Russia has invested more money in the project; you would expect that they get a higher share of the manufacture. The main Soviet aircraft factories were inherited by Russia, except Aviant (Kiev-Ukraine) and TAPO (Taskent-Uzbekistan).

Apparently, if An-124 production resumes, it would take place in Aviastar (Ulyanovsk-Russia), and not Kiev. Aviastar will also produce Il-476.

Also Mil’s Kazan plant. That, at least, isn’t wanting for work.

Yes, I’ve heard that. I guess UAC wants to specialise Aviastar in heavy transport aircraft…

http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2012/0217/095511661/detail.shtml

Ukraine and Russia moving into final stage before An-70 mass production.

http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2011/1019/153010040/detail.shtml

Serdykov says plan is to start An-70 production in Russia in 2014.

What about Ukraine? At this rate their domestic aircraft manufacturing capability will be lost entirely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5BtwZi883kc#!

Awesome MiG-23 footage.

Thanks. It’s a pity the IAF didn’t take the proposed MiG-23-98 upgrade. Better that than the legion of un-upgraded MiG-21 rustbuckets they’re still flying.

What idiocy. Can’t believe people actually fall for this amateur crap, as if it will affect production PAK-FA.

If I was the Chinese, I would be a little more concerned with their own program, like making engines. :p

The thing is the first 3 prototypes have all had that configuration with only minor changes, so there’s a fair chance the final production version will still look a lot like it.:(

Pity the new engine with flat nozzles won’t be ready till 2016. If they had started development on it back in 2005-6 when the PAK-FA was in the conception phase then it’d be flying with them by now…

I dont think anyone here can/will provide details on RAM coatings for the PAK-FA. Witcha; do you have a link that confirms that this “fiber mat” was actually implemented on the F-35? Please answer in the F-35 thread.

I worked a little bit on structural structural RAM, or RAS as it was called, on the Skjold class in 1999/2000. The hull structure was glassfibre sandwich (largely radar transparent), and the radar absorbing “magic” mats could be employed through the full thickness of the sandwich core. The “magic” mat came from Britain btw, and it was subjected to strict export restrictions (government to government).

IMHO it is not easy to apply it on panels fastened with rivets or screws, like on the F-35 or other aircraft. All screws and rivets must be covered afterwards anyway. It does not work to well for carbonfibre skin either, as this is about as radar transparent as cast iron. Probably more useful for smaller single piece moulded components like ailerons, stabilators etc.

Well, it’s mentioned in pretty much every general article about the F-35, so it’s hard to miss. Here’s a specific article.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2010/05/17/10.xml

As to how they managed to apply it, the F-35 surface seems pretty smooth to my untrained eye, and I recall an old article about how important surface smoothness is to stealth(one quoted example was an F-117 test revealing a significant spike in radar signature because of a protruding rivet).

And perhaps this accounts for some of that gigantic development cost?;)

Do any of the trainers on offer have the in flight refueling capability the USAF is looking for?

Its seems like Ministry of Home Affairs wants its own fleet (instead of borrowing from already stressed out IAF and IA fleet) for logistics support and COIN operations to be shared by BSF, CRPF and ITBP

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120221/jsp/nation/story_15161198.jsp

And they are still “tendering” the aircraft. :facepalm:

Why can’t they simply order whatever the IAF, IA are using ? This is the height of bureaucratic ineptitude where nobody wants to do the right thing and wants to follow procedures instead.

The UPA has been mortally afraid of single-vendor deals in case they get yet more allegations(and even worse, truthful allegations) of corruption for bribery and favoritism. Hence the artillery fiasco, the MMRCA circus, the Project 76I submarine tender that’s yet to take off despite being considered since 2006) and so on. For similar reason every transaction also has miles of red tape and long, detailed procedures to be faithfully followed.

Also lesser-known delays like the tender for a new Hummvee-style light transport vehicle for the army(RFIs originally issued to 7-8 indian manufacturers in 2007 or so, contenders like Mahindra Axe still under trial), the FICV program to replace the obsolete BMP-1/2s(DRDO showed an ‘Abhay’ technology demonstrator and interest was shown from multiple Indian private vendors as well, but it never moved forward), the Indian Navy’s medium-range MPA tender(cancelled and re-started twice, I believe), the Sea King replacement helo tender(also cancelled and re-started at least once), the tender for acquiring amphibs for the Coast Guard etc.

The few single-vendor deals they’ve approved are ‘repeat orders’ by the same customer(Mi-17s and Su-30MKIs for the IAF) and govt-to-govt FMS deals with the US. And a few deals that began in the NDA era like the Vikramaditya and Scorpene sale.

http://lenta.ru/news/2012/02/21/helos/

MOD declares tender for 45 light helicopters. Wants to spend no more than 6.6 billion rubles on the purchase. Report mentions the MOD wants 15 single engine and 30 twin engine choppers. Eurocopter choice possible.

With the Ansat, Ka-226 and Mi-34 all wanting for orders, highly unlikely.