MOSCOW, May 26 — RIA Novosti. The Russian company "Sukhoi" has initiated work on the creation of a tactical single-engine fighter of the 5th generation, which will be built with the use of stealth technologies and the use of developments on the Su-57, a source in the aircraft industry told RIA Novosti.
To date, all fighters produced by the Russian Federation, including the most modern Su-57, are equipped with two engines.
The source noted that the new aircraft should have a normal take-off weight of no more than 18 tons, a thrust-to-weight ratio of at least 1, reduced radar visibility, a maximum flight speed of more than two sound speeds, super-maneuverability modes and a shortened take-off due to the deflected thrust vector of the engine.
The source added that " the layout of the fighter will have a single ventral multi-mode air intake, as it is implemented on many modern single-engine aircraft."
He specified that at the stage of creating a pilot machine, the Al-31FN engine of series 3 and 4, which has already been tested on foreign fighters, can be used.
Currently, single-engine fighters are widely used in the world. The most famous and most popular of them on the world arms market are the American F — 16 and F-35 fighters, the Swedish JAS-39 GRIPEN and the Chinese J-10. The presence of only one engine significantly reduces the cost and complexity of the production of the aircraft, as well as simplifies and reduces the cost of its operation and maintenance. At the same time, one engine reduces the reliability and combat survivability of the aircraft, limits the maximum combat load of fighters, which narrows their combat potential.