14:02 29-04-2026

Su-47 Berkut Tested Technologies Later Used in Su-57

Dmitry Pichugin (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons

Sukhoi chief pilot Sergey Bogdan said the Su-47 Berkut tested wing and cargo bay technologies later used in the Su-57 fighter.

Sukhoi Design Bureau chief pilot and Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan said the Su-47 Berkut fighter, known for its forward-swept wing, successfully served as a «flying laboratory».

According to Bogdan, the aircraft’s trials tested the wing’s characteristics, including its behavior in critical conditions. A series of flights was also carried out using cargo bays.

He noted that the Berkut had another important feature besides its forward-swept wing: its cargo bay. The engineering solutions developed for that section were later used in fifth-generation aircraft.

Bogdan stressed that the technologies tested on the Su-47’s cargo bays were successfully applied in the creation of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter.

Earlier, the chief pilot also described an incident during one of the Berkut’s test flights. The fighter’s navigation instruments failed, making it difficult to pass through cloud cover. Despite the problem, the aircraft was safely landed while being escorted by another plane.