What is the asymmetric feature on the rear of a Sukhoi Su-47?

Question

I saw this part on the rear of the Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut, and I can see that it is asymmetric. Is it maybe for interference, or is it a take-off aid because the Su-47 is a STOL plane?

What is it and why is it asymmetric?

Edit:Second picture is mirrored

It's just a thing put there to create asymmetry by someone who was a secret admirer of Burt Rutan. — quiet flyer, Apr 18 '20 at 21:40

score 23 · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-20T19:14:26.293

23

The Su-47 has two tailbooms of unequal length outboard of the exhaust nozzles. The shorter boom, on the left-hand side, houses rear-facing radar, while the longer boom houses a brake parachute.

Source: Wikipedia

Related: What is this part between the Su-35's jet exhaust nozzles?

Note: Your second image is mirrored. Here's a real photo with the right (starboard) boom being the longer one:

Su-47 (aka S-37) in lead, also notice the tail numbers of the formation (no mirroring); source: wikimedia.org

edited Apr 20 '20 at 19:14

answered Apr 18 '20 at 17:25

1

Interesting to note that even the experimental Su-47 has a white nose radome! – Rodrigo de Azevedo Sep 26 '21 at 10:33
1

@Rodrigo: Assuming it's reasons 1 and/or 2 I mentioned in my answer, it still makes sense. Why change a manufacturing process and/or new standard just for an experimental. – Sep 26 '21 at 18:21

What is the asymmetric feature on the rear of a Sukhoi Su-47?

1 Answers1