The new Russian fighter is the equal of the F 22, something the experts said would never happen. That’s why the Obama administration killed the program. Oh Oh.
Analysis of PAK-FA prototype airframe aerodynamic features shows a design which is superior to all Western equivalents, providing ‘extreme agility’, superior to that of the Su-35S, through much of the flight envelope. This is accomplished by the combined use of 3D thrust vector control of the engine nozzles, all moving tail surfaces, and refined aerodynamic design with relaxed directional static stability and careful mass distribution to control inertial effects. The PAK-FA is fitted with unusually robust high sink rate undercarriage, intended for STOL operations.
Disclosures indicate that the avionic suite and systems fit will be derived from the Su-35S design, with the important difference in the use of an very high power-aperture product X-band multimode primary AESA radar. Five AESA apertures are intended for production PAK-FA aircraft. The highly integrated avionic suite is intended to provide similar data fusion and networking capabilities to the F-22A Raptor.
The available evidence demonstrates at this time that a mature production PAK-FA design has the potential to compete with the F-22A Raptor in VLO performance from key aspects, and will outperform the F-22A Raptor aerodynamically and kinematically. Therefore, from a technological strategy perspective, the PAK-FA renders all legacy US fighter aircraft, and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, strategically irrelevant and non-viable after the PAK-FA achieves IOC in 2015.
Maybe some rethinking is in order.
However, future fighters are going to be mostly UAVs anyway. Like this one.
Looks kind of nasty, doesn’t it ?
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First of all, Doc, I’m not buying that you’ve posted the last word on which fighter is the “best.”
I recall looking into this issue many months – perhaps even a year – ago and after extensive research coming to the conclusion that the F-22 was the superior aircraft.
In any case, lets see how many the Russians can build, how many pilots they can train to anything approaching U.S. standards, how their air tactics measure up in wargaming scenarios (which granted we only have minimum “public access” to) and the like.
The Russians (and the Soviets before them) have a long history of “claims” (even “verified” by third parties) that when put to the test (“missile gap anyone…???) turn out to be more claim than fact.
BILL
They built some damn fine airplanes.
Doc.
“They build some damn fine airplanes” is a statement of fact, but it doesn’t counter what I wrote.
Hey… do your own research if the topic really interests you.
Frankly, I’d like to hear what our own F-22 pilots have to say, but since I don’t know any…
(*SMILE*)
Seriously, doc, I’m (as always!) keeping an open mind. I’m just reiterating that when you and I first discussed this topic back on Frum’s site in “the old days” I distinctly recall researching the subject fairly thoroughly.
(*SHRUG*)
BILL