraft is fitted with 117S (upgraded AL-31) turbofan engines from the Russian aircraft engine manufacturer Saturn.

* The PAK FA can carry either eight next-generation air-to-air R-77 missiles, or two large controllable anti-ship bombs weighing 1,500 kg each.

* The new jet can also carry two long-range missiles developed by the Novator Bureau which can hit targets within a 400 kilometer range.

* The jet can use a take-off strip of just 300-400 meters, and perform sustained supersonic flight at speeds over 2,000 km/h, including repeated in-flight refuelling. The highly-manoeuvrable plane has a range of about 5,500 kilometers.

* The fifth-generation fighter is equipped with advanced avionics to combine an automatic flight control system and a radar locator with a phased array antenna.

* The newest combat aircraft are planned to be mass produced in Komsomolsk-on-Amur from 2015.

Source: http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100129/157717728.html (30.01.10)

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Hey look, he refers to Flateric and links to us!

I know 3 of the Ares team are members here, so its not that surprising

 

[mrdetonator]

Back OT: Has anyone seen any official dimensions for the T-50?

Looks smaller than Su-27 from the video when you see both together.

That's weird, because it looks bigger to me. But, it could be because of the shaping. When looking at images of the YF-23 with the YF-22, the YF-22 looks bigger, when, in fact, the YF-23 was the larger aircraft.

I think it is smaller than Su-27 as well but appears to be bigger ;D , someone is saying it looks like F-22 from the top, like Su-27 from rear, like YF-23 from the bottom and appears to be shaped like F-35 from front. : A cool looking bastard anyway.

Have some hints to imagine its size, look at this photo and repeat. Engines size and undercarriage wheels are from Flanker, say it again, again......now imagine Flanker sideview. Yes, the aircraft is very flat, they;ve created a lot of space between engines, decreased size of tails, but the wing area seems to be a lot bigger that Su-27.

 

[lancer21]

Congrats to everyone at Sukhoi and S.Bogdan, they did a wonderful job! Dont think there was in recent times a more expected bird than the mighty T-50 , and probably wont be again till the new russian 6th generation fighter! ;D

I'm not an expert ( just an enthusiast), but as everyone else says , its a little bit of F-23, F-22 and F-35 ,new ideas and concepts aswell , and mated with Su-27...might say it has the best of all! Undoubtably russian tho , you even got a mudguard , not to speak of the T-10 like sliding canopy , or the member in the middle of it...

Good luck to them with this programme , at least for us aviation fanboys , the aviation world would be much more inetersting with T-50 a succes story!

 

[yasotay]

It is everything we waited for. Beautiful aircraft.

 

[RyanC]

Don't know if this is up yet, but this was from a russian news channel that a russian member of a different board I frequent posted a link to:

Full 1.3 MB version

I'm uploading a cropped version in case that link goes down.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Already posted, Ryan

Here's more vidcaps I made from the second video, I think these are the most interesting shots I could find.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Last 1.

 

[Ogami musashi]

This the first plane i like under all angles...that's awesome.

Many aeros features are really interesting. Congrats to OKB sukhoi and TsAGI (they saved us from "big ears")!!

 

[TinWing]

Last 1.

Oh dear......this appears to be something less than even a technology demonstrator, more of a "flying shell" at least judging by the rather crude details. Obviously it's of more recent conception than the MiG 1.44, but the level of finish is vaguely similar. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the details?

 

[Trident]

Last 1.

Oh dear......this appears to be something less than even a demonstrator, at least judging by the rather crude details. Obviously it's of more recent conception than the MiG 1.44, but the level of finish is vaguely similar. Perhaps I reading too much into the details?

Disagree. Take the camouflage paint and RAM off a F-22 or a F-35 and you will see a similar picture - while the finish appears to be vastly better to me than the very irregular MiG 1.44 workmanship with little to no deformation around the rivets at all. Also, keep in mind that the airdata system on this particular airframe likely represents a test configuration with a focus toward accuracy rather than signature reduction, so drawing conclusions is probably premature.

The one thing that does mark this as an early prototype (and criticism of which could be considered legitimate) is that the skin panel joints are not aligned throughout.

 

[T-50]

At last!!!!! what a beautiful machine a worthy successor to the flanker,Yankee Raptor beware!
It have truly stealth shapes,its Russia's first Stealth aircraft.
Ive mentioned even a codename for this beautiful new warbird ,namely the Su-51 Frenzy
Nice work!

 

[Sundog]

At last!!!!! what a beautiful machine a worthy successor to the flanker,Yankee Raptor beware!
It have truly stealth shapes,its Russia's first Stealth aircraft.
Ive mentioned even a codename for this beautiful new warbird ,namely the Su-51 Frenzy
Nice work!

I honestly doubt the Raptors are worried about it. But it is a beautiful airplane, the T-50.

Also, regarding the inlets at the base of the fin fairing, those definitely don't have anything to do with thrust reversers. They're definitely for auxiliary/ECS systems.

The fairings under the LEX aren't for actuators, especially for the loads on the LEX flap. I still think they're conformal missile covers, but that's MHO. Think of the missiles at the base of the wing of the F-16XL or on the underside of the F-14 (Sparrows, not Phoenixes) and those fairings are large enough to cover such a missile. Then consider that the "side bays" this has supposedly house the short range AAM's, and I see where they can clearly fit in there, since you only have to cover half of the missile.

 

[donnage99]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XqwDEU0fus&feature=player_embedded
The scene where the aircraft is seen moving from right to left from the chasing pilot point of view (0:14 to 0:17) look just like the scene in yf-23 footage (2:42 to 2:49):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVG9xgHefzg

 

[lantinian]

Just in case if any one is still wandering if the bump on the side of the inlets is some kind of weapons bay, or sensor pod or some other mystery thing. It's not.

It just hit me in the head. It was so simple and nothing to worry about except: Damm, powering up that Movable LEX must have been a nightmare of an engineering problem is that was the best size and position of the solution. But it is. Its like trying to lift a really long stick with your hands at the very edge of the one end.

The size of the hydraulics tells that very powerful vortexes are acting upon that moving surface.

Hope that clears things up

P.S. Hope, they have managed to squeeze something else besides the LEX actuators there

 

[flateric]

in help for those who trying to draw

 

[mrdetonator]

Disagree. Take the camouflage paint and RAM off a F-22 or a F-35 and you will see a similar picture - while the finish appears to be vastly better to me than the very irregular MiG 1.44 workmanship with little to no deformation around the rivets at all. Also, keep in mind that the airdata system on this particular airframe likely represents a test configuration with a focus toward accuracy rather than signature reduction, so drawing conclusions is probably premature.

The one thing that does mark this as an early prototype (and criticism of which could be considered legitimate) is that the skin panel joints are not aligned throughout.

absolutely true, finish is great.

 

[flateric]

more
photos (c) by Alexander Baranov/Commersant Publishing House

 

[flateric]

last one
photos (c) by Alexander Baranov/Commersant Publishing House

 

[donnage99]

Flateric, are u certain that THIS prototype has all the planned weapon bays, since the aircraft's belly isn't flat like f-22 nor have those (horrible) bumps like f-35 to acommodate the weapon bays.

EDIT: and forgot to mention: lots of lifting surface, I see that the designers were thinking of naval application from the start. If this aircraft can truly hold that diversity of weapons, and adaptable to naval use, it can be a very successful aircraft on the market. It has one advantage the atf did not: it was visualized after the cold war, where dedicate and specific role of air to air superiority is left behind for flexible multi-role. This factor can be the number one crucial factor that decides a program's success or cancellation, as seen with f-22.

 

[flateric]

what about this airplane that we can be certain of yet? do you see a rabbit in a hole? but it exist

 

[Trident]

last one
photos (c) by Alexander Baranov/Commersant Publishing House

This emphasizes the point about build quality quite nicely, everything's very smooth and flush compared to previous Russian efforts Naked F-35 added to illustrate the presence of rivets.

 

[lancer21]

The more i look at it the more i fell inlove with it ...those bottom and front views are astonishing!

Anyway, alot of buts and ifs around now that makes it terrible to discern reliable infos and opinions (one can read even things like is the RuAF really wanting it!!!!-WHAT??? ) so may i ask , was Gen. Zelin there at the first flight , or were there high ranking airforce officials?

 

[Matej]

in help for those who trying to draw

Matej and lantinian team back once again

 

[Lord Vader]

Just in on Google News via Drudge:

MOSCOW — Russia on Friday unveiled a new fighter aircraft touted as a rival of the US F-22 stealth jet and developed amid the highest secrecy as part of a plan to modernize the armed forces.

The fifth generation fighter, manufactured by the Sukhoi company and known as the PAK FA, made a maiden flight of just over 45 minutes at the firm's home base of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Far East region.

"The flight lasted 47 minutes during which all the aircraft's systems were tested. It was successful," Sukhoi spokeswoman Olga Kayukova told AFP. "This is the first time it has been unveiled."

Pictures broadcast on state television showed the fighter jet -- which has been kept closely under wraps for years -- flying at altitude and then landing on a snow-surrounded runway.

"The aircraft performed well in all stages of the flight programme. It is easy and comfortable to pilot," said Sergei Bogdan, the pilot for the flight, in comments published on the Sukhoi website.

The new jet has the capability of carrying out long flights above the speed of sound as well as simultaneously attacking different targets.

Russia is currently embarking on a major programme to re-equip its military, not least the air force which is still using largely Soviet-era equipment and suffers from frequent crashes.

The new fighter, which has been in development since the 1990s, is due to enter the armed forces in 2015, Russian news agencies said.

The first flight of the PAK FA (Prospective Aviation System of Frontline Aviation) is being seen in Russia as a major boost for the military after the project was hit by repeated delays over the last years.

"There is no doubt that the plane is needed," the ex-commander of the Russian air force, Anatoly Kornukov, told the Interfax news agency.

"Our Su-27 and MiG-29 planes are good but have aged. They are 20 or more years old and it's time to have something as a replacement," he said.

He said the new plane could easily stand comparison with the US F-22, also a fifth generation stealth fighter.

"It's going to be no worse than an F-22. I've been in an F-22 and I know."

 

[donnage99]

A thought entered my head. Back when Bush fired Rumsvelt right during the time Democrats took the Senate, my politics professor told me that the timing of the firing is possibly to divert attention from Democrats win. I wonder if the Obama administration will finally release the rq-170 details during this time as to divert some of the attention from pak fa, because the t-50 flies during the time which f-35's troubles emerge (a plane which the administration advocates while cancelled the f-22).

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

This could be handy...

 

[Stuka]

http://sukhoi.org/files/2010/20100129T-50.mpg - maiden flight on 01-29-2010

Did anyone else notice the fluttering panel on the bottom of the left nacelle in the high res video at about the 1:00 mark?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Brothers... note that the T-50 is quite a bit nearer than the Su-27 in this shot, which affects apparent size.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Scaled up. Looks like some planform alignment on the weapons bays?

 

[Stuka]

Yes, also sawtooth edges on NLG doors.