The Russian Su-57 fighter displayed at the Army 2022 event in Moscow is equipped with a never-before-seen-in-public engine design that sports a jagged edge exhaust nozzle which could be the much-anticipated second-stage engine, expected to power the production versions of the stealth jet.
Comparison photographs of the engines of the Su-57 flown at the MAKS 2021 event and the one in static display at the Army 2022 show a clear difference between the exhaust nozzles. The ones on the aircraft flown at MAKS 2021 have rounded engine exhausts similar to that of the AL41FP engine on the Su-35.
The appearance of new engine ties in with an earlier announcement by United Engine Corporation (UEC-Ufa), a part of Russian state holding, Rostec that the second-stage engine would be ready by the end of 2022 and that production models of the Su-57 fighters fitted out with the new engines would begin in 2023. UEC- Ufa had manufactured the first prototype of the second-stage engine that entered flight tests in December 2017.
In response to a question by defensemirror.com, Yuri Slyusar, head, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said at the Army 2022 event that second stage engine development is progressing as per schedule without giving any further details. Later, at a media briefing regarding the Su-57, a UAC official said the Su-57 (on display) has a "new engine" but declined to identify it by a name or product nomenclature.
Photos of a test Su-57 aircraft flying with AL-41 FP engine in one bay and the Second Stage engine in another have earlier appeared in the Russian media. However, this is the first time the Su-57 has been shown with both of its bays occupied by an engine that apears to be similar to the Second Stage engine.
The second-stage engine, internally referred to as "Izdelie-30" will allow the Su-57 fighter to develop supersonic speed without using an afterburner, a feature called 'supercruise.' Super-cruise means an ability to cruise at supersonic speed without after-burners which translates into a lower heat signature besides fuel savings.
Test flights of the second stage engine began in December 2017. Images of the su-57 flying with one engine sporting the jagged edge exhaust nozzle and another with the smooth round nozzle of the AL41FP had then been published in the Russian media. UEC, through its parent company, Rostec had in 2017 released a video of the ground test of the engine.
Unconfirmed reports say that the "Izdelie-30" engine is expected to develop a thrust of 15,000 Kilo Gram Force ( KGF) compared to 14000 KGF of the AL41FP. In addition it is expected to have 3-D vectoring nozzle which will enable the jets to perform extreme menoeuvers.
Current Russian jet engines have 2-D vectoring nozzles and so does the American-made F-22 jet. The jagged-edge nozzle design could be to support the 3-D vectoring function of the engine.