Enter the Su-57

摘要

Russian president Vladimir Putin was expected to visit a specially erected hangar during the opening ceremony on the first day of this year's MAKS 2017 air show. In front of the latest PAK FA prototype, T-50-9, in Putin's presence, the preliminary conclusion on the first stage of T-50 testing and a recommendation to produce an initial batch of the fighters was to be signed. In addition to the planned signing, the T-50 was due to be officially designated the Su-57. Neither event happened. Due to lack of time Putin did not visit the hangar. The documents on testing and initial production were signed two days later, and the new designation was officially announced by the Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bondarev on August 11. The Boeing 777 is the largest twin-jet airliner ever produced. From its October 1990 launch to the time of writing in early August 2017, a total of 1,935 examples had been ordered, of which 1,502 had been delivered. The landmark 1,500th jet, 777-322ER N2243U (c 63723), was delivered to United Airlines in July - a neat historical symmetry given this carrier was the first to put the 777 into service in June 1995.