PAK-FA, T-50: News #3

Correct me if I am wrong but I heard that T-50's engine will have larger, buliker fans than Su-30/35, and the bypass ratio of T-50's engine is much higher, enable the aircraft to supercruise at M1.5. Also, T-50's fans cannot be fitted into Su-35 because they are too big.

Just my 2 cent.

Is it me, or did the engine cowlings receive some kind of cover or at least painted (circled in red), it doesn't seem to be bare metal anymore as in the previous prototypes.
https://i.servimg.com/u/f84/19/42/53/49/captur11.jpg

For what reason haven't they covered the engine naceles, that are similar to Flanker family, since the first prototype? Made in this way, apparently bare metal, do not seem to have a good performance in terms of thermal signature...

Thinking in terms of project, seems to me easier make it tottaly new than having to adopt new covered (or even made of new material) naceles in a further step.

jaguar_br wrote:For what reason haven't they covered the engine naceles, that are similar to Flanker family, since the first prototype? Made in this way, apparently bare metal, do not seem to have a good performance in terms of thermal signature...

Thinking in terms of project, seems to me easier make it tottaly new than having to adopt new covered (or even made of new material) naceles in a further step.

Engines will be covered in the final version, there are photos of new airframe several pages back with full engine covers.

Look at the pink coloration on the leading edge of the nearest wing.

It is hard to say... look at the photos near the top with the aircraft on the runway (ie top two photos in that post) the leading edge of the wing seems to be painted the same colour as the rest of the edges... ie white.

The photo you reposted seems to show the wing being painted with a mix of white and some other colour to break up the shape of the white outer area... to make the white outer area blend in better with the background and make the dark area of paint look like the actual aircraft.

I suspect the picture you posted shows a pinkish tinge to the leading edge because it is probably reflecting light from low on the horizon.

The british painted their recon aircraft pink as a camouflage for use in clouds and desert because from some angles it blends in.

If you click on the image and view it full size you can see the leading edge is not really pink but the wing from the leading edge to where the dark paint starts is different colours.

GarryB wrote:

Look at the pink coloration on the leading edge of the nearest wing.

It is hard to say... look at the photos near the top with the aircraft on the runway (ie top two photos in that post) the leading edge of the wing seems to be painted the same colour as the rest of the edges... ie white.

The photo you reposted seems to show the wing being painted with a mix of white and some other colour to break up the shape of the white outer area... to make the white outer area blend in better with the background and make the dark area of paint look like the actual aircraft.

I suspect the picture you posted shows a pinkish tinge to the leading edge because it is probably reflecting light from low on the horizon.

The british painted their recon aircraft pink as a camouflage for use in clouds and desert because from some angles it blends in.

If you click on the image and view it full size you can see the leading edge is not really pink but the wing from the leading edge to where the dark paint starts is different colours.

I went back to find the older image that showed the bottom half. Strangely I was fixated on the green the first time this image showed up, and didn't notice the pink/brown material until I gave it another look. It's all over the place.

GarryB wrote:

Look at the pink coloration on the leading edge of the nearest wing.

It is hard to say... look at the photos near the top with the aircraft on the runway (ie top two photos in that post) the leading edge of the wing seems to be painted the same colour as the rest of the edges... ie white.

The photo you reposted seems to show the wing being painted with a mix of white and some other colour to break up the shape of the white outer area... to make the white outer area blend in better with the background and make the dark area of paint look like the actual aircraft.

I suspect the picture you posted shows a pinkish tinge to the leading edge because it is probably reflecting light from low on the horizon.

The british painted their recon aircraft pink as a camouflage for use in clouds and desert because from some angles it blends in.

If you click on the image and view it full size you can see the leading edge is not really pink but the wing from the leading edge to where the dark paint starts is different colours.

No, the right wing's underside also have these different colours (light grey, pinkish) as we have seen from older pictures, and it is not due to reflection:
https://i.imgur.com/VRJHsad.jpg
It seems much more likely that T-50-5R has partial RAM application in order to begin testing it, probably the material adherence to the surface (as it will be partial, it won't be useful to test RCS decreasing). Can't wait to see T-50-6-2, which will be the first with full RAM application.

PapaDragon wrote:Engines will be covered in the final version, there are photos of new airframe several pages back with full engine covers.

Exactly, we were expecting T-50-6-2 to have engines cowlings painted/covered with RAM. It seems that, just like with the partial RAM coverage on the wings, T-50-5R already received at least part of the engine cowlings painted.

That paintjob is orgasmic!!!

The great white Shark has landed!

T-50 sorties/flight hours as of Feb.1:

Azohen Bei @airforce.ru

T-50-1 - 274 hours 227 landings.
T-50-2 - 244 hours, 241 landings.
T-50-3 - 340 hours and 175 landings.
T 50-4 - 225 hours, 152 landings.
T-50-5R (renovated) - 19 hours and 12 landings.

max steel wrote:

I hope the serial produced versions get the nickname/title "Tiger Shark".

Remember the paint job is sukhoi's own design.

It's unlikely that the serial version will share the pattern. The First T-50's will probably be the Su-35's blue pattern with grey trim.

Zivo wrote:Remember the paint job is sukhoi's own design.

It's unlikely that the serial version will share the pattern. The First T-50's will probably be the Su-35's blue pattern with grey trim.

I am hoping you will be correct that T-50S will have Su-35S blue camo - but i doubt it. T-50-6-2 will give us a clue...

Berkut wrote:

Zivo wrote:Remember the paint job is sukhoi's own design.

It's unlikely that the serial version will share the pattern. The First T-50's will probably be the Su-35's blue pattern with grey trim.

I am hoping you will be correct that T-50S will have Su-35S blue camo - but i doubt it. T-50-6-2 will give us a clue...

How soon do you think we will see T-50-6-2? (if you know, that is...)

Berkut wrote:

Zivo wrote:Remember the paint job is sukhoi's own design.

It's unlikely that the serial version will share the pattern. The First T-50's will probably be the Su-35's blue pattern with grey trim.

I am hoping you will be correct that T-50S will have Su-35S blue camo - but i doubt it. T-50-6-2 will give us a clue...

So they can paint over the RAM? I was also wondering where can I read what your UAC informant can be found?

Ivan the Colorado wrote:

Berkut wrote:

Zivo wrote:Remember the paint job is sukhoi's own design.

It's unlikely that the serial version will share the pattern. The First T-50's will probably be the Su-35's blue pattern with grey trim.

I am hoping you will be correct that T-50S will have Su-35S blue camo - but i doubt it. T-50-6-2 will give us a clue...

So they can paint over the RAM? I was also wondering where can I read what your UAC informant can be found?

IIRC the F-22 had brownish RAM, and they painted the two tone grey over it.

Since RAM consists of a binding agent, with radar reflective particles suspended in it, I imagine the pigment could also be mixed into the binding agent, similar to how gel coats are colored.

Zivo wrote:

Ivan the Colorado wrote:

Berkut wrote:

Zivo wrote:Remember the paint job is sukhoi's own design.

It's unlikely that the serial version will share the pattern. The First T-50's will probably be the Su-35's blue pattern with grey trim.

I am hoping you will be correct that T-50S will have Su-35S blue camo - but i doubt it. T-50-6-2 will give us a clue...

So they can paint over the RAM? I was also wondering where can I read what your UAC informant can be found?

IIRC the F-22 had brownish RAM, and they painted the two tone grey over it.

Since RAM consists of a binding agent, with radar reflective particles suspended  in it, I imagine the pigment could also be mixed into the binding agent, similar to how gel coats are colored.

Huh. I thought that the brownish picture of the F-22 was of it in its primer coating and the RAM was part of the paint. Hence that is why there was a lot of media attention brought to the RAM coating melting the rain for example. But then again I need to read up some more about RAM.

I also remember Berkut or TR1 mentioning that the PAK-FA RAM was a dark grey in color.

Berkut wrote:I am hoping you will be correct that T-50S will have Su-35S blue camo - but i doubt it. T-50-6-2 will give us a clue...

Berkut, does the PAK-FA patent that laid out the details about the shape etc still hold good or should we expect major changes? Thanks

http://195.208.85.248/Archive/PAT/2012FULL/2012.01.27/DOC/RUNWC1/000/000/002/440/916/document.pdf

The text and the philosophy of the design choices will remain the same. When it comes to the drawings and outer mold line i expect T-50 to remain basically the same. Some changes here and there but nothing truly radical as YF-22-> F-22 and X-35-> F-35.

There will probably be variations between frames anyway, T-50-6-2 wont be a "definite" Phase 2 frame. For example on T-50-7 (which is a phase 2 frame) the stinger is the same as on older frames while paint diagrams that were posted here previously show a significantly longer and differently shaped stinger.