The engine of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter AL-51F-1 (also known as "Product 30") is capable of withstanding heating up to 2000 degrees Celsius in hover mode at an altitude of 600 meters, Rostec state corporation reported. Such thermal load occurs when performing aerobatic maneuvers, including reaching zero speed.
At the moment of hovering, when the aircraft literally freezes in the air, any drop in thrust can lead to rotation and uncontrolled descent. However, the Russian power plant successfully withstands extreme conditions due to its high structural reliability, the state corporation emphasized.
A vivid confirmation was the demonstration flight of test pilot Sergey Bogdan at the Aero India air show this year. At the controls of the Su-57, he performed a dizzying complex of aerobatic maneuvers, including hovering at zero speed. According to Bogdan, the Su-57 does not lose controllability in any modes, which is critically important for the pilot in combat.
The designers incorporated the ability to perform super-maneuverability maneuvers into the fighter as an additional way to evade missile attacks. Confidence in the power plant allows the pilot to use this option. The first prototypes of the Su-57 were equipped with the "first stage" engine — AL-41F1 ("Product 117"). It was an interim solution based on 4th generation engine technologies. Starting in 2017, tests of the aircraft with the new "Product 30" engine began. It is this engine that is being tested in modes with zero speed and extreme thermal loads.