The Russian fifth-generation fighter Su-57 is often criticized for its fourth-generation engine. Now it is all about to change.
A trailer for the film “Masters of the Sky,” which is dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, has been released by Channel One in Russia. The fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, which is equipped with the second-stage engine, known as “Product 30” or AL-51F1, will be featured in the film, which is scheduled to air on December 15. This engine is equipped with a flat nozzle that is capable of thrust vectoring.
The trailer includes footage of the experimental T-50-2 aircraft with the much-anticipated powerplant and the Su-57M fitted with two AL-51F1 engines. This powerplant is the final component that ensures the Su-57 is entirely compliant with the standards of Russia’s fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
These standards include multifunctionality, stealth, supermaneuverability, advanced intelligence, all-aspect situational awareness for the pilot, a high combat payload with long-range precision missiles, and supersonic cruising in non-afterburner mode. The public presentation of the Su-57 with AL-51F1 engines on Channel One is a significant milestone, as it signals the engine’s readiness for production and deployment, as the second-stage engine satisfies the final criterion.
This powerplant is equipped with a thrust vector control system and a flat nozzle that is oriented at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. It improves the aircraft’s flight performance by increasing the afterburner thrust to 18,000 kgf and the thrust in emergency mode to 19–19.5 tons.
In afterburner mode, this engine achieves an extraordinary thrust-to-dry-weight ratio of 0.078.
This nozzle configuration not only substantially reduces the aircraft’s radar cross-section but also reduces the fighter’s infrared signature in the rear hemisphere.. The AL-51F1 engines of the Su-57M are capable of achieving a supersonic sustained speed of 1.95–2.1 Mach.
The AL-51F1 is a fifth-generation turbofan engine with a twin-shaft design and after-burning capability, as indicated by open sources. It is equipped with a three-stage fan and a five-stage high-pressure compressor, which are powered by a single-stage low-pressure turbine and a single-stage high-pressure turbine.
The new engine improves the fuel efficiency and thrust of the aircraft by using an automatic control system that calibrates fuel delivery in accordance with atmospheric pressure, altitude, and humidity.
In December 2023, high-ranking sources close to the Russian Aerospace Forces told TASS about plans to equip all Su-57 fighters produced by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant starting in 2024 with AL-51F1 engines. However, the fighters delivered to the military in 2023 were equipped with the first-stage AL-41F1 (“Product 117”) engines.
The Arkhip Lyulka Design Bureau has been executing ongoing development of the second-stage engine for the Su-57. The initial bench test was conducted on November 11, 2016, and flight tests commenced in December 2017 on an experimental T-50-2 aircraft. At first, the engine was equipped with a circular nozzle.
A scientific and technical conference on engine development prospects was convened at Samara Technical University in July 2023, during which the new engine was officially designated AL-51F1. The AL-51F1 was designated as the second-stage engine for the Su-57 in a presentation by UEC-Kuznetsov.
The first-stage AL-41F1 engine has a nominal thrust of 8,800 kgf, 14,500 kgf on afterburner, and 15,000 kgf in emergency mode. The AL-51F1 engine is expected to generate a nominal thrust of at least 11,000 kgf and 17,000 kgf with the afterburner, according to aviation experts. The thrust-to-weight ratio of the Su-57 will exceed 1, with a normal takeoff weight ranging from 1.15 to 1.2, compared to the current ratio of 1.09 with a normal takeoff weight and 0.97 with a full load, due to its takeoff weight of over 35 tons. A ratio greater than 1 indicates that the aircraft is capable of producing more power than its own weight, which suggests that it has exceptional maneuverability and performance.
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