Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut

Sukhoi · Russia · first flew 1997 · fighter

The Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut (Golden Eagle) is a Russian experimental supersonic fighter demonstrator most notable for its forward-swept main wings. It served as a technology testbed and never entered production.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Twin engines with side-by-side fuselage intakes
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Distinctive forward-swept main wings
Canard foreplanes ahead of the main wing
Twin engines with side-by-side fuselage intakes

Instantly recognisable by its strongly forward-swept main wings, canard foreplanes, and twin-engine layout with ventral intakes — unlike any production fighter.

Specifications

The Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut has a length of 22.6 m (74 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16.7 m (55 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2200 km/h (1367 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Su-47 first flew on 25 September 1997 and was used by Sukhoi to explore forward-swept wing aerodynamics, fly-by-wire flight control systems, and advanced composite structures. Forward-swept wings offer aerodynamic advantages at high angles of attack but require active fly-by-wire control to remain stable. The aircraft influenced the development of the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter.

Variants

Only a single flying prototype was built; there were no production variants.

Where you'll see it

The Su-47 flew exclusively as an experimental demonstrator and technology testbed; it never entered service with the Russian Air Force. It is preserved and occasionally displayed publicly.

Related aircraft

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