Narrowbody · ICAO S37

Sukhoi S-37 Berkut

The Sukhoi S-37 Berkut was a Russian technology demonstrator famous for its forward-swept wings. Sweeping wings forward can improve agility at high angles of attack, but it creates severe structural loads that required advanced composite materials. The sole aircraft flew from 1997 and tested flight-control and aerodynamic technologies relevant to later fighters. Its black-and-white paint scheme and unusual wing shape make it one of the most recognisable post-Cold War prototypes.

Sukhoi S-37 Berkut, example photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ввласенко · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

The Sukhoi S-37 Berkut is instantly recognisable by its forward-swept wings, a shape that improves agility but demands advanced composite structures.

Specifications

Length22.2 m (73 ft)
Wingspan16.7 m (55 ft)
Height6.4 m (21 ft)
Persons on board1
Crew1
Maximum take-off weight34 t
Range1,800 NM (3,334 km)
Maximum speed1,300 kt (2,408 km/h)
Service ceiling60,000 ft (18,288 m)
Rate of climb45,900 ft/min (233.2 m/s)
Engines2x Saturn AL-37FU
Units built1

Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.

In CatchFlights

In CatchFlights the Sukhoi S-37 Berkut starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.

A catch counts for the manufacturer Sukhoi, the S-37 Berkut family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.

Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.

Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.

Download

Catch what flies overhead

CatchFlights is free on the App Store for iPhone. On Android it is in closed testing on Google Play — join the testers and help shape the game.

iPhone · Android (beta)