That is how it looks close-up. The design was not done with tight tolerances. This is one of the sloppiest fighters I have ever seen produced. When the Indian delegation did a close-up inspection, that was all they needed to walk away from that project.
This is wrong, the early prototypes were rough in nature because they were prototypes. They had more loser tolerances and more rivets then the newer prototypes. No machining was set up for the prototypes and large composite skin was still not ready.
Early prototype (pay attention to the gap where the fuel probe is):
Later model (almost no gap where fuel probe is, less rivets and smoother surface):
It has better craftsmanship then the Rafale and more sensors are blended into the airframe compared to Rafale.
How will mki su57 arrive by 2026?? IAF won't touch su57 untill item30 is operationalized and then mki specs have to be decided and designed. It took 4 -5 years for su30 to become su30 mki!
And even if it comes at 2030 amca will start arriving at 2029-30!
Regarding russian blackmail our economy is two times larger than Russia and growing much much faster than Russia. Russian if use blackmail will only loose further exports as blackmails aren't taken very well in defence planning.
Russian will continue to get new orders for their contributions in our nuke submarine and other programs like s400 , lease of akula etc. But the products must be up to Indian requirements and su57 is not.
What blackmail? India was offered to participate but as usual it’s messy short sighted bureaucrats and HAL interjected. No one forced India to purchase the SU-57 and after India backed down Russia was unfazed.
You forget how HAl/India foolishly backed out of the IL-112 program too, you forgot the fiasco with the MRCA India caused, you forget the headaches India gave to France with the Rafale, constantly changing orders, complained about everything and then unprofessionally going public with complaints.
Perhaps, Russia and France did some things that India did not like, but India is not innocents by any stretch. India is one of the most difficult countries to work with. They demand unrealistic participation in projects that they have no experience in, they agree to terms then later do a 180 and then complain to media, they sign memorandums of understandings and agree to certain terms then later tear up contracts and demand completely different terms.
The people working at HAL/Indian bureaucrats remind me of ‘tire kickers’ that go to buy a car. They see a car they like, they meticulously look it over, start kicking the tires and asking many questions, then they agree it’s nice and tell the owner they will buy the car but they have to go to the bank first. Days pass and the buyer keep stalling asking more questions about the cars history and maintenance records, then the buyer comes but then wants the car cheaper, the buyer then demands some extras like better tires and payed satellite radio subscription. The owner objects to the terms and argues that was not part of the deal. The Indian buyer then refuses to pay what he agreed upon and then goes online to find the car seller and leaves negative comments about the car.
Su-57 internal weapons bay, this will lead to a massive radar signature.
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Like I explained before, the early prototypes were rough because no production line was established, no dedicated machining tool were ready yet and large composite skins were still being developed.
Just for comparison, up close high definition photos are unflattering (pay attention to the cracks and rivets around the canopy):
Rafale has exposed latches, antennas, fuel probe and very rough rivets or bolts in some areas:
