Sukhoi PAK FA

The Sukhoi PAK FA (Perspektivny aviatsionny kompleks frontovoy aviatsii, literally "Future Frontline Aircraft System") is a fifth generation fighter aircraft being developed bySukhoi OKB for the Russian Air Force.

The current prototype is Sukhoi's T-50[11]. The PAK FA when fully developed is intended to replace the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker in the Russian inventory and serve as the basis of the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA project being developed with India. A fifth generation jet fighter, it is designed to directly compete with the American F-22 Raptor and American/British F-35 Lightning II. The T-50 performed its first flight January 29, 2010. Second flight was on February, 6. Third one on February, 12.

Although most of information about the PAK FA is classified, it is believed from interviews with people in the Russian Air Force and defense ministry that it will be stealthy, have the ability to supercruise, be outfitted with the next generation of air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-ship missiles, incorporate a fix-mounted AESA radar with a 1,500-element array and have an "artificial intellect".

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 22 m (72 ft)
• Wingspan: 14.2 m (46.5 ft)
• Height: 6.05 m (19.8 ft)
• Wing area: 78.8 m² (848.1 ft)
• Empty weight: 18,500 kg (40,785 lb)
• Loaded weight: 26,000 kg (57,320 lb)
• Useful load: 7,500 kg (combat load) (16,534 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 37,000 kg (81,570 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× New unnamed engine by NPO Saturn and FNPTS MMPP Salyut of 175 kN each^[31][38]
• Maximum Fuel weight: 10,300 kg (22,711 lb) ^[36]

Performance

• Maximum speed: 2,600 km/h (Mach 2.45) (at 17,000 m altitude) (1,615 mph (at 45,000 ft altitude))
• Cruise speed: 1,300 - 1,800 km/h (808 - 1,118 mph)
• Range: 4,000-5,500 km^{[dubious – discuss]} (2,500-3,100 miles)
• Service ceiling: 20,000 m (65,616 ft)
• Rate of climb: 350 m/sec (1184 ft/sec)
• Wing loading: 330(normal) - 470(maximum) kg/m² (67(normal) - 96(maximum) lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 1.4
• Maximum g-load: +10.0/+11.0 g ^[36]

Armament

• Guns: 1×30mm GSh-30-1
• Hardpoints: 10 internal, 6 external for R-74M Archer and R-77M Adder missiles

Avionics
N050(?)BRLS AFAR/AESA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22fN4fVoFdY&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTdiEaEJ9wI&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpQ-mToRvn8&feature=related

Some Comments

Brilliant Russians solved the wheel well and air intake trans-sonic problems by mating the spaces together. Look at the air intakes. a bump in the air intake will build a pressure wave forward diverting airflow as needed away from the intakes above Mach 1.
The wheel wells form a trans-sonic chin within the intakes. Brilliant use of space. That frees up space to reduce the stealth weapons bay belly. 1-2-3, the design issues solved.

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It has strongly S-curved intakes. There will be no turbine blade radar signatures. This thing could come up on you and nobody would know till it was all over.

The main difference between the T-50 and the F-22 is the aft configuration. The T-50 has a massive radar and missile module between the engines, while the F-22 just has a small pod. On the one had the F-22 shields it's heat signature better, but has virtually no aft protection. The aft defensive tail on the T-50 is so massive, probably with passive and phased array radars that it could detect any threat and begin to outrun it. I doubt any F-22 could catch the T-50 and get close enough from behind to launch missiles to begin with.

That's the largest aft phased arrray (likely) on any fighter today. So the Russians said forget trying to hide the heat of 17 ton thrust engines and just go for intelligence-threat warning and do a premeptive escape. While the F-22 is so slow, that it can be easily tracked from 45 degrees from the rear on either side of dead center.