The Two-Seat Sukhoi Su-57D Felon Takes Off on its Maiden Flight

Sukhoi has revealed  imagery of a new two-seat variant of its Su-57 Felon, Russia's 5th-generation fighter. The major change is the addition of a second seat in an elevated position behind the pilot. The style is quite reminiscent of their two-seat Su-30 Flanker series.

Two-Seat Sukhoi Su-30SME

The new two-seat Su-57D was first photographed during taxiing teats on May 17th by Telegram user Fighterbomber.

According to the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the parent company of Sukhoi, the first flight of the Su-57D was conducted in the hands of Sergey Bogdan, chief test pilot at the Sukhoi Design Bureau. The flight proceeded as planned in accordance with the flight mission parameters, UAC said.

“Flight tests have begun on the prototype of the Su-57, a fifth-generation two-seater fighter.  This aircraft, developed independently by our aircraft manufacturers, will, in addition to its unique combat characteristics, also possess the capabilities of a combat trainer and a command and control aircraft,” said Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.

“We are continuing our work on improving and expanding the capabilities of our most advanced fifth-generation aircraft complex. I am confident that the two-seater version of the aircraft will significantly contribute to its success in foreign markets,” added Vadim Badeha, CEO of UAC.

United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) CEO Vadim Badeha at Aero India 2025 Airshow. Note the Sukhoi Su-57 Felon in the Background.

With the introduction of the two-seat Sukhoi Su-57D Felon, Russia has joined an exclusive club which includes only two 5th-generation aircraft equipped with two seats, the other being China's Chengdu J-20S Mighty Dragon. It bears noting that there was planned two-seat variant of America's 5th-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, but the two-seat F-22B variant was canceled as a cost savings measure when that program was curtailed after the end of the Cold War.

The two-seat variant was developed for both export demand as most of Sukhoi's previous customers operate two-seat variants of its Flanker family, and domestically for both the training role and as a control hub for unmanned drones operating in the Manned UnManned-Teaming (MUM-T) role.

Sukhoi Su-57 Felon fighter withe the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B UCAV drone testing the MUM-T concept.

Sukhoi Su-57D Photo Gallery

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