The ejection picture shows a Su-27UB, note the fintips and lack of IFR probe, acting as Su-35UB, all painted up as 801. It was on Sukhoi's ramp during MAKS. Hence no canards. Ejection may have occured on the ground, or well, not at all. Could be one big photoshop job.
The flight (probably not at Mach 2), without canopy, shows the actual 801 aircraft, and the pilot, Evgenny Frolov, was interviewed. Maybe he said POINT 2, making it Mach 1.2 or it's a marketing stunt all the way. The fourth picture probably shows them applying the fake ejection marks on the real 801.
Now, about the real 801, it was the Su-35UB prototype prior to Sukhoi's latest Su-35. Prior to 1992, Sukhoi developed the Su-27M modernized Flanker for the Russian Air Force. Carrying bureau numbers 701 through 711, 11 prototypes were constructed. Three production aircraft were produced and delivered, bort 86, 87 and 88. The Su-27M received the export designation Su-35. 711 went on to become the famous Su-37 with TVC. The Su-35 didn't get any orders, for one because it needed a two-seater, thus the Su-35UB was developed. Finished in 2000, it got the bureau bort number 801. This was not a Su-27UB or Su-30 upgrade, instead the two-seat cockpit was design using computer aided design software, a first and the Su-35UB prototype was built by KnAAPO, the production company of the Su-27SK and Su-27M single-seaters. Applying the same redesign to it's Su-27SK, KnAAPO went on to produce the Su-30MKK for China, which got some Su-27M/Su-35UB features, such as the bigger fins with the 'straight' tips, but not the canards. Followed by the Su-30MK2, an upgraded variant, which also found its way to Venezuela, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Meanwhile Irkut (IAPO), Sukhoi's two-seater producer and KnAAPO's rival, had been gearing up to build the Su-27PU two-seater, better known as Su-30, for the Russian Air Force and subsequently multi-role Su-30M for export. India came along, but wanted a much improved variant, with TVC, upgraded flight control suite, canards and different avionics, including indigineous. This resulted in the Su-30MKI. Next, Irkut landed the Malaysian and Algerian orders based on that.
KnAAPO selling Su-30MK2, Irkut selling Su-30MKI two-seaters. But still no new single-seater that could rival other fourth generation single-seat fighters, Sukhoi started a deep Su-27 modernization,
Bolshaya Modernizatsiya (big or deep modernization), bureau designation T-10BM. Again marketed as Su-35 (no Su-35 had been sold yet, and this would take its place in the product line). Produced by KnAAPO, the first two prototypes received the bort number 901 and 902. Like the previous T-10M design, a airframe redesign, but this time not by adding larger wings, tails and canards. The airframe has been re-engineered to add more internal fuel and with a new FCS, it doesn't need canards. So there you have it, Su-35 without canards.
Most probably, we'll have a new Su-35UB in a couple of years with the redesigned airframe. I wonder what code they'll give it. Maybe 1001, maybe just the 900 series.
I think this may be the shortest explanation of the modern Flanker story I can give you. It took me a great deal more words here:
http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/su-35_su-27m/http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/su-35/http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/su-37/http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/su-30/ Let's say they are some customers for new aircraft based on the F-5F airframe. Having experience with upgrading the T-38, Boeing goes ahead and puts a two-seat F-5H on the market. Now Lockheed Martin thinks, wait a minute, Northrop Grumman had this F-5G thing, called F-20 Tigershark. Hey Northrop Grumman, let us built it, we don't want Boeing taking our market share. Let's put a two-seat version of it on the market. F-20B enters the market. While we're add it, let's also take the F-5F, and upgrade it, sell it as F-5L. Okay, we sold some, but customer want a single-seater, you can't sell the F-20A now, so let's redesign it, and relaunch. F-20A enters the market again. Hey LM, you still have this F-20B prototype, it didn't sell, let's put it in a movie! This fictional story is kinda like what went on there. Only that, the designer and producer are seperate (but not complete, Sukhoi owns some of both, but more of KnAAPO than IAPO) in the US, and the US MOD decides on the designations.
Okay, that probably didn't help to clarify it.
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