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Chengdu J-20 vs Su-57: how to tell them apart

Two combat aircraft that are easy to mix up at a glance. Here is what tells them apart.

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Chengdu J-20

Combat aircraft, China. In service since 2017

What gives it away

Large stealth fighter with canards just behind the cockpit, a long fuselage, twin canted tails and ventral fins.

Used by

China

Su-57, combat aircraft from Russia, Algeria

Su-57

Combat aircraft, Russia, Algeria. In service since 2020

What gives it away

Stealth-shaped fighter with widely spaced engines, all-moving twin tails, large leading-edge extensions and a long, flat fuselage.

Used by

Russia

Photo: N509FZ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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