Sukhoi Su-57 Meta Thread

a reply to: justwokeup

All true, but even so amazed that Russia would even contemplate risking its tech in such an uncertain manner. It does make sense geo-politically, but still I find it gob-smacking. A very different world to that of the mid 1980s...

www.ruaviation.com...

Supposedly, first serial Su-57 is ready for delivery to the Russian aerospace force.

a reply to: anzha
Ho soon till they start escorting Bears near US and UK airspace? :-P

a reply to: Blackfinger

Probably not until 2025, tbh.

Take with a grain of salt.

www.thedrive.com...

www.thedrive.com...

and...

Have any of the SU-57s actually got a RAM coating? It just looks like regular paint to me, on the J-20/F-22/F-35 it's very obvious.

a reply to: E92M3

We think so, but not all the Su-57s are built with exactly the same. The Russians seem to embrace a 'build a little, test a little' philosophy. None of them have been up to Chinese, never mind US, standards.

a reply to: anzha

Ah got it, I still think it looks the best out of them all.

a reply to: E92M3

I'm partial to the F-22 of those actually flying, but my real love will always be the YF-23. OTOH, the NATF version of the YF-23 was an abomination! yuck!

a reply to: anzha

Right there with you.

a reply to: anzha

I might have a thing for small vert stabs...

One of the things tro keep in mind is that you cannot build a 5th generation plane with 4th generation machine tools and techniques - well, at least not to the same standard as an F-22/F-35. What a lot of people outside the industry miss is that the F-22 introduced breakthroughs in machining, composite layering and many other technologies that enabled the F-22 to happen. Whilst I am sure the Russians have made advances, much of their aerospace manufacturing technology is still way behind what is needed for a truly stealthy airplane.

The Su-57 has supposedly made 16 flights with the new engine. Testing continues.

www.ruaviation.com...

Supposedly went back to Syria for more testing.

tass.ru...

(in russian)

Lost a bird today, reportedly.

a reply to: RadioRobert

The pilot survived.

www.thedrive.com...

whoops wrong thread.

a reply to: mightmight

RT claimed it was a bird undergoing "factory trials." While this is probably a translingual issue, what is the probability it was the first serial production bird?