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World Aviation Industry News - Sukhoi
 
 
First test flight for the 4th prototype of the Russian-made Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA stealth fighter jet.
 
Wednesday, December 12, 2012, the first flight of the 4th prototype of the Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation aviation complex (PAK FA) took place in Sukhoi’s KnAAPO aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The plane was piloted by distinguished test pilot of the Russian Federation, the Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan.
     
Wednesday, December 12, 2012, the first flight of the 4th prototype of the Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation aviation complex (PAK FA) took place in Sukhoi’s KnAAPO aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The plane was piloted by distinguished test pilot of the Russian Federation, the Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan.
Russian-made Sukhoi PAK FA T-50 stealth fighter aircraft at MAKS Moscow Air Show (Copyright photo Vitaly Kuzmin)

     

The PAK FA (Sukhoi T-50) aircraft spent in the air forty minutes and landed on the factory airfield runway. The flight was successful, in full accordance with the flight plan. Stability of the aircraft test was conducted during the flight as well as evaluation of the power plant systems’ performance. The aircraft proved itself well in all phases of the planned flight program. The pilot confirmed reliable operation of all systems and components.

The first flight of the PAK FA was held on January 29, 2010 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. At present, work is underway on the full range of ground and flight tests. Three PAK FA prototypes take part in the test program. At the present time more than 200 flights have been made on the flight test program.

The Sukhoi T-50, which will be the core of Russia's future fighter fleet, is a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft featuring low-observable technology (stealth), super-maneuverability, supercruise capability (supersonic flight without use of afterburner), and an advanced avionics suite including an X-band active phased-array radar.

The Russian Defense Ministry plans to purchase a first batch of 10 evaluation aircraft and then 60 production-standard aircraft after 2015.