Su-47 Berkut

The Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut (Russsian: Су-47 Беркут, or Firkin; English: Golden Eagle) is an experimental forward-swept wing fighter aircraft built for testing purposes. Only four examples currently exist. No plans for full-scale production have been announced.

History
The Su-47 Berkut is the pinnacle of forward-swept wing fighter technology. With a top speed close to Mach 2 and possessing a degree of maneuverability that makes similar aircraft seem sluggish by comparison, the Berkut would be the undisputed master in a one-on-one dogfight. Small canards and short elevators compliment its distinct outline and aid in making tight turns.

Conception
In the decade following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the most powerful Communist regime in the world at that time, events in the former Soviet bloc were rapidly spiraling downward. Economic ruin had left the Russian military years behind in technological advancement while the rest of the world surged ahead. Their most advanced military hardware was tied up in the aging T72 battle tank, Mi-24 Hind assaul transport helicopter and MiG-29A Fulcrum fighter aircraft, which couldn't compete with comparable combat vehicles, such as the British Challenger tank, the American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the Eurofighter Typhoon. To maintain its place on the world stage, the Russian government had to make radical cultural and ideological changes.

Once that was completed, work was begun on new military vehicles for sale on the the global market. Vehicles like the T80, Mi-28 Havoc and Ka-50 Black Shark were among the new additions for both domestic and foreign use. In the realm of fighter aircraft, the MiG-29 was still the key player, but was slowly being replaced by newer fighters like the Sukhoi line of aircraft, which included a revolutionary design called the S-37. The aircraft utilized a three-surface design: Small canards, forward-swept main wings and cut-down elevators are arranged symetrically on each side increase the overall area of airflow controlled, giving the aircraft a degree of maneuverability unequaled by any other figter aircraft.

Legacy
As the Su-47 has not been put into the full-scale production, and therefor undeployed in combat, it hasn't had the chance to leave behind an endurng legacy. By far, the best known fact of the Berkut is its phenomenal agility, with a maximum turning radius of 1090 feet.

Specifications
The Su-47 Berkut is known the world over for is impressive speed and unrivaled maneuverability. Its twin turbofan engines each provide 18,700 pounds of thrust while in cruise and 32,000 pounds while in afterburner. At subsonic speeds, its turning radius of just over 1000 feet could make it a terrifyingly fearsome adversary in the hands of an ace pilot. Its airframe can withstand up to 9 times the force of gravity, but the operator is quite another matter.
 * Dimensions (length, height, wingspan): 74'2"x20'8"x54'9"
 * Maximum Speed (cruise, afterburner): 818 mph (1800 kph; 982 knots); 1204 mph (2650 kph; 1003 knots)
 * Maximum Range: 2050 miles (3300 km)
 * Operational Ceiling: 59,050 feet (17,893 m)
 * Turning Radius: 1090 feet (330 m)
 * Rate of Climb: 46,200 feet (14,000) per minute
 * Powerplant: Two Lyulka AL-37FU afterburning turbofans (thrust-vectoring if put into production)
 * Weight (empty, loaded): 36,100 lbs (16,375 kg); 55,115 lbs (25,000 kg)
 * Crew: 1

Armament
The Su-47 Berkut is, at present, a test platform for technology built for use in other fighter and multirole aircraft. However, if its mindblowing aerobatic performance grants it full-scale production, it's likely that the standard 30mm cannon and an assortment of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions would be made available.
 * Rotary 6-barreled 30mm GSh-30-1 cannon
 * AA-8 Aphid short-range air-tor-air heatseeker
 * R550 Magic long-range air-to-air semiactive radar
 * AA-23 Dragonfly quick-maneuvering air-to-air heatseeker
 * AA-10 Alamo medium-range multitarget air-to-air active radar
 * FAB-500 quarter-ton freefall bomb
 * FAB-1000 half-ton freefall bomb

Ace Squadrons/Pilots

 * Smirnova - FEAF (AC4)
 * Nachtigall (Nightingale) - BAF (ACZ)
 * Ashley Bernitz / Grabacr (Grave) - BAF (ACZ)
 * BAF 5th TFS &quot;Gault&quot; (Gold) - BAF (ACZ)
 * Meteor - BAF (AC5)
 * Dusk - LAF (ACX)
 * Kentavr (Centaur) - EAF (AC6)
 * Lily - Golden Axe Plan Private Army (ACX2)
 * Cyclops - (EAF/AC6/Ace of Aces)
 * Albireo Squadron (URF/ACAHL)

Statistics
The aircraft's performance throughout the series varies from game to game. It's not consistent, as it would detract from the aircraft's overall appeal and how the player views it.

Ace Combat 4

 * Speed: 90
 * Mobility: 90
 * Stability: 70
 * Defense: 80
 * Air to air: 95
 * Air to ground: 35

Ace Combat 5 and Zero

 * Speed: 83
 * Mobility: 91
 * Stability: 75
 * Defense: 66
 * Air-to-Air: 96
 * Air-to-Ground: 59

Ace Combat X

 * Speed: 84
 * Air-to-Air: 94
 * Air-to-Ground: 52
 * Mobility: 82
 * Stability: 69
 * Defense: 66

Ace Combat 6

 * Speed: 70
 * Mobility: 92
 * Stability: 75
 * Defense: 66
 * Air-to-Air: 96
 * Air-to-Ground: 59

Ace Combat X2

 * Speed: 71
 * Mobility: 72
 * Stability: 66
 * Defense: 51
 * Air-to-Air: 39
 * Air-to-Ground: 59

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

 * Speed: 90
 * Mobility: 100
 * Stability: 45
 * Defense: 60
 * Air-to-Air: 95
 * Air-to-Ground: 65

Trivia

 * Despite being only a demonstrator in real life, it's been one of the most widely used enemy aircraft in the Ace Combat series from Shattered Skies to the Belkan War.
 * Surprisingly, there is not one Su-47 seen in the campaign missions of Assault Horizon, probably due to the game's real world setting and the fact that only four of them currently exist. This raises some questions as to how Task Force 108 was able to gain one for their arsenal and managed to get it combat worthy.
 * Using the Quick Turn skill with this aircraft results in ridiculously high maneuverability, which can be both a blessing and a curse. At best, it can allow players to get out of an enemy's sights and launch their own attack; at worst, it can disorient players to the point they can't tell ground from sky until it's too late. It comes at the cost of stability, however; the Berkut has trouble slowing down to countermaneuver speed without stalling. But even without this skill, it has the highest mobility of all available aircraft.
 * In Assault Horizon, during the briefing of the mission, Motherland, several photos of  Ace Combat 6's Su-47 are on the walls.