Absurd comparison – YF-22 and JSF looked terrible in many aspects of stealth.
Actually, he’s right, there are numerous RCS issues with the PAK FA from the front and side aspects, very large ones. Some rely on technology developments, others require a complete departure from the classic design used.
RCS any lower than that of a Super Hornet
Hate to say it, but he’s partially correct here. There’s not many reasons why the PAK FA would have a frontal RCS lower than a “clean” superhornet. There are numerous issues with the T-50’s front aspect that require technology advances and aerodynamics changes to fix (I’m not talking about the engines).
From the side, naturally its better than the super. Not better than the J-20 from the side or F-35 from front and side, and not better than the F-22 and YF-23 from any aspect.
Sample comparison of small lower fuselage cross sections of the F-22 (left) and T-50. You can ignore the dBSM values (values aren’t shown anyway) that don’t take materials into account, but as the samples are to scale, it shows the effectiveness of the simple and regularly shaped F-22 against radars to the side and below the aircraft (effectively all radars for the two aircraft in this sample due to their high operating altitudes).

Typical discussion on this site unfortunately. Don’t know the reason for all the heated size discussion, RCS reasons or for predicting its role?
A mere 2m extra length is irrelavent to RCS, it’s angles that matter. Its side aspect RCS is broken anyway until they can significantly shrink those actuators on the wings and clean up that disco ball on the back end.
🙂
http://russianplanes.net/images/to83000/082697.jpg
http://russianplanes.net/images/to83000/082695.jpg053 landing at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDtjw_4IcpU&feature=player_embedded
Are those photos from the same event? They had 2 on the tarmac, but only one in the air …. problems or just using one as a spare?
I guess US fans will try to find any good reason why F-22 lost. They have to justify billions spent for development.
However, I think stealth and supercruise will not win battles in the future. Opponents are not so stupid to sit in the air and wait for Raptor to launch AIM-120 missiles.
I guess even F-22 has to emit radar signal to get firing solution. Yes, there is LPI mode, but opponents will learn about this mode soon enough. LPI mode or not, radar is still emitting signals. At 250 km, as US is bragging about radar range. And other can detect it :diablo:. So stealth is of no use … And not to forget Russian anti-radar air-to-air missiles.
Also IRST is getting more and more popular with other air forces. Supercruise mode is quite hot and F-22 looks like zit on top of the nose at 60.000 feet.
But it’s still cool plane. Just to much electronics to fix aerodynamics problems … Lockheed should do homework first …
The insightful, quality analyses just keep comin from this site don’t they? 😀
neither are invincible…
F-16 vs Typhoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAedQ7FMiKo
T-38 vs F-22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgOFAQX25Ws
LM is not in specialized Radar business but more like low cost effort. and i dont think iit is VHF AESA radar.
LM system is 10kw with 220km range against 10sqm targets.
Nebo is 30kw. 1sqm at 370km at medium altitude.
Just by specifiction newer systems are 10 times better and that is 5 year old tech.
What are the MDS and Loss values for both systems? After all to double range by power alone, you need a signal 16 times more powerful, not just 3 times.
You can’t compare an active low band radar to a passive system based on those numbers. One will only ever have the lowest frontal RCS of an aircraft or missile pointing at it while the other will get fleeting glimpses of the extremely large RCS aspects of the subjects.
Something that gets me with these passive systems is that they need to be spread out to effectively detect targets. As part of the IADS they still need to communicate with the other nodes, so they are not entirely passive.
What on earth is this wall of text supposed to be about?
about getting people to click on links if u ask me….
Could we be looking at a UCAV with su-25 capabilities?. Flateric said that sukhoi was given money some years ago to develop a strike UCAV
Seems to be what the US is up to with the A-10..
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Unmanned_version_of_A-10_on_way_999.html
Well it was a really active thread with numerous posts being added every day, then suddenly went quiet. Its move so many pages back I can’t even find it.
Security lockdown, or no flights since december?
Where did the J-20 thread go? Any update on it or has it crashed?
As of 2010, according to one intelligence publication, they had…
35 Mig-29 A and S
60 Mig-23
30 Mig-21
120 J-7
110 J-5
40 F-7
30 Su-25
20 Su-7
100 J-6
80 H-5
Sa-2,3,5
platform flexibiliy and force multiplier, is the only reasons. I think f-35 will have similar racks for external loads. I also wonder what happens with whose gps guide systems in a hi-jam scenario. Irak dont count.
The newer SDB II’s have GPS, INS + a Tri-mode Seeker (semi-active laser + IR + radar) for autonomous targetting in the end-game.
INS could most likely get it close enough to the target for the seeker to take over.
One thing to question about the nutters who think they can predict the economic future …. Why are they not smoking cigars in the high rollers room with Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and co. ?
Similar thing in development elsewhere as well. Seems to be an addon to existing rockets like JDAM kits.
Vid from LM about the final raptor. Nice clips near the end from 8:20.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYEx9BiJNfE
Despite the budgetry issues with the program and recent OBOGS difficulties, you certainly have to appreciate the job they did with the VLO design. That aircraft is damn clean, they really did it right.