The first test flight of the Russian PAK-FA (T-50) took place on January 29, 2010. The first trials were originally slated for years earlier but production and mechanical issues pushed it back. The flight took off from Komsomolsk-on-Amur Dzemgi Airport and lasted 47 minutes. Test pilot Sergei Bogdan reported a smooth and successful flight.
Official name: PAK-FA or T-50.
Manufactured: Sukhoi (Russia).
Type: Fifth-generation air-superiority fighter.
Propulsion: Duel Saturn engines currently in development
Maximum speed: ~Mach 2.5
Max supercruise speed: 800-1100 MPH
Range: 3,400 mi.
Empty weight: 40,786 lbs.
Loaded weight: 57,320 lbs.
Maximum takeoff weight: 81,571 lbs.
Wingspan: 46′ 7”.
Length: 72′ 2”.
Height: 19′ 10”.
Wing area: 848 ft².
Thrust to weight ratio: 1.2.
Weaponry: 2×30 mm cannons with 8 hardpoints.
Development Status: First flight Jan. 29, 2010, with deliveries expected to begin between 2012 and 2015.
Analysis: Similar in design to American fifth gen. aircraft and intended to combat said aircraft head-to-head and to compete with American aircraft in the export market.
The second test flight of the PAK-FA came on February 6 just a week after the maiden flight of the first non-American stealth aircraft ever produced. The Russian Military has confirmed the flight and admitted that the Russian Ministry of Defense has been monitoring the American’s stealth progress. The executives on the ground as well as the pilot reported a successful test and all seemed confident in the progress of the PAK-FA program. This flight like the first took place in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a small city in south-eastern Russia. The city is home to the largest Russian aircraft manufacturing company and the site has been the test bed to previous SU- models like the SU-27. This latest flight is a different test model than the first as seen by the variation in the paint scheme with a reported three models built to date.
