Russian Raptor First Flight

[simonrockman]

It was because the Americans built so many B-17s that the Russians invested in missile technology. That led to Sputnik which led to Apollo. Cleverer is always better.

Simon

[OnTheOverrun]

simonrockman said:

It was because the Americans built so many B-17s that the Russians invested in missile technology. That led to Sputnik which led to Apollo. Cleverer is always better.

Simon

But the 'cleverer' ones aren't necessarily the ones with the better technology - see Americans in Vietnam and Russians in Afghanistan for details. . . . . .

[pacman1]

I've added another link with longer footage of the flight to my op.

[Mattt]

Are dogfights still important? I assumed it was all long-range stand off these days, and AGMs.

[NDT]

simonrockman said:

I'm disappointed that they boast about how cost effective it is, not higher, faster, longer range, better weapons. The whole world is being run by accountants.

As a tax payer I think a few accountants work quite nicely in the defence sector. A few more skilled procurement people in the MoD probably wouldn't be a bad idea too....

[El Diablo]

That plane looks like a bag of w6nk. With the exposed exhausts the IR heat signature is gonna be huge, easy for a heat seaker missile to find.
It's sleek with a small radar cross section but by the look of things no less than a mig 29's.
The only way it will be even semi stealthy is if it's made of radar absorbing material like the F117 or B2. As the video shows it flying 'naked' it looks like it is mainly metal.
It is probably fast and ok at dogfighting but I can't think it's any better than anything they already have.