The Secret Russian Fighter with Backwards Wings

In the early 1980s, before the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet Union was on a quest to develop a fifth-generation aircraft that could dominate the skies and outmatch every American fighter in the market.

Sukhoi's groundbreaking design of an aircraft with forward-swept wings, which dates back to World War 2, was just what the Soviet Navy and Air Force had been looking for.

After years of research and development, the Su-37 Berkut or Golden Eagle was born, boasting advanced technologies that were ahead of its time.

The use of composite materials to integrate carbon fiber wings was a game-changer, allowing the Berkut to withstand the immense stress put on an aircraft with such a unique wing configuration to go along with its increased maneuverability.

Despite its impressive technological advancements, the fate of the Berkut was thrown into uncertainty with the imminent fall of the Soviet Union in 1989.

Nonetheless, the Su-37 remains a symbol of Soviet engineering ingenuity and a testament to the power of innovation in the face of adversity.

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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.