Chinese purchase of Su-35

thunderchief said:

One thing to remember, airplane in question (serial No 08 ) was going places , participating in various air shows etc ... Newly build examples have much better look, closer to Western and Chinese standards . If the deal gets trough (which could or could not happen ) I suspect China would want more then just 24 examples, and in that case some kind of deal for licensed manufacture could be reached .

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Just about any plane looks good from that distance. We need a close-up photo to really see the workmanship. Judging by the PAK-FA's fit-and-finish, I doubt the current batch of SU-35s are closer to Western standards.

That said, I'm not implying the Russians are incapable of great fit-and-finish. It's just that they are indifferent philosophically. They see little need to 'pretty' things up if the fit-and-finish doesn't impact performance or intended function.

The AK-47 is a prime example of this. Sure, it ain't pretty, but it's an awesome firearm and a must-have for the zombie apocalypse. The SU-25 is another great example: homely but rugged, reliable, easy to maintain, and packs a deadly punch.

I can appreciate the Russian philosophy on this, even if I find their workmanship objectionable.

Su-35



Su-30SM

Su-35 warm-up at Zhuhai

danielchin said:

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Su-35 warm-up at Zhuhai

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A little more sedate than their DR INSANO display, but still very demonstrative of the fun of OVT, OVT gives you the ability to "flick" that big bird around, and push it to some very unusual attitudes, as I stated, and awesome airshow bird. Its just not a slik as the J-15 for the reasons other posters have noted, but I would love to see a Russian Driver run the J-15 through a similar paces, heck I'd like to see a Russian Driver run a Raptor through her paces, then we would know apples to apples how these girls slice up???

by78 said:

Just about any plane looks good from that distance. We need a close-up photo to really see the workmanship. Judging by the PAK-FA's fit-and-finish, I doubt the current batch of SU-35s are closer to Western standards.

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Best I could find is some older Su-35, compared with Australian F-18

A bunch of gas deals have been signed, no words on Su-35 though.

A Sukhoi SU-35 fighter jet performs during a test flight ahead of the Airshow China 2014 in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong province
Picture: JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images


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I will now get back to bottling my Malbec

Another video of Su-35 with usual stuff. Most interesting part from 3:06 (aircraft almost stands in the air )

[video=youtube;O8-Rghux5_Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8-Rghux5_Y[/video]

No confirmation of a complete Su-35 deal yet but I found an interesting article from Russia's Tass. The interviewed spokesperson suggests that Russia has a willingness to sell the standard version of the Su-35 to China despite speculated concerns, further proven by its marketing campaign in Zhuhai. Also China probably wants an upgraded version of the Su-35, and Sukhoi can add improvements to the aircraft to fit its costumers' requirements but it will take time.


On the other hand, Janes reported that the Su-35 deal is again stuck in the mud, as it seems during the show the two sides probably had a disagreement before the final contract agreement. (There was no internal source given unless someone has a subscription to read the full article.)


I think news of a real confirmation of either a deal or no deal during the airshow, will probably come before the end of the year.

thunderchief said:

Another video of Su-35 with usual stuff. Most interesting part from 3:06 (aircraft almost stands in the air )

[video=youtube;O8-Rghux5_Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8-Rghux5_Y[/video]

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It's like a leaf in the wind...