Multirole fighter / Advanced Aircraft System of Front-Line Air Forces (PAK FA)
Su-57 / T-50 was created by Sukhoi Design Bureau within the framework of the I-21 advanced fifth generation fighter development program. Development of the aircraft was started by Sukhoi Design Bureau in late 1990s. In April-May of 2001 a tender for the I-21 / PAK FA program was put out where Sukhoi Design Bureau and MiG Design Bureau took part, both cooperating with Yakovlev Design Bureau in working out the vertical take-off project. The state committee made a decision upon consideration of tender results in the beginning of 2002 - the tender was won by Sukhoi Design Bureau’s project of T-50 aircraft (Chief Designer - A.Davidenko). Performance specifications were issued by the Russia’s Ministry of Defense in July of 2002. The draft project of T-50 was completed by the Design Bureau in November of 2004 and approved by the Russia’s Ministry of Defense in December of 2004. By the beginning of 2006 the wind-tunnel test of the airframe had been completed.
Production of the Т-50-0 model identical in design commenced at KnAAPO (Komsomolsk-on-Amur) in November of 2006. In April of 2007 the Air Forces authorities approved the T-50 mockup, issue of design documentation was in progress. In August of 2008 development of the design documentation set was completed, drawings were transmitted to KnAAPO for T-50 pre-production. Assembly of the pre-production batch of flying prototypes (T-50-KNS and Т-50-1) began in December of 2007.
On the 22nd of January Т-50-1 ran on the runway of Dzyomgi, the KnAAPO Airport, with the nose landing gear retracted and drag parachute deployed. Finally, on the 29 of January, 2010, at 11:19 (local time) Sergey Bogdan, the pilot, performed the 47-minute-long maiden flight of Т-50-1.
The first instance of Т-50 / PAK FA, 29.01.2010 (by Sukhoi Design Bureau).
On the 10th of October, 2012 the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation announced that mass production of the Т-50 / PAK FA export version would commence not earlier than in 2020. In 2014 tests of Т-50 started in the State Air Forces Flight Test Center of Russia No. 929. On the 9th of January, 2017 mass production of T-50 for the Air Forces of Russia by KnAAPO was reported to have commenced. On the 11th of August, 2017 the army name of T-50, that is Su-57, was officially announced.
Su-57 in the Air Forces of Russia
Delivery of Su-57 production aircrafts to the Air Forces of Russia is expected to take place in 2018-2019. In February of 2018, trial combat operation of Su-57 fighter was announced to have started.
Aircraft design
Normal two-finned aerodynamic configuration. All-moving horizontal and vertical fins. The aircraft design has been developed considering the maximum possible reduction of radar, infrared and optical signatures of the aircraft. The wing root is fitted with a moving strake that substitutes for the canard. 70% of the aircraft skin is made of carbon fiber polymer composites by VIAM. The total share of composite materials in the airframe structures accounts for at least 40% (according to VIAM) or approximately 25% (by Sukhoi Design Bureau).
Propulsion system
The first pre-production and production Т-50 / Su-57 aircrafts - 2 х afterburning turbofan “117А article” / АL-41F-1А with digital control system and "4++" generation thrust vector controlled in two planes with 14,700-15,000 kg augmented thrust and time between overhauls of 4,000 hours.
Su-57 production aircrafts manufactured after 2020 - 2 х afterburning turbofan “article 30” with digital control system and thrust vector controlled in two planes with 17,000-18,000 kg augmented thrust.
Combat characteristics of the aircraft
Crew - 1 person
Length - 19.7 m
Wing span - 14 m
Height - 4.8 m
Wing area - 82 sq. m
Wing sweep - 48 degrees
Takeoff weight – 37,000 kg
Normal takeoff weight – 30,610 kg
Empty weight – 18,500 kg
Thrust-to-weight - 0.98-1.13
Fuel weight – 11,100 kg (in internal tanks)
Payload weight - up to 10,000 kg
Maximum speed – 2,600 km/h (at the altitude)
Unaugmented cruising speed - 1.47 m
Service ceiling – 20,000 m
Flight range (unrefueled):
◊ with external fuel tank – 5,500 km
◊ without external fuel tank – 4,300 km
Takeoff run - 350-400 m
Landing run - 350-400 m
Maximum load factor - 10-11 G
Fourth Т-50 / PAK FA (by Sukhoi Design Bureau).
Armament
1 х 9А1-4071К 30-mm gun (version of GSh-30-1 gun). The gun is mounted in the starboard wing strake.
Missile-bomb weapons are located in the weapon bay and on the external store
Versions:
◊ Air-to-air missiles of RVV-MD, RVV-SD and RVV-BD types;
◊ Air-to-surface missiles of Kh-38, Kh-58UShKE, Kh-59МК types, KAB-500 guided bombs, etc.
◊ The aircraft may carry regular air bombs and containers with various weapon payload.
The first instance of Т-50 / PAK FA, 29.01.2010 (by Sukhoi Design Bureau).
Equipment
◊ Multi-purpose phased-array radar with Sh-121 / N036 "Belka" developed by V.V. Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design.
Detection range - over 400 km (large radar-contrast targets)
Simultaneous tracking of up to 60 targets
Simultaneous engagement of up to 16 targets
◊ Air-borne and wing-mounted phased-array radars;
◊ OLS-50М optical locator system. Ensures detection of targets within optical (TV channel) and infrared (infrared imaging system) bands.
◊ Electronic counter-measure equipment.
◊ Aircraft control system - fly-by-wire. The aircraft is fitted with the refueling system.
◊ Ejection seat of new type.
Modifications:
Т-50 - pre-production prototypes and pre-series aircrafts for factory and operational tests. The maiden flight - 2010.
Su-57 - first production Su-57 aircrafts for the Air Forces of Russia with “117A article” engines (first-stage engine).
Second-stage Su-57 - production aircrafts with “article 30” engines (second-stage engines). Delivery of the aircrafts to the Air Forces of Russia is expected after 2020.
The agreement for the batch of 76 Su-57 fighters was signed at the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019.
