Russia’s Stealth Fighter Could Match U.S. Jets, Analyst Says

[Bludy]

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/russia-stealth

[titanic3]

Why does every stealth plane look similar to the F22, is that the only viable shape? Besides the flying wing.

[tunnelrat]

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/russia-stealth

I wonder if they will come up with a working oxygen system too...

[Zoney]

BS.  No effin way.

They aint matchin nuthin we got unless is built by us or stolen from us.

[nrshida]

Why does every stealth plane look similar to the F22, is that the only viable shape? Besides the flying wing.

Reduction of radar reflection.

[titanic3]

Reduction of radar reflection.

Yes, but why that particular shape? There must have been some other shapes they thought of before this one was chosen...right?

[Ack-Ack]

Yes, but why that particular shape? There must have been some other shapes they thought of before this one was chosen...right?

Because that was the shape in the design docs that the Russkies and Chinese stole.

ack-ack

[nrshida]

I believe much of the radar cross section reduction development was based on the work of a Russian mathematician 

[Dragon]

Yes, but why that particular shape? There must have been some other shapes they thought of before this one was chosen...right?

It's the best shape to provide both form and function.  The flying wing can be made stealthy, but it has no performance variable. 

[save]

Russian plane's often fly beautifully, but lacks electronics of western world.

[nrshida]

It's rather complicated but those angles you see repeating in different aircraft Titan, the self-mimicking trapezoidal shapes, reflect the least amount of radar waves. It isn't plagiarism so much as finding similar solutions to a restrictive problem.

[titanic3]

I see...but what makes the trapezoidal shapes unique? Not busting anyone's balls, just curious. How come the trapezoids are more effective vs radar than say...a triangle.

[Ack-Ack]

I see...but what makes the trapezoidal shapes unique? Not busting anyone's balls, just curious. How come the trapezoids are more effective vs radar than say...a triangle.

Maybe more surface area and angles to absorb radar waves?

ack-ack

[nrshida]

A triangle, well an arrow head is the optimal shape from the frontal aspect, it's just not commodious to anything else but that.

Try to look at the shape of a YF-23 say, and try to 'ray trace' a vector onto parts of the shape. Your three options are absorb, pass through or reflect. If you must reflect then you want to reflect in a different direction from the arrival, regardless of the presentation to the source. If you can reflect into other parts of the object, and then absorb, then double win.

Look at the T-50, the only non-stealthy bit is the motors. But they've chosen not to go extreme on the stealth and take 3d thrust vectoring instead.

[B3YT]

The whole stealth thing is a bit of a waste of time in some ways. Russian IR tracking  systems means that even an F22 can be picked up  with it . If the  enemy use ground control radars and not on board then the F22 has nothing to lock onto . Both pilots are relying on the direction of a controller (be it ground or AWACS)  . So now you will have to fight gun to gun . I'll take the Russian bird any day in a gun fight. 3D thrust vectoring and a good IR tracking system with floating gun platform and  AA missiles (the new aphid seems pretty good ultra short range missile)