That doesn’t really answer the question. I wasn’t trying to imply that the Flanker was slow or some sort of inferior aerodynamic design.
Basically the question is: which is the draggier design at say, Mach 1.6 – 2.0, between Su-27 and F-15, between T-50 and F-22?

Dry thrust on the F110-GE-132 = 19,100 lb – as fitted to Block 60 F-16 of the UAE air force. I would imagine 19,100 lb dry thrust is not far off from the 117S dry thrust figure. How good a supercruiser is the Block 60?

But will they be able to catch a B-52?

That’s a good question. MiG-21 had a hard time catching the B-52 in 1968.

So you guys think it’s talk to give the impression it’s a widespread a/c (or will be in widespread service) and thus more tempting for other potential operators ?

Something like that – a kind of marketing process to talk up the Su-35 as an aircraft that is on the brink of a major sales coup. If nobody else’s air force would contemplate buying the Su-35 – why should your’s?

IMO it is in fact the new powerplant, which could be a usefull gap-filler until the WS-15 is ready or even more be a replacement for the current AL-31F/FN.

It’s an expensive method of ‘gap-filling’, 2 billion+ USD or so? The Chinese could develop a whole new engine for its J-20 (or C919) at that price?

Ok, i believe it this time, and congrats to both parts

You would almost believe it by now, wouldn’t you, seeing as it’s coming from a Rosoboronexport guy. But it’s still vague language: ‘talks are ongoing’, ‘in 2014’, ‘discussing the technical outlook of the plane’, etc. No contract has been signed.

During 1991 desert storm = none AFAIK (the two US kill claims NOT VERIFIED BY IRAQIS)

The only significant ‘combat’ operation that the Iraqi AF performed that anyone can really recall during Desert Storm was when around 90-100 Iraqi pilots immediately fled to Iran – the country they had been fighting a deadly war for 8 years previously.

I wouldn’t trust Iraqi statistics from the 1991 war – or even their ability to compile them.

I wouldn’t call the article “bullcrap” – ramping up series production of a completely new type is always a slow and expensive process. But here:

All four flying prototypes of the T-50 were planned to perform a diamond formation flight for the opening day of the show, however no more than three of the aircraft could be made flight worthy in time for the opening by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on 27 August.

probably a bit unfair to criticise the fact that one of the aircraft was not available – they are test articles, not service aircraft, so you can’t expect 100% reliability. Maybe the powers-that-be could be criticised for expecting that all 4 aircraft would have been available (if there is truth to the idea that that was the original plan)?