PAK FA T-50 amid snow. (Photo : Russian Air Force)
Russia has taken to releasing new photos of its overhyped Sukhoi PAK FA T-50 prototype as part of an ongoing "Maskirovka," or a military deception campaign aimed at making this stealth fighter appear more formidable than it really is.
The new images on state-owned Russian websites show one of 12 T-50 prototypes, the T-50-8, on a snow-covered airfield. They were released by the plane's maker, the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant.
The story accompanying the photos said the T-50 "will come with advanced radar-evading stealth technology and a powerful 9-A1-4071K cannon which has a range of 1,800 meters and can fire at a rate of 1,800 rounds per minute."
It claims the "cutting-edge aircraft" costs $50 million apiece, "but its capabilities are thought to be worth the hefty price tag."
The T-50 can allegedly reach a top speed of 2,440 km/h. It has a battle range of 5,500 km. It's being developed the Sukhoi Company, one of Russia's leading aviation companies, to replace its Sukhoi Su-27 supermaneuverable air superiority fighter currently in service with the Russian Air Force.
In contrast, western military sources say the T-50 has a maximum speed at altitude of 2,140 km/h and a range of 3,500 km. The 5,500 km claimed battle range actually refers to the ferry range of the T-50, which is how far the plane can go without weapons.
The claimed cost per aircraft of only $50 million is also an exaggeration with western analysts claiming it might cost up to $100 million each, a price tag that will limit the number ordered by the Russian Air Force.
PAK FA should finally see service by 2025 after it receives new jet engines that only recently completed their first ground tests. That is, if Putin's cash-strapped Russia can cough-up the money to finance its most expensive aircraft.
The new engine will replace the engine currently powering the 12 prototype T-50s under evaluation: the upgraded Saturn AL-41F1 (izdeliye 117) turbofan.
Engine builder United Engine Corporation (UEC) reported a successful first ground-based ignition of the new demonstrator engine for the T-50 identified as the "second-stage engine." UEC refers to the upgraded AL-41F1 (izdeliye 117) as the "first-stage engine."
The new second-stage engine will allow the T-50 to accelerate to supersonic speed, and maintain that velocity throughout the flight, without using afterburners. This second-stage engine is identified as the AL-41F1 (izdeliye 30).
The Izdeliye 30 is expected to come off the production line between 2025 and 2027. That means PAK FA will become woefully underpowered compared to the American stealth fighters until 2025 at the earliest.
