A Mystery Aircraft.

Russia's tech giant Rostec decided to spice up and add the intrigue to the upcoming MAKS-2021 and announced (in Russian) that UAC (United Aircraft Corporation) will present at this salon an absolutely new combat aircraft. They even started the countdown to this presentation and stated that the 30-second video gives some clues about this mysterious aircraft. Judging by the name of the web-site by UAC--and it is titled Checkmate--it is designed not only for Russia's VKS but for export too. From a shadow of this aircraft on the water one can conclude that it is something of MiG-35--SU-57 variety, but I also saw two booms in the back of this shadow. Could it be 21st century STOVL related heir to Yak-141? Possible. Russia never denied that she works on such an aircraft. 

Here is MAKS-2021 official promo but it doesn't disclose anything re: this brand new aircraft. 

Are we into some stunning aerospace revelation? Possible. Only 7 days and 2 hours 40 minutes left to wait. Exactly three years ago Borisov announced that Russia works on a brand new STOVL aircraft (in Russian) and that such aircraft can start flying in 7-10 years. Well, it is Russia, alright. Russians love to confuse enemies. Can this explain a "sudden" increase in displacement of the brand new Russian LHDs of project 23900 from 25 to 40,000 tons? I am speculating but I always liked the concept of USS America (LHA-6) which is a sensible compromise between mastodon CVNs and LHDs. The golden middle, if you ask me, but only when one has a good STOVL aircraft. F-35B is NOT a good STOVL aircraft. UAC suggests that 30-second video also gives a hint on this new mysterious aircraft's capabilities. Symptomatically, the shadow of this machine is revealed over the ocean. OK, I am officially into insomnia and counting days, hours and minutes before I can see if this is what I was writing about for so many years--that for aircraft carrier to survive as a viable system it should "shrink" and go for a STOVL air wing with aircarft which will give any CATOBAR carrier combat aircraft a run for their money. Will see...

 

UPDATE: those who have difficulties with the UAC site, here is YouTube, same video. 

Enjoy.