Hey guys, check out the new fighter that the Russians are about to show to the world:
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I’m sensing a theme with fighter design lately
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It seems that with a given technology level, aircraft designers come up with very similar solutions…and if you can save R&D costs by ‘ahem’…. “borrowing” ideas from elsewhere that work, so much the better…. I think it can be seen in aircraft design since 1903.
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They call it the “NOT F-35”!
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I think it will kick ass as a fighter, as it’s most likely far lighter than the panther. The fineness ratio looks a lot better imo.
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Looks like F-35 and YF-23 had a baby.
South Korea left out the 23.
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That thing has pretty huge vertical stabilizers. 
I believe the J-31 is intended for shipboard use. I agree with Paul that things like rhomboid fuselage profiles and slanted tails are probably the most optimal solution to decreasing radar reflectivity through outer moldline shaping. It has nothing to do with copycat spying.
Remember how alike F-111 and Su-24 were, or Su-25 and YA-9. Su-27 has a lot of F-14 in it, and F-15 a lot of MiG-25. These were mostly because of similar constraints and requirements I believe.
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Military design always revolved around ‘current views’ and typical era ‘problems’ that needed solving.
Its a function of the perceived world of that day and the way assets are thought to be employed. The science tells a similar story on how to solve these problems regardless of language and so we tend to see similar designs.
Still, there is no denying that copying and/or trying to obtain as much information (illegally or otherwise) about other countries’ projects is a whole market on its own.
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Yeah, I always feel like Jack Ryan when poring over these earliest pictures of (potential) opfor machines. T-50, J-20 and J-31 were fun times.
I feel it to be unwise to be dismissive about them.
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This is why I’m a fan of old-school aircraft. Efficiency ruins art.
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Spot on…it also borrowed features such as the cockpit layout of a Cessna and the flying characteristics of a remote control model. 
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They ended up with both the Su-27 and MiG-29 using basically the exact Blended Wing Body and blended Strake/Canard/LERX layout as the F-16.
The BWB goes back to at least the Douglas Skyray…and the Soviets claim it was something they were researching from the 60s. When they redesigned the T-10 to the T-10S the project chief (M.Simonev) did quote the F-16 as being their main influence for a fighter with close in performance.
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So absolutely for the cool looks, Russian designs are by far my favorite. So far this looks like it’s following the trend.
I don’t know about real world numbers and I know they have some engine issues, but honestly they managed to make 5th gen at least LOOK menacing and powerful, something the US could not.
(Thinking about how important foreign sales are for 21st century Russia, I cannot dismiss the idea it’s somewhat on purpose…)
Too bad because if the YF-23 had turned into anything I might think differently. Not that it matters too much in a real war (other than the ol’ marketing war)…
Do we know for sure it’s a Sukhoi?