MOSCOW, RUSSIA Sukhoi T-50, on Friday made a successful maiden test flight attempt over the sky of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a time-frame of 47 minutes. Sergei Bogdan, who was the pilot of this test flight shared his experience of flying and said, "it is easy and comfortable to pilot." The success of the test flight attempt of this fifth-generation fighter plane has been a significant achievement for Russia, which has made great efforts for modernizing their fighter planes and weapons and stop using the planes of Soviet era.
Prior to the successful maiden test flight of Sukhoi T-50, Russians had failed in several projects of introducing high-profile weapons. The success of this fifth-generation fighter plane, which is reportedly built in collaboration with Indian experts must have given some relief to the Russian camp. According to the reports, the Russian officials have devoted almost twenty years for building the fifth-generation fighter plane. It has been reported that the success of the test has given them the hope that they would be able to put the plane in service from 2015. They also expect that this plane will be capable to challenge the fighter plane, F-22 of the United States.
Though the Sukhoi T-50 maiden test flight attempt has been successful, Russian officials have not shared any specification of the new fighter plane. They have also maintained confidentiality on the designs of the fifth-generation fighter plane that has made the headlines today. Though the officials declined to make any comment on the details of the plane, a source reported that it has a range of 5,500 kilometer.
Dimensions (m):
- wing 14,2; S=78,8 m2
- length 22
- height 6,05
Weight (kg):
- max 37000
- normal 26000
- empty 18500
Fuel (kg): 10300
Combat load (kg):
- max 7500
- AA max 2260 conformal
Speed (km/h):
- max 2100; M2,0;
- rate of climb 350 m/s
- min 0 OVT
- cruise 1300
Alt (m): 20000
Flight range (km): 4000/5500 (2x2000kg)
- supersonic 2500
Runway (m): 350 (w/o OVT)
G-force (g): 10-11
RSC: 0,05 m2
Wing overload (kg/m2):
- max 470
- normal 330
Thrust-to-weight ratio:
- max 0,84
- normal 1,19
Fuel rate: 2,55 kg/km
Flight time: 3,3 h
Engine: AL-41F (117C on first prototypes)
- thrust 2x15500(18000?)/2x9800
- compressor: diameter 932mm, 3 steps
- weight 1350 kg
- pressure increase 4,2-4,5
- life time 4000 hours
- overhaul life 1500 hours
- nozzle:
weight: 380 kg
deviation angle +-16 deg in any direction, +-20 deg flat
deviation speed: 60 deg/sec
Development of Russia's LFI (logkiy frontovoi istrebitel) lightweight tactical fighter has been dramatically accelerated after the Russian Air Force decided its priorities for the next 10 years. Revealed here exclusively as the I-2000 (Istrebitel {fighter} 2000) project, the aircraft is due to become operational in 2005 as Russia's basic front-line fighter. It is also likely to become the leading export product of the Russian aircraft industry. Available information on the I-2000 indicates that it will be closely comparable to the US Joint Strike Fighter, operating in both the air-to-air and air-to-surface roles.
The aircraft comes from a long line of Mikoyan lightweight fighters, such as the MiG-15 and MiG-21. It is about the same size as the MiG-21 (shorter by 1.3m but wider by 4.5m), but noticeably smaller than its immediate predecessor, the MiG-29. Take-off weight is estimated at around 12 tonnes; maximum take-off weight at about 16 tonnes.
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In early 2002 Sukhoi was chosen as prime contractor for the planned Russian fifth-generation fighter is called the PAK FA [ Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks Frontovoi Aviatsyi - Future Air Complex for Tactical Air Forces]. This intermediate class twin-engined fighter will be larger than a MiG-29 and smaller than a Su-27.
The aircraft will feature a long combat radius, supersonic cruise speed, low radar cross section, supermaneuverability, and the ability to make short takeoffs and landings. In accordance with the technical requirements, the PAK FA will have a normal takeoff weight of 20 tons, which is close to the average normal takeoff weight of the two American airplanes, the F-35 JSF (17.2 tons) and the F-22 (24 tons). The new fighter (a medium version) will have a traditional wing form, though the experience gathered as a result of Berkut's test flights will be taken in consideration when designing the fighter. It is supposed that it will be created using the Stealth technology, and equipped with two AL-41F engines by the Saturn scientific and industrial enterprise, a radar system with an active phased array (to all appearances, it will be produced by the Fazatron-NIIR corporation), and high-precision weapons.
The government commission decided on 26 April 2002 to choose the Sukhoi holding company as the head company to develop and produce the fighter of the fifth generation. The prototype of the PAK FA would take-off in 2006 and that in 2010 the aircraft would be ready for series production. The first deliveries, both for Russian armed forces and for export, would be possible in 2011-12.
The new airplane is being proposed to be brought from the concept design to a prototype series in less than 9 years. Historically, fourth and fifth generation fighters have not been created in less than 15 years. The Russian government has promised to allocate 1.5 billion dollars for the PAK FA through 2010. But the Russian Air Force is receiving less than 200 million dollars a year during this period, and will spend it primarily on other needs.
The prices and sources of funding will determine the destiny of the whole program. To date officials agree that the program will cost $1.5 billion. However, $1.5 billion is the sum needed for creating a new generation of avionics for the fighter (considering the fact that pre-production models of the phased array have already been produced, and will soon be tested). Completion of the AL-41F engine (present readiness is 30 percent) will require, in the opinion of the boss of Rosaviakosmos, 600 - 800 million dollars. Saturn said that launching of production of the AL-41F engine would take $150 million. An improved version of the AL-31F will be used on the aircraft originally (though it is not clear how these heavy motors are reconciled with the concept of a 20-ton fighter). The upgrade of these engines will require expenditures of 1.2-1.5 billion dollars. And finally, designers will have to spend several hundred millions of dollars on creating a new airframe.
According to some reports, India and Russia have agreed to jointly develop this fifth-generation fighter, under a scheduled with entery into service in 2009. This would be the first such joint development venture between the two countries.
