Major Work Ahead On T-50 Stealth Fighter

Aviation Week ^ | February 8, 2010 | David A. Fulghum, Maxim Pyadushkin and Douglas Barrie

[myknowledge]

Russia has begun flying a stealthy fifth-generation fighter to rival the U.S. F-22, but Western analysts question whether Sukhoi can develop and deliver the aircraft by 2015 as promised.

Sukhoi’s T-50, which made its 47-min. first flight on Jan. 29 from the KnAAPO facility in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, is the prototype of the PAK FA “future front-line aircraft,” the first new-generation fighter for the Russian air force since the Su-27 Flanker entered service in 1984. India plans to co-fund development and co-produce the new aircraft.

The aircraft is clearly shaped for stealth, with the chined forward fuselage, planform edge alignment, internal weapons bays and small vertical tails. The T-50 shows resemblances to the F-22 Raptor, but also reflects its Su-27 heritage in the wide “centroplane” that blends the fuselage and wing.

[myknowledge]

The T-50 PAK FA has made its maiden flight but it still has a fairly long way to go before it can match up to a Block 40+ standard upgraded Raptor.

http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-NOTAM-100210-1.html

[Eagles6]

Oh yeah? Well we got a brand, spankin' new stealth fighter too!

What? Oh...uh...never mind...

[omega4179]

The pak-fa is the Meghan McCain of fighters.

[KoRn]

Yeah, we’re screwed.

We have a fool in the White House, who isn’t a Commander and Chief!

The Ruskies, and the rest of the world know it! It will likely take us years to undo just the effects of only one term the current president. If he’s elected to a 2nd term, it might take a generation. Thank God for term limits! If not for term limits, we could have an FDR scenario, where we will be screwed by his decisions permanently.

[shotgun]

The Soviet Union prided itself on it theorectical physics but let the physics of stealth technology slip right out of their hands. I watched it on the History Channel how they allowed the science to be published on the open market because they thought it was not practicable, possible, etc... Thankfully they were never able to develop the computer technology needed to model the equations (even after Jimmah Cahter gave them a Cray super computer to help their “automotive industry”).

Then they allowed Lockheed to hire the physicist to help them develop the F-117.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

The T-50 PAK FA has made its maiden flight but it still has a fairly long way to go before it can match up to a Block 40+ standard upgraded Raptor.

Assuming these two airplanes will ever meet in real combat.

Until then, it's just a wizzin' contest.

Even though it's a Raptor-clone, I still like the way it looks, but then I'm also a big fan of out the Flanker looks and this one reminds me of a cross between the two.

[PIF]

“The pak-fa is the Meghan McCain of fighters.”

A progressive Republican?

[upstanding]

The pak-fa is the Meghan McCain of fighters.

Fun to ride, but you don't want your friends to know?

An attention whore?

[Yo-Yo]

Posted several times under the keyword aerospace.

There's only going to be 187 Raptors, and only the last 87 of them will be fully upgradable.

[Eagles6]

I agree.

[omega4179]

Something like that, plus both the PAK-FA and Megan daily spam the board with their mediocrity ;->

[myknowledge]

U.S. analysts are impressed, but not yet panicked by the T-50. “Don’t go overboard and call it the Raptorski,” says a Washington-based official. “It is essentially a Flanker in the shape of a fifth-generation fighter at this point. It still needs supercruise engines, advanced radar and a lot more work before military planners can start saying how it’s going to compete with the F-22 or even the F-35.”

Don't get so panicky just yet...