ZHUHAI /China/, November 14. /TASS/. Russia's newest fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet surpasses all existing counterparts in the world, including China’s latest J-35, Russia’s test pilot, holder of the Hero of Russia title, Sergey Bogdan, has told the media.
"We never lag behind . We create our weapons against some competitors and always have a certain temporal reserve. We take into account many things. Our aircraft always boast a competitive edge. In my opinion, the Su-57 fifth-generation airplane is superior to any of the existing ones in the world. As for the newest Chinese J-35 airplane presented, at aerospace shows you can only see general aerodynamic parameters. When it comes to maneuverability, stability, and controllability, our competitors and rivals do not show everything. But in terms of what has been demonstrated, Russian aircraft are always a little bit ahead," Bogdan said in response to a TASS question.
The specialist said the Russian fighter was a decent and well-configured machine.
"It has already been practically fully tested as far as air worthiness, maneuverability, stability and controllability are concerned. Its weapons, too, have been polished to perfection. We continue to test new types of missiles and weapons," Bogdan stated.
The test pilot emphasized that the newest Russian fighter was a "magnificent platform for a future generation of configurations, just as the Su-27 aircraft in its heyday - its layouts and solutions have been used for many decades."
Bogdan added that the Su-57, for all the complexity of its layout, "has the most magnificent characteristics of aerodynamics, stability, controllability and strength" in performing the tasks a fifth-generation aircraft is expected to cope with.
"Its weapons - powerful, far-reaching and long range - are inside. The defensive capabilities are remarkable. It is a very worthy aircraft with vast, global prospects," he said.
The world premiere of the export version of Russia’s fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet took place at Airshow China in Zhuhai. The fighter took to the sky on the first day of the exhibition and aroused great interest among all its participants. Test pilot Sergey Bogdan performed a series of aerobatic figures.