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Sukhoi Successfully Tests T-50 Stealth Fighter

Sukhoi's fourth T-50 prototype fighter jet, known by its Russian abbreviation, PAKFA, successfully performed its first test flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Wednesday.

"The jet, piloted by hero of the Russian Federation Sergei Bogdan, performed a 40-minute flight, during which the plane's stability and power were tested," Sukhoi, a unit of United Aviation Corp., said in a statement.

"The jet performed well during all stages of the test flight, and its equipment showed reliability," it said.

The fifth-generation PAKFA T-50 stealth jet fighter, first shown off at the 2011 MAKS air show, is a competitor of the F-22, made by Lockheed Martin/Boeing.

During the MAKS demonstration, the pilot abruptly aborted takeoff after what Sukhoi called a malfunction in its right engine.

Sukhoi has been testing three such fifth-generation fighter jets, which have collectively performed about 200 test flights.

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