PAK-FA Flies!!!! (YouTube Video)

YouTube ^

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Video at link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp0yd6no7B4&feature=player_embedded

[Nachum]

Nice looking Russian news-babe- but her voice could curdle milk.

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

First time posting my own thread. I thought the hyperlink would be active.

Video

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Eh, I can’t understand Russian anyways, so I wouldn’t know. Also, in my haste to post, I forgot to mention that it never shows the plane lifting off in the video. So I guess it’s not actually flying. :P

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

That aside, there have been multiple reports that it has actually flown today. Can’t wait for some in-flight pics.

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Another linkeroo (ignore the picture in the article). http://www.en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100129/157712091.html

[oldsalt]

The video jogged my memory...looks an awful lot like the F-23,which lost out to the F-22 some years back!

What a coincidence.

[oldsalt]

The video jogged my memory...looks an awful lot like the F-23,which lost out to the F-22 some years back!

What a coincidence.

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Nothing wrong with the YF-23. IIRC it was supposed to be stealthier than the YF-22, while the YF-22 was more manueverable. Since the Russians readily admit that the PAK-FA won’t be nearly as stealthy as the F-22 (probably not not even as stealthy as the F-35), I find this kind of funny, especially since it seems like they’ve placed an almost unhealthy premium on maneuverability with their modern fighters (MiG-29 and Su-27/30).

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Someone on the militaryphotos.net forum that I've been follwing agrees with you. He posted these pictures side-by-side.

[valkyry1]

Looks pretty cool. The old aviation design adage ‘if it looks right it probably is right’.

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

I’m a bit bummed to be honest. I take hope knowing that the engines currently used won’t be on the production model, and that the F-22A is quite different than the old YF-22.

[Kirkwood]

That’s Katie Couric.

[Primorsky]

>Since the Russians readily admit that the PAK-FA won’t be nearly as stealthy as the F-22 (probably not not even as stealthy as the F-35)

When Russians admited non-stealthy for PAKFA?

Do you really believe in Lockheed Martin’s advertising bullshit about 0,0001m2 all-round RCS for F-22?

[sukhoi-30mki]

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

I really actually do. I believe with several generations of VLO aircraft in service (and plenty of experimental aircraft), LM was well within its capabilities to produce a plane with the RCS of a "steel marble." Even the strong Russophiles (some of who are Russians) on the military-oriented threads I frequent seem to agree that the PAK-FA/T-50 will not equal the F-22 in terms of RCS. I'm very interested in Russian military developments, and believe they have world-class aircraft designers, but in order to match or leapfrog the Raptor they'd have a whole lot of hurdles.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, their defense industry suffered a massive brain drain as talent fled to the more lucrative commercial sector and/or the West. This is not only restricted to the designers/engineers, but the technicians and other relevant folk. I don't believe they've quite replaced this talent as of yet. Basically, with a lost decade of development the Russians are stuck playing catch up. PAK-FA represents their first "stealth" aircraft and is a great accomplishment. That's not even taking into account the financial/corruption situation.

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Purty. I wish we could see the weapon bays. I’m curious what the weapon load is like.

[cranked]

http://www.politicsforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=62&p=13306150

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Gracias. I’ve been habitually checking the thread here: http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?149828-Sukhoi-T-50-PAK-FA/page171

[cranked]

Engine outlets corrupt any stealth it may have.