Moscow, January 29. Today in Komsomolsk - on - Amur hosted the first flight of an experienced aviation complex of the fifth generation. The plane was piloted honored test pilot Sergei Bogdan Russia. Prototype PAK FA spent 47 minutes in the air and landed on the runway of the factory airfield.
The flight was successful, in full accordance with the flight plan. "During the flight we had a primary assessment of controllability of the aircraft, engine and major systems, the aircraft made a full-time cleaning and landing gear. The aircraft proved itself well in all phases of our intended flight program. They easily and comfortably manage ", - said Sergey Bogdan.
Compared with previous generations of fighters, PAK FA has several unique features, combining the functions of attack aircraft and fighter.
Fifth generation fighter aircraft equipped with a fundamentally new avionics, the integrating function of e-pilot, and promising radar with a phased antenna array. This significantly reduces the load on the pilot and allows you to concentrate on the implementation of tactical tasks. On-board equipment of a new aircraft enables the exchange of data in real time as a land-management systems, and within the aviation group.
</span>The use of composite materials and innovative technology, aerodynamic design aircraft, measures to reduce the visibility of the engine provides unprecedented low level of radar, optical and infrared visibility. </span>This allows you to significantly improve the combat effectiveness in the work, both by air and ground targets, at any time of day, in simple and adverse weather conditions.
"Today we started a program of flight tests of fifth generation fighter aircraft. This is a great success of Russia's science and engineering thought. For this achievement is worth more than a hundred co-operatives allied enterprises, our strategic partners. PAK FA program displays Russia's aircraft manufacturing and related industries on a qualitatively new technological level. These planes, along with modernized aviation system of the fourth generation will determine the potential of Russian military aircraft in the coming decades. The plans of the Company "Sukhoi" is included and further development of the Program PAK FA, on which we will work with Indian partners. I am confident that our joint project will surpass the Western counterparts by the criterion of cost-effectiveness and will not only strengthen the defensive power of the Air Force of Russia and India, but will take its place in the world market ", - said General Director of JSC" Sukhoi "Mikhail Pogosyan, </span>Commenting on the start of flight testing.
Summary of fifth generation fighter aircraft.
Compared with previous generations of fighters, the fifth generation has several unique features, combining the functions of attack aircraft and fighter.
Fifth generation fighter aircraft equipped with a fundamentally new avionics, the integrating function of the e-pilot, and promising radar with a phased antenna array. </span>This significantly reduces the load on the pilot and allows you to concentrate on the implementation of tactical tasks. On-board equipment of a new aircraft enables the exchange of data in real time as a land-management systems, and within the aviation group.
</span>The use of composite materials and innovative technology, aerodynamic design aircraft, measures to reduce the visibility of the engine provides unprecedented low level of radar, optical and infrared visibility. </span>This allows you to significantly improve the combat effectiveness in the work, both by air and ground targets, at any time of day, in simple and adverse weather conditions. Low visibility, aircraft performance and maneuverability allow to minimize the threat to the pilot, at the expense of the fifth generation fighter aircraft have increased survivability in difficult combat conditions, with the active counter air defense systems. </span>Increased radius of combat use leads to greater autonomy of the fifth generation fighter aircraft in the implementation of the planned combat missions.
Fifth generation fighter aircraft will complement the fleet of modernized aircraft complexes of the fourth generation, as well as to replace the aging fleet of combat aircraft. In the long term availability of the fifth generation aircraft in service will allow customers to optimize and structure of the park, due to repeated increase combat effectiveness and capacity to address a broader range of tasks with a single plane.
</span>Program to create long-term aviation system of the fifth generation is a technological breakthrough in the domestic aircraft industry, which allows to maintain a stable leading position of Russia on the international market of combat aircraft. </span>In the world aviation there is a unique analogue of fifth generation fighter aircraft - is the F-35, a product of Lockheed Martin.
The plans of the Company "Sukhoi" is the further development of the Program to create a fifth generation fighter aircraft and the creation of modification of aircraft with Indian partners. The joint project will surpass the Western equivalent to the criterion of cost-effectiveness and will not only strengthen the defensive power of the Air Force of Russia and India, but will take a worthy place in the world market.
Russia's prototype fifth-generation fighter made a 45-minute maiden flight on Friday in the Far East, Russian television reported.
The flight had been postponed for 24 hours due to poor weather conditions in Komsomolsk-on-Amur where the prototype is being tested.
"The plane showed a superb performance. It has met all our expectations for the maiden flight," said Olga Kayukova, a spokesperson for the Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer.
Russia has been developing its newest fighter since the 1990s. The country's top military officials earlier said the stealth fighter jet, with a range of up to 5,500 km, would enter service with the Air Force in 2015.
Russia's 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, and the F-35 Lightning II.
The PAK FA is to be equipped with the most advanced technology and armed with next-generation high-precision weaponry.
India, which has a long history of defense relations with Moscow, remains Russia's sole partner in the project.
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was reported to be seeking a 25% share in design and development in the project. It has also sought to modify Sukhoi's single-seat prototype into the twin-seat fighter India's Air Force wants.
1. It has been said years ago already (on English-language forums even) that the PAK FA will resemble more the Black Widow than the Raptor. Well, it is the case. And imho a very good thing. Logical anyway, due to the specifications re payload and bomb bay - one can't pack much in a F-22-style layout.
2. Looks that they did quite a job reducing RCS. Looks like they used quite a lot of composite material. But well, it was known as well.
3. The twin bay is a pure beauty in terms of engineering, especially if it's joined - means that the PAK FA could even carry not just large AG/ASMs like the Kh-58 upgrade, but maybe even larger ones (and the Novator ultra-long range future AAM fits perfectly well in this layout).
4. The rear is definitely an example of "work in progress", though I doubt that they will sacrifice much in terms of thrust by blatantly copying the Raptor exhausts. The small signals fin on the central fin is obviously a test device, it will not be there on serial variants. And if I'm not mistaken, the exhaust fairings were redesigned as well, so we can expect them to be even more different on the final variant. Moreover, the Russians tested "square" exhausts already and concluded that while the have clear advantages in terms of IR signature reduction, they aren't really a sea change when it comes to overall RCS, especially against new AESAs (something about hot gases and particles signature reflecting on radar better) while sacrificing much in terms of thrust and maneuverability. That being said, I don't see full VT either.
5. Full-movable tail surfaces and LERX is a tech dream again, and fits perfectly well with the RuAF requirement of high maneuverability at high AOA while still providing enough space for the front-aspect secondary radar antennae. Good design, imho.
6. The dramatic reduction of vertical fins surface when compared to the Raptor, for example, shows that they are very confident in their electronic controls. On the other hand, full-movable surfaces don't need to be that big.
7. The intakes are quite interesting and very peculiar, at a closer look nothing similar neither to the Raptor nor the YF-23. And definitely nothing to do with the Flanker intakes.
8. The overall aerodynamics might seem not so spectacular, but again, when looked upon twice it's quite revolutionary (especially the secondary surfaces size reduction) and not intuitive at all.
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Parabens!!
