The very first participation of the russian Su-57 fighter jet at an international event, the Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, was the final nail to the coffin of the myth that this aircraft belongs to the fifth generation. And also proof that all russian aircraft construction technologies remained 20th-century-level.
The oversight on the russian part was that they failed to organize a no-access zone for spectators, and the Chinese event visitors could freely come up unprecedentedly close to the Su-57 model demonstrated at the exhibition.
Lots of screws: Closer look at Russia’s 5th generation Su-57 fighter jet at China’s Zhuhai Airshow. pic.twitter.com/jDJdyafbAD
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 4, 2024
What especially catches the eye is the huge number of bolts holding together fuselage panels but this is no news, as previous models had the same look. A whole different matter is that the quality of joints fails to meet any reasonable expectations.
Next up are the photos of the tail part which are published for the first time. Look at the bolts: they have different drive types for fastening — there are single-slotted, Phillips, and with a hexagonal hex head.
The joints connecting the weapon bay doors with other elements of the fuselage also speak volumes about the real technological level of aircraft construction in russia and its production culture as a whole.
These videos are being actively shared on Chinese social networks, with users mocking the russian “5th-gen fighter.” Though worth noting, it’s not the complete model for serial production but a prototype. Considering its bort number is 054 and the model ID is T-50-4, which means already the fourth among test articles, the presented model was supposed to be perfected at this point.
The Chinese commenters also compare the russian jet to their own fighter, the Chengdu J-20, which Beijing claims to be a 5th-generation representative. However, China is in no hurry to show the J-20 up close, too.
In conclusion, the entire production technology of the Su-57, an aircraft that russia alone calls “5th-gen,” indicates that only the shape of the fuselage implements stealth technologies while other elements falter. To illustrate the difference, here’s an image of the seamless fuselage of an actually inconspicuous F-35.
