The strangest things in the cockpit of a Russian Su-34

Mil.ru. via Wikimedia Commons

Russia's Su-34 Fullback fighter/bomber jet is in many ways a reworking of the older Su-27 model, but it includes some shockingly homey features, like a "toilet" and a "kitchenette."

See some of the unexpected creature comforts aboard the SU-34 in the slides below.

The Fullback seems to have been designed head-to-toe with pilot comfort in mind. Instead of sitting one in front of the other, Fullback pilots sit side by side like in a car. This saves room in the cockpit as the pilots can share instruments, and do not need duplicates for their separate compartments.

Instead of climbing into the cockpit from a rolling staircase like US pilots do, the Russian pilots simply climb up a ladder attached to the landing gear.

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Now comes the really amazing part. The cabin is actually big enough to move around in, which is unthinkable in the sleek, streamlined jets the US flies. Pilots can actually lay down in the cabin if they're tired.