RussiaNew single engine modelThe stealth fighter "Checkmate" was exposed in advance before the opening of the 2021 Moscow Air Show (MAKS). The photos of the Zongzi machine a few days ago gave rise to a lot of speculation, and the exposed real machine was the answer to the mystery.

The most uncertain air intake is the mandibular style, but it is not as exaggerated as the X-32. From the side front, it looks more like a double tilted vertical tail F-16, but the cockpit cover is still the same sliding cover as the Su-57. It seems that the overall glass cockpit cover is still uncertain. Since it is a stealth fighter jet, the built-in missile compartment must be standard. From the photo, it can be seen that there is a compartment in front of the main landing gear that accommodates a short-range combat missile. It is not optimistic whether the belly part between the main landing gears can form a main missile compartment. The Boeing X-32, which also uses a lower jaw intake duct, only has a side missile compartment, and the space is incomparable to the F-35.

To be honest, the design difficulty of stealth fighter jets is naturally much higher than that of non stealth fighter jets with external weapons due to the need for built-in bomb compartments. Large twin engine stealth fighter jets still have some room for maneuvering, while single engine stealth fighter jets are like a training ground in a snail shell. Before various missiles and bomb weapons are truly miniaturized, single engine stealth fighter jets are a chicken rib.It is impossible for a stealth aircraft with a built-in bomb bay to be slim. As for the single engine F-35, the "Fat Electric" has already replaced the much more imposing nickname "Lightning II". There is no other way, it cannot fit anything without fat. Fortunately, it is powered by the F-135-pw-100 engine, which is known as the "sky breaking". The military thrust is 13 tons, and the boost thrust is as high as 19 tons. It is said that the latest model has increased to 22 tons, but its maximum supersonic speed can only reach 1.6 Mach, far less than the predecessor F-16's 2.0 Mach or above. Its maneuverability is also weaker than the F-16, and there is even a legend that it was suspended by the F-16 with two auxiliary fuel tanks during close combat training. Thanks to high thrust engines like the F-135, what engines can Russia equip for the Checkmate? Many friends say that although Russia does not have aircraft engines comparable to the F-135, it has caught up with the F-119's product-30, which has a military thrust of 11 tons and a boost thrust of 18 tons. Even so, it is still much weaker than the F-135. Don't forget the identity of the "Checkmate" export fighter jet. It is difficult to say whether Russia will come up with its best engine. If only AL-31/41 can be used, how can it be mixed up? Russian made missiles have a larger volume and weight than Western products, and the larger Su-57 can at least squeeze out some space. How can a single engine light aircraft be assembled?

Russia has not designed a single engine fighter jet for a long time. The last one was the Soviet era MiG-23. Since then, even the low-end cargo MiG-29 with light and heavy configurations has been a twin engine medium thrust fighter, earning the embarrassing nickname of airport defender. It is rumored that "Checkmate" was developed by MiG based on its early design, and was eventually completed by Sukhoi. Anyway, these two have already merged and will only be a difference in the company in the futureIt's just a brand.

As for the early design of the MiG, it is easy to think of the old MiG-33 from the late 1970s, also known as the "F-16 Skye", which was the single engine version of the MiG-29. But that was already a thing of the past. Even the twin engine MiG-29 had short legs, so single engine was still good? But why did Sukhoi come up with such a elimination plan now and complete the final design? Isn't there a concept of invisibility. Now, in addition to the F-35 that has already been widely distributed, the FC-31 of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation of China, the KF-21 that has just been developed by South Korea to imitate the F-22, the NGF of Fadeshi, the "Storm" of Britain and Sweden, the TF-X of Türkiye, the AMCA of India, and Russia's failure to come up with something quickly, the traditional Russian made fighter market is difficult to guarantee. Although there is a Su-57, the production is not cheap enough to bear the price.So, we need to quickly take out a cake. As for whether it tastes good or not, at least it has the shell of a stealth machine and the concept of a simplified Su-57. Judging from the enthusiasm of netizens in Vietnam and other countries, these traditional markets will not be lost.

Source: Military of Strong Countries