TsAGI has long been aware of the advantages of forward-swept wings,[3] with research including the development of the Tsibin LL and study of the captured Junkers Ju 287 in the 1940s.

At high angles of attack, the wing tips remain retracted allowing the aircraft to retain aileron control.

To reduce development costs, the Su-47 borrowed the forward fuselage, vertical tails, and landing gear of the Su-27 family.

The aileron remain effective at the highest angles of attack, and controllability of the aircraft is retained even in the event of airflow separating from the remainder of the wings' surface.

The thrust vectoring (with PFU engine modification) of ±20° at 30°/second in pitch and yaw would have greatly supported the agility gained by other aspects of the design.

However, the airframe itself has no specific features characteristic of true stealth aircraft that would more significantly reduce its radar cross-section.