General Background
The T-50/Su-57 prototype first flew on January 29, 2010 and as of March 2018 there are 10 Su-57 prototypes and were renamed Felons that year. This is Russia’s first stealth aircraft and was designed to cope with the F-22 and F-35. The Su-57 is made from extensive use of composite material and radar absorbing material (RAM). The original AL-41F-1 engine is under powered and will be replaced by an Izdelie 30 which is under development. The Felon has super maneuverability, super-cruise, thrust-vectoring nozzles. Russia ordered 76 Su-57s.
The Aircraft
Su-57 Felon Blue 054 was the 4th flyable prototype T-50-4 and the first aircraft equipped with a complete set of avionics. The aircraft completed its maiden flight on December 12, 2012. This aircraft wears a slightly different pixelated white/blue camouflage than that of the first aircraft. This scheme is supposed to make it difficult to see the aircraft from the ground or the air. An earlier Su-57 wore Bort 054 and painted with a splinter camouflage and speculation is this was the same airframe but it was repainted.
Specifications
- First Prototype Flight: 2010
- Role: Stealth, Single-seat, Twin-engine, Multirole Fifth Generation Jet Fighter
- Crew: 1 pilot
- Dimensions
- Length: 65 ft 11 in (20.1 m)
- Wingspan : 46 ft 3 in (14.1 m)
- Height: 15 ft 7 in (4.74 m)
- Weight
- Empty: 39,683 lb (18,000 kg)
- Loaded: 55,116 lb (25,000 kg)
- Maximum Takeoff: 77,162 lb (35,000 kg)
- Powerplant
- Used In Initial Production: 2 X Saturn AL-41F1 Turbofans with Thrust Vectoring 20,900 lbf (93.kN) Thrust Per Engine Dry / 33,100 lbf (147.2 nK) with Afterburner
- Engine Under Development For Later Releases: 2 X izdeliye 30 Turbofans with Thrust Vectoring 24,300 lbf (107.9 kN) Thrust Each Dry / 39,700 lbf (176.6 nK) with Afterburner
- Performance
- Maximum Speed : Mach 2 (1,320 mph) (2,120 km/h) @ Altitude
- Mach 1.6 (1,060 mph) (1,710 km/h) Supercruise @ Altitude
- Range: 2,200 mi (3,500 km) Subsonic / with 2 outboard fuel tanks 2,796 mi (4,500 km)
- Service ceiling: 66,000 ft (20,000 m)
- Armament
- Gun: 1 X 30mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 Autocannon
- Hardpoints: 12 X 6 internal, 6 external
- Missiles
- Air-To-Air
- 4 X RVV-MD
- 2 X R-73
- R-37M
- Air-To-Surface
- 4 X Kh-35ME, Kh-59MK2
- Anti-ship
- 2 X Kh-35E, 31
- Anti-radiation
- 4 X Kh-58UShKE
- Bombs
- 250, 500, 1,500 kg Guided Bombs
- Anti-tank “Drill 500 kg Cluster Bombs + Active Homing