EE, Vishno Som also seem to believe that this rumor is correct… so it’s not just Stratpost and Livefist. But of course this is India so we should wait for the official confirmation.

In a way I would not be too surprised if no US plane is short listed. My understanding is that they will need to pick the cheapest. Also if L1 is driving this; which one will be cheapest, Rafale or Typhoon 😉

Not necessarily the cheapest per se, but the one who offers the best industrial offsets & comprehensive ToT. This is where EADS is particularly strong.
The official announcement is expected tomorrow or on the 29th.

I’m really surprised that Dassault Aviation hasn’t even offered India some sort of partnership like EADS has with the Tiffy.

It’s rumoured Dassault offered partnership in nEUROn (imho, it could be the crucial and only deal clincher for the Rafale) as you know it ain’t cheap!
Of course, french unions may yet influence the MMRCA outcome.

I was assured by Scooter that the Super Hornet would win. What the hell. 😡

I was assured by Scooter that the F-35 would win. What the hell. 😡

The 786th training wing @ Borisoglebsk receives 5 new Yak-130s from Nizhnii-Novgorod on 6th April:

More:

http://www.missiles.ru/Yak-130_Borisoglebsk_2011_foto.htm

T-50-2’s first flight video, 03/03/11 (wmv):

http://www.sukhoi.org/gallery/?id=5520&gallery_id=99&cur_gallery_id=99

Mi-26T2 cockpit:

Nice find on that prototype Mi-28 TR1, takes me back to my childhood.

Easy flateric, PP’s the “apple in the front grille” guy- which means he’s not to be taken seriously. witcha’s probably the same guy who painted the J-20’s nozzles and the surrounding zig-zags- love the show-boating ‘philosophy’- but didn’t get invited to the big-wig’s ball…aaah poor Cinderfella :(, and quadbike, didn’t you know the journos in Kerela are an authority on PAK-FA? 😀

Adding to changes to 50-2: the large air-data probe on the starboard side, just behind the canopy has been replaced by an oval embedded sensor.

Hope to see more high-res. pics soon!

Looks like the appearance of 50-2 has made a certain gang really MAAAD!!! RAAAAHHH!!kapedaniRAAAAAAAHH!!!

RCS speculation I am going to leave the Sukhoi engineers. 😉

The Japanese concur with Sukhoi- that’s a statement of fact. Anyone who doesn’t pay due attention and wants to engage in endless tail-chasing is free to do so ;).

Amazing, I had never thought anybody was considering PAK-FA´s canopy as a signifigant (co)definer of it´s level of stealth.
I had taken the leaked tender as an indication of a planned one-piece canopy, but didn´t hold it´s absence/presence as crucial to RCS reduction… Rather just more pertinent to it´s visual looks (clear line of sight for pilot being the only operational advantage I assumed for a single-piece canopy, though I don´t really think that´s such a huge difference in reality).

Regarding things underneath the coated glass, I´d expect that besides the helmet, the ejection seat is going to be alot bigger signature item than the frame. Assuming they need to make the frame of metallics to begin with (?), edge alignment seems alot easier there than the ejection seat and various other gear inside the cockpit.

The leaked MoD document details cockpit ‘furniture’ RCS reduction as a top priority, with stringent requirements. It doesn’t overtly attribute such qualities to a one-piece canopy. For a fighter designed to fly & fight (including WVR) @ supersonic speeds the 2-piece canopy has safety qualities, as haavarla suggested above. IIrc, Test Pilot David Cooley was killed instantly by huge wind-sheer forces after ejecting from his F-22, anything that can protect the pilot in such an eventuality can only be a bonus (though given the extreme circumstances of Cooley’s ejection, I doubt a 2-piece would’ve saved him either).

Trident, you need an eye test!