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The LERX continues to befuddle me. On landing it is not curled down like a leading edge slat, nor is it up like a speedbrake. I don't see how it can't impact (not saying interfere, just "change") the engine inlet flow.

Perhaps it is a clever way to keep airflow attached at high AoA, like those ugly plates bolted on F/A-18s to keep them from snapping their vertical tails off.

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Was this sarcasm? I was under the impression that although it was stable, the F-117 wasn't exactly all that maneuverable, and the SR-71's turning radius was Utah.

Those are more or less Deltas, Even tho this aircraft has a V tail configuration like people are thinking with the F-117, it still has horizontal stabilizers.

Edited by Wayne S
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Perhaps it is a clever way to keep airflow attached at high AoA, like those ugly plates bolted on F/A-18s to keep them from snapping their vertical tails off.

Those LERX by moving are changing the shape of the airfoil on the body, body looks curved. In essence the entire body is flying, just like the B-2 is.

Edited by Wayne S
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Not buying it. The LERX is too small relative to the lifting body to induce the camber you'd want/need to make a difference. By that argument, when landing they should be slightly down like a leading edge slat, yet they are slightly up.

Also looking at the gap between the inlet top and the LERX. Curious.

The canopy reminds me of the early JSf varieties, that is likely to change. Won't go into the IRST ball--too obvious, must be a reason it's there.

Edited by MarkW
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Honestly, i swear, i don't see any F-22 blood in it. At all. Can anyone point out exactly what i am missing? YF-23ish, little bit yes. But not F-22.

And, someone asked about the multipart canopy. Yes, it will be changed to one piece canopy at some point.

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Amazing!!!!!!!!! so let's have a look-see at Maks in 2011 then.

Being that the vertical stabilizers are canted, I believe this should actually help stabilize the machine when it rolls at a high angle.

Shark

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The difference seems to correspond to the white housing on the upper photo, possibly a brake chute fairing deployed/removed in the lower photo?

There is almost a week between the two photos, it's entirely possible that the fairing over the brake chute (or whatever it is) wasn't fitted for the taxi trial, just in case it failed to deploy.....

Pretty embarrasing to loose a 5th gen prototype due to brake chute failure! ;)

Then again, the lower photo is pretty fuzzy, you can't really see where stuff attaches and what is deployed etc...

Jamie

Edited by Flying Penguin
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Being that the vertical stabilizers are canted, I believe this should actually help stabilize the machine when it rolls at a high angle.

The vertical stabs are almost certainly canted out for radar reflection properties. At that angle, they are actually smaller in area in the plane parallel to the yaw axis, making them less effective in stabilizing the aircraft. Since rolling induces yaw, this would potentially make the tail slide around more in a turn than you want.

I did notice what appears to be a bit of room for chord expansion on the vert stabs, so maybe they do have a growth option if needed. I'm just still stuck on how good Russian aerodynamicists have become, and think there is something else going on. No ventrals AND tiny tails? Hmmmmmmmm.......

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Hi, ray, and welcome to December 24'th. :D (first taxi test)

Yes, there is two. One is for general tests. And one machine for flying. In vids, there is a mix of flying and the non flying prototypes.

Moar pics:

http://www.kommersant.ru/dark-gallery.aspx...35&stpid=65

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firefox: right click anywhere on the page, go 'page info' go to media tab and browse the files, and click save

Thanks, no more print screen. :D Would love those in full res tho.

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The intake trunks look perfectly straight. Isn't having the jet fans visible from the front highly unstealthy?

That's a pretty reasonable observation, however it may (and this is pure speculation) be a concession to the existing engine design, which is not intended to be a production fit....

It would be a lot of work to install and then hide them, but given the amount of work designing a new engine takes, it's not that big an ask.

This is all based on the assumption that the Sukhoi designers have enough wits about them to not forget one of the most publically known RCS factors....

Jamie

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Not buying it. The LERX is too small relative to the lifting body to induce the camber you'd want/need to make a difference. By that argument, when landing they should be slightly down like a leading edge slat, yet they are slightly up.

Also looking at the gap between the inlet top and the LERX. Curious.

The reason for the slate to be down, in your thinking on landing would be, spillage of air traveling forward then going over the wing. The slats make the bottom cupped to stop this from happening, it deflects that airflow.

In the case of the LERX, there is not enough airflow under the LERX "area" for this to happen, to need a significant angle.

Like your thinking that I quoted above in the other post. That LERX technically, only needs to change the top of the airfoil "upper body side".

Perhaps it is a clever way to keep airflow attached at high AoA, like those ugly plates bolted on F/A-18s to keep them from snapping their vertical tails off.
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