Deep enough to fit cruise missiles does make it unique among fifth gen.
Russian Su-57 Aircraft Thread (PAK-FA and IAF FGFA)
- Thread starter A Bar Brother
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You can make flatter missiles(like storm shadow), you can make creatively shaped weapons to exploit inconvenient volumes (like AARGM-ER and Siaw).
With Su-57 you just don't need to; simplest box works, and applies to all 4 bays.
For example, it's hard to say that deep bays per se are unique:
F-35 and now the future KF-21EXT have deeper and wider main bays; but only two positions. On the F-35 outer position is a bit extravagant; on KF-21, it doesn't exist at all.
J-35 and the future T-75(which has the exact same bay dimensions) also have bays just as deep. But, (speculatively), again, only two on J-35, as ducts cut into the outer ones.
I.e. two "strike fighters" have it deeper, and two "multirole fighters" have it the same (i guess Kaan and AMCA will also go here).
The feature is having 4, not 2, while remaining slender. The price is lack of serpentines.
F-35 and now the future KF-21EXT have deeper and wider main bays; but only two positions. On the F-35 outer position is a bit extravagant; on KF-21, it doesn't exist at all.
J-35 and the future T-75(which has the exact same bay dimensions) also have bays just as deep. But, (speculatively), again, only two on J-35, as ducts cut into the outer ones.
I.e. two "strike fighters" have it deeper, and two "multirole fighters" have it the same (i guess Kaan and AMCA will also go here).
The feature is having 4, not 2, while remaining slender. The price is lack of serpentines.
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I don't think the KF-21's bays (as shown in the EXT render) will be as wide as those on the F-35. They appear to be just as deep to fit a 2000lb bomb kit, but only wide enough to accommodate its width. This is probably due to limited internal volume vis-a-vis the F-35, given its intakes, twin-engine layout as well as larger ducts...
As you can see in the attachment, Kaan is yet another case of a heavy 5th-gen being primarily restricted to AAMs and SDB-class munitions (with the SOM CM and Mk-83 kits forming its A2G payload in stealth configuration, but it will mostly carry SDBs in A2G missions). This is largely because the belly bays were not designed around the internal carriage of 2000lb bombs/missiles, but instead around 1000lb; which has been a topic of heavy public criticism from time to time considering it started development long after the F-22 and F-35 programs, the latter of which Turkey was heavily involved in at the time.
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Ok, i didn't express myself clearly:
1 Su-57 bay position (2 positions per bay) isn't as wide as 1 KF-21EXT position (1 position per bay), as KF-21EXT fits 2000lb bombs.
Note that the 2000lb bomb points exactly into "armpit", i.e., it's in the middle of the bay.
But 4 Su-57 positions are ideal boxes, which fit very substantial munitions (Kh-69 is way heavier/larger than SOM-J/JSM are).
Ah, I hadn't seen your previous posts yet, so that makes sense...
Su-57 shot down near Moscow. Supposedly friendly fire.
Should be a training technical accident if reports are true. The plane seems still not 100% mature even though it certainly has been at this stage for quite a few years.
Likely one of T-50s doing testing work.
Arguably more painful than losing production airframes, as losing them will be a hit to multiple development program, rather than just replacing it with the next production unit.
It is currently unconfirmed whether it is an SU-57 or one of the T-50 prototypes.
But they write:
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the crash of a combat training aircraft in the Moscow region.