There are fan boys on both sides.

I’m really only interested in filtering out the din they create and getting a technical/operational discussion based on the very little we know.

What irks me is that so many of the contributers to the thread offer skepticism on the other sides capabilities, yet have what appears to be almost blind faith in their own chosen aircrafts abilities.

jessmo, on the one hand you declare the PAK-FA needs saw tooth edges to be an equal to the F-22/35, yet on the other you state the F-35 doesn’t because it uses RF wizardry to negate the effects on RCS. Therefore, you are declaring, without any knowledge, that Sukhoi aren’t using a similar technology, or even an entirely different, yet practical solution on the PAK-FA.

How can you do that? Because Sukhoi haven’t declared that they’re doing it? They’ve never been great at advertising the minute details of projects vital to guarding their nations security really though, have they?

The current flying example of the PAK-FA strikes me as being mostly an aerodynamic and weapons system test bed. I think we’ll see quite fundamental changes between it and later prototypes.

To that end – I don’t think the PAK-FA, if it’s introduced to service in 2015 will be the finished article, but I expect them to be continually updated from that point – somewhat akin to the Gripen C -> Gripen NG upgrade path.

A shout out to djcross and his sober analysis, I like reading his posts.

I also agree with Otaku that not all is what it seems with the T-50’s inlets, but am open to being proved wrong 🙂

For me, the PAK-FA represents Russia’s effort to regain its position as at the sharp end of fighter design, it also represents a wider push by Russia to put itself at the forefront of at least some areas of R&D.

If it doesn’t go down this road, if it doesn’t push itself, it will be overtaken and become just another consumer of foreign aircraft.

It’s the same for every country. The financial cost is a huge burden – but compare that to the cost of losing R&D expertise.

With that reality, I see them pulling out all the stops to make this an aircraft worthy of the RuAF and a worthy adversary of the F-22/F-35 and I believe, in time, it will be.

Claims of ultimate superiority of a mature T-50, versus a mature F-22/35, should be taken with a grain of salt – each will have weaknesses, each will have strengths. Quite a few of these probably wont be public knowledge until they’re in museums and we’re old men.

Meet you all back here for a trolling session in 60 years.

Ah, the beautiful Bucc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbGmNvvxNJo

I’ll have to get across to Brunti some day and spend the day drooling over Victors, Buccs and Lightnings 🙂

Just have to say I really admire the people who maintain these aircraft, you do a great job.

Thanks for the photo and the info! I assumed their mission was as basic trainers, but it seems I was quite wrong. Quite a variety of missions they are tasked with it seems. Nice to see of an operator that utilizes the good, sound design of the Cessna 172 for a variety of mission types.

That’s the kinda stuff I was looking for when I started the thread….I just think it would be interesting to discuss all the various roles that these aircraft are put through by operators all over the world.

Keep it coming!

I believe this thread will be of interest to you:

http://www.worldairpics.com/forum/index.php?topic=2160.0

🙂

Yeah that was sloppy messing around, here you go MadRat:

Dorsal spine removed, lengthed fuselage for more fuel and to redistribute weight, reprofiled belly (wish I could do that with mine)

Undercarriage moved from wings to underside

And before anyone starts – I’m not suggesting this was ever: practical, logical or desirable, it’s just an exercise in distraction 🙂

Original lightning profile taken from Wikipedia

Her last hurrah – Desert Storm, new hump, in flight refueling probe – heavily laden with fuel, acting as laser designator 😉

Here’s my rushed and very poorly drawn fighter offering, well, interceptor… of sorts.

It’s 1955 and the RAF is concerned that it will be unable to sufficiently defend against a mass Soviet bomber attack on Britain. It decides to marry the under development Blue Steel nuclear missile with a dedicated air defence/early warning airframe, with the aim of destroying vast formations far from the mainland.

An airframe between the size of the Canberra and Valiant and based on their technology, is hurriedly designed, giving us the EE Vigilant :p

are we likely to see the T-50 get some kind of thermal coating over the engine section?

Here’s a very ugly and basic 2d representation of my earlier idea:

Again, sharing avionics/systems developed for existing aircraft for economies of scale.

Optimised for low level scooting around home airspace, passive detection.

Simplified weapons bay: recessed, with drop shield

Can double as Advanced/LIFT

But probably an outdated concept in this day and age

… wow… just..

wow

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=96274

😀