A patent published at the Federal Intellectual Property Office of the Russian Federation for the Su-75 shows that designers and developers of the fifth generation, single-engine, stealth fighter have corrected the shortcomings and weaknesses of US Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk.
The designers had compared the Su-75 to several modern iconic stealth fighter planes and scrutinized them for weaknesses. Case in point: Russian designers aimed to improve the performance of the Su-75 during landing and takeoff, features they had had listed as disadvantages for the US F-117A Nighthawk.
“The invention’s technical result was the achievement of the aircraft’s better stability and controllability without decreasing its radar stealth parameters,” reads the document.
The Russian patent states, the Su-75 can receive a vector jet nozzle, which could be placed on the axis of symmetry of the fuselage and be used for control and trimming during flight.
The vector jet nozzle will only up and down.
About the Su-75 Checkmate
The Su-75 Checkmate is a fifth-generation Russian single-engine stealth fighter aircraft which Moscow unveiled at the Dubai Air Show last year. According to sources, the United Arab Emirates is interested in participating in the project by way of funding.
The Su-75 is likely to be powered by a customized version of the AL-41F1 engine. According to the manufacturer it can reach a speed of Mach 1.8 and has a combat radius of 3,000 km.
The Su-75 can be armed with air-to-air, air-to-ground weapons systems, as well as electronic warfare systems. Its first flight is expected to take place next year, with mass production slated for 2025.
First foreign clients for the Su-75 is reported to be the Vietnamese Air Force and India, although the latter is focused on developing its own stealth fighter plane rather than purchasing one.
About the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk
Developed in the 1980s, Lockheed Martin’s F-117A Nighthawk is a single engine tactical stealth fighter with its main mission being to secretly infiltrate enemy air defenses. Officially the F-117A Nighthawk saw 5 combat missions. In 2008, the United States officially decommissioned it.
The plane has a low radar signature to the angular shape of the hull, as well as the composite, radar-absorbing materials, and special coating materials used on the plane.
