Book Review of
SU-57 Felon Soviet Jet Fighter
Author: Piotr Butowski
Key Books
ISBN: 978-1-913870-44-7
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $24.95
ISBN: 978-1-913870-44-7
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $24.95
HISTORY:
The Sukhoi Su-57 (Russian: Сухой Су-57; NATO reporting name: Felon) is a twin-engine stealth multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi. It is the product of the PAK FA (Russian: ПАК ФА, short for: Перспективный авиационный комплекс фронтовой авиации, romanized: Perspektivnyy Aviatsionnyy Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii, lit. ''prospective aeronautical complex of front-line air forces'') programme, which was initiated in 1999 as a more modern and affordable alternative to the MFI (Mikoyan Project 1.44/1.42).
Sukhoi's internal designation for the aircraft is T-50. The Su-57 is the first aircraft in Russian military service designed with stealth technology and is intended to be the basis for a family of stealth combat aircraft. A multirole fighter capable of aerial combat as well as ground and maritime strike, the Su-57 incorporates stealth, super-maneuverability, super-cruise, integrated avionics, and substantial internal payload capacity.
The aircraft is expected to succeed the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian military service and has also been marketed for export.
The first prototype aircraft flew in 2010, but the program would experience a protracted development due to various structural and technical issues that emerged during trials, including the destruction of the first production aircraft in a crash before its delivery. After repeated delays, the first Su-57 entered service with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in December 2020.[8] The fighter is expected to have a service life of up to 35 years.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 20.1 m (65 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 14.1 m (46 ft 3 in)
Height: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 78.8 m2 (848 sq ft)
Empty weight: 18,000 kg (39,683 lb)
Gross weight: 25,000 kg (55,116 lb) normal takeoff weight, 29,270 kg (64,530 lb) at full load
Max takeoff weight: 35,000 kg (77,162 lb)
Fuel capacity: 10,300 kg (22,700 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Saturn AL-41F1 afterburning turbofan, 88.3 kN (19,900 lbf) thrust each dry, 142.2 kN (32,000 lbf) with afterburner, 147.1 kN (33,100 lbf) in emergency power
Maximum speed: Mach 2 (2,135 km/h; 1,327 mph) at altitude, Mach 1.3 (1,400 km/h; 870 mph) super-cruise at altitude
Range: 3,500 km (2,200 mi, 1,900 nmi) subsonic, 4,500 km from 2 outboard fuel tanks
Supersonic range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi)
Service ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
g limits: +9.0
Wing loading: 371 kg/m2 (76 lb/sq ft) normal takeoff weight
Thrust/weight: 1.16 at normal takeoff weight (0.99 at loaded weight with full fuel)
Armament:
Guns: 1 × 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 autocannon
Hardpoints: 12 hardpoints (6 × internal, 6 × external)
Air-to-air missiles: R-77M, R-74M2, izdeliye 810
Air-to-surface missiles:
4 × Kh-38M, Kh-59MK2
Anti-ship missiles:
2 × Kh-35U, Kh-31 etс.
Anti-radiation missiles:
4 × Kh-58UShK
KAB-250 guided bomb, KAB-500 guided bomb, Anti-tank "Drill" 500 kg cluster-bomb + active homing
Avionics: Sh-121 multifunctional integrated radio electronic system (MIRES), Byelka radar (400 km, 60 tracks with 16 targeted), N036-1-01: Frontal X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, N036B-1-01: Cheek X-band AESA radars for increased angular coverage, N036L-1-01: Slat L-band arrays for IFF,L402 Himalayas electronic countermeasure suite, 101KS Atoll electro-optical targeting system, 101KS-O: Laser Directional Infrared Countermeasures, 101KS-V: Infrared search and track, 101KS-U: Ultraviolet missile approach warning system, 101KS-N: Targeting pod, 101KS-P: thermal imager for low altitude flying and night landing.
THE BOOK:
Key books is based in the UK.
This book is of soft-cover in 96 pages in 6 ¾” x 9 ½” page format. It contains 166 color photos,
predominantly of the Su-57 Frelon (Allied code-name). Along with photos of its engine, pilot seat, canopy,
electronics, antenna, weapons and 2 three-view line drawings and a data list.
Other aircraft photographs in the book are of the Mig. 1.44, with a color 5-view line drawing of it. A F-22, Su-47 with a swept-forward wing and on with its wings swept forward, with its engineers and a data list and 3-view color line drawing. A S-32 fighter-variant of the Su-27 Km. A Sukhoi S-22, forty photos of a T-50 and one of a T-50-9. A S-70.
There is a small model of an aircraft carrier with a load of Su-57’s aboard it.
This is a neat book and it will be of interest to modelers planning on building a Su-57 or any of the other Soviet jet fighters featured.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Key Books and all Key titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Sukhoi Su-57 (Russian: Сухой Су-57; NATO reporting name: Felon) is a twin-engine stealth multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi. It is the product of the PAK FA (Russian: ПАК ФА, short for: Перспективный авиационный комплекс фронтовой авиации, romanized: Perspektivnyy Aviatsionnyy Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii, lit. ''prospective aeronautical complex of front-line air forces'') programme, which was initiated in 1999 as a more modern and affordable alternative to the MFI (Mikoyan Project 1.44/1.42).
Sukhoi's internal designation for the aircraft is T-50. The Su-57 is the first aircraft in Russian military service designed with stealth technology and is intended to be the basis for a family of stealth combat aircraft. A multirole fighter capable of aerial combat as well as ground and maritime strike, the Su-57 incorporates stealth, super-maneuverability, super-cruise, integrated avionics, and substantial internal payload capacity.
The aircraft is expected to succeed the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian military service and has also been marketed for export.
The first prototype aircraft flew in 2010, but the program would experience a protracted development due to various structural and technical issues that emerged during trials, including the destruction of the first production aircraft in a crash before its delivery. After repeated delays, the first Su-57 entered service with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in December 2020.[8] The fighter is expected to have a service life of up to 35 years.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Length: 20.1 m (65 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 14.1 m (46 ft 3 in)
Height: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 78.8 m2 (848 sq ft)
Empty weight: 18,000 kg (39,683 lb)
Gross weight: 25,000 kg (55,116 lb) normal takeoff weight, 29,270 kg (64,530 lb) at full load
Max takeoff weight: 35,000 kg (77,162 lb)
Fuel capacity: 10,300 kg (22,700 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Saturn AL-41F1 afterburning turbofan, 88.3 kN (19,900 lbf) thrust each dry, 142.2 kN (32,000 lbf) with afterburner, 147.1 kN (33,100 lbf) in emergency power
Maximum speed: Mach 2 (2,135 km/h; 1,327 mph) at altitude, Mach 1.3 (1,400 km/h; 870 mph) super-cruise at altitude
Range: 3,500 km (2,200 mi, 1,900 nmi) subsonic, 4,500 km from 2 outboard fuel tanks
Supersonic range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi)
Service ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
g limits: +9.0
Wing loading: 371 kg/m2 (76 lb/sq ft) normal takeoff weight
Thrust/weight: 1.16 at normal takeoff weight (0.99 at loaded weight with full fuel)
Armament:
Guns: 1 × 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 autocannon
Hardpoints: 12 hardpoints (6 × internal, 6 × external)
Air-to-air missiles: R-77M, R-74M2, izdeliye 810
Air-to-surface missiles:
4 × Kh-38M, Kh-59MK2
Anti-ship missiles:
2 × Kh-35U, Kh-31 etс.
Anti-radiation missiles:
4 × Kh-58UShK
KAB-250 guided bomb, KAB-500 guided bomb, Anti-tank "Drill" 500 kg cluster-bomb + active homing
Avionics: Sh-121 multifunctional integrated radio electronic system (MIRES), Byelka radar (400 km, 60 tracks with 16 targeted), N036-1-01: Frontal X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, N036B-1-01: Cheek X-band AESA radars for increased angular coverage, N036L-1-01: Slat L-band arrays for IFF,L402 Himalayas electronic countermeasure suite, 101KS Atoll electro-optical targeting system, 101KS-O: Laser Directional Infrared Countermeasures, 101KS-V: Infrared search and track, 101KS-U: Ultraviolet missile approach warning system, 101KS-N: Targeting pod, 101KS-P: thermal imager for low altitude flying and night landing.
THE BOOK:
Key books is based in the UK.
This book is of soft-cover in 96 pages in 6 ¾” x 9 ½” page format. It contains 166 color photos,
predominantly of the Su-57 Frelon (Allied code-name). Along with photos of its engine, pilot seat, canopy,
electronics, antenna, weapons and 2 three-view line drawings and a data list.
Other aircraft photographs in the book are of the Mig. 1.44, with a color 5-view line drawing of it. A F-22, Su-47 with a swept-forward wing and on with its wings swept forward, with its engineers and a data list and 3-view color line drawing. A S-32 fighter-variant of the Su-27 Km. A Sukhoi S-22, forty photos of a T-50 and one of a T-50-9. A S-70.
There is a small model of an aircraft carrier with a load of Su-57’s aboard it.
This is a neat book and it will be of interest to modelers planning on building a Su-57 or any of the other Soviet jet fighters featured.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Key Books and all Key titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.