GarryB Thu Nov 24, 2022 1:05 am
They should make a single engine light fighter like su-75. It can have clients around the world and even in russian air force.
The Russian military is conservative and like twin engined aircraft... look at how many single engined helicopters they have for instance...
The Su-75 doesn't actually look very light to me... 3,000km range and 7.5 ton payload... light fighter my backside.
But a heavy twin engine mig has no future.
True, but this is not a heavy twin engined MiG, this is a light carrier capable MiG twin jet aircraft.
It is cheaper to operate than the Su-57 and that is all it needs to achieve.
You don't go to war with the cheapest aircraft you could justify... otherwise no one would buy Rafales for instance.
It all comes down to value for money and what makes sense to spend money on and what does not.
However there is plenty of room for light single engine aircraft. Jf-17 uses the mig-29's engine and it proved to be reliable as a single engine aircraft. 7 ton class aircraft, 0.5m2 rcs, 1 weapon bay for 4 r-77-1 or 2 bigger r-37M or bombs, a stealthy IR missile under wings (thrust vectoring with no wings), zhuk-AShE aesa radar, ols-35 already developed, ECM pods. And keep the price below 25 million.
Amusing people pretend that it is the engine that makes aircraft expensive...