US F/A-XX and F-X & NGAD - 6th Gen Aircraft News Thread

[SinoAmericanCW]

Still Russian are also working on their ''6th gen'' with PAKDP, I could say they are at more or less the same level of advancement than US in that regard. The industry side of things is lacking quite a bit tho.

There's no reason to think so, IMO. There's no evidence that demonstrators/X-planes have flown for the PAK DP, and the very concept of the aircraft ('successor interceptor to the MiG-31') makes me doubtful that it represents a full-spectrum 6th generation effort.

If I had to rank the known 6th gen efforts, it'd look like this:

1. China: J-36 and J-XX prototypes (i.e., equivalent to U.S. EMD phase) undergoing flight tests
2. United States: F-47 and F/A-XX designs chosen (or about to be), assembly of prototypes for EMD phase about to begin
3. Italy/Japan/UK: Assembly of first GCAP/Tempest demonstrator (prototype?) has begun
4. France/Germany/Spain: Go ahead for the full development program imminent
5. Russia: They have 'concepts of a plan(e)'

 

[Virtup]

The PAK-DP is it's own thing. It is NOT the Russian 6th gen. I remember someone involved in the SU-57 project said that it will eventually become 6th gen (obviously that won't happen), and from what I've seen (sorry but I forgot where), they seem to aim to gradually upgrade the SU-57 till gen 5.75 before transferring most of its subsystems to a 6th gen airframe.

 

[Atomicfrog]

There's no reason to think so, IMO. There's no evidence that demonstrators/X-planes have flown for the PAK DP, and the very concept of the aircraft ('successor interceptor to the MiG-31') makes me doubtful that it represents a full-spectrum 6th generation effort.

If I had to rank the known 6th gen efforts, it'd look like this:

1. China: J-36 and J-XX prototypes (i.e., U.S. EMD phase) undergoing flight tests
2. United States: F-47 and F/A-XX designs chosen (or about to be), assembly of prototypes for EMD phase about to begin
3. Italy/Japan/UK: Assembly of first GCAP/Tempest demonstrator (prototype?) has begun
4. France/Germany/Spain: Go ahead for the full development program imminent
5. Russia: They have 'concepts of a plan(e)'

1. China have flying prototypes yes indeed and at least at U.S. EMD phase but probably with subsystems equivalent of 15 years+ of building planes if we compare to F-35 development.
2. Not a lot of evidence of real demonstrator in the US... mostly electronic vaporware.
3/4 Italy/Japan/Uk/France/Germany/Spain are jumping a generation (5th) while their economies are collapsing ???
5. Yes Russia have mostly electronic vaporware like the US

 

[SlothmanAllen]

5. Yes Russia have mostly electronic vaporware like the US

Can you clarify what you mean by electronic vaporware?

 

[MC530]

1. China have flying prototypes yes indeed and at least at U.S. EMD phase but probably with subsystems equivalent of 15 years+ of building planes if we compare to F-35 development.
2. Not a lot of evidence of real demonstrator in the US... mostly electronic vaporware.
3/4 Italy/Japan/Uk/France/Germany/Spain are jumping a generation (5th) while their economies are collapsing ???
5. Yes Russia have mostly electronic vaporware like the US

China has more possibilities. If the H20 is postponed and China has a short-term need for medium and long-range low-observability attacks/bombings, we will soon see a 5.5-generation delta-wing bomber ———— which will meet the expectations of many European and American commentators.
Just like the first batch of production aircraft of the J20, even if it only has a Russian engine, perhaps the EOS is not completed and the radar is immature, it will still be sent to Yanliang or Cangzhou for tactical evaluation.
Another possibility is that the combination of J20+J16+H6 can complete most long-distance strike missions with the Rocket Force. The Chinese Air Force does not have such urgent needs. Then the J36 will become like the J35. Maybe it will be 10 years before we see the mature J36 sent to the Zhuhai Air Show for performance——Like an air cruiser with CCA friends.

 

[Atomicfrog]

Can you clarify what you mean by electronic vaporware?

Bunch of virtual designs on a computer. Could be advanced works with the powerful software that exist now but nothing more to show. If they had a real demonstrator, it would have been seen.

The only thing we could find for demonstrator at Boeing is the X-36, a nice RC. They had the YF-118G plane in the 90s. We could take the Mig 1.44 as demonstrator for the Russian at this rate... FA-XX design is an image on a computer that they didn't disclose...

 

[Atomicfrog]

China has more possibilities. If the H20 is postponed and China has a short-term need for medium and long-range low-observability attacks/bombings, we will soon see a 5.5-generation delta-wing bomber ———— which will meet the expectations of many European and American commentators.
Just like the first batch of production aircraft of the J20, even if it only has a Russian engine, perhaps the EOS is not completed and the radar is immature, it will still be sent to Yanliang or Cangzhou for tactical evaluation.
Another possibility is that the combination of J20+J16+H6 can complete most long-distance strike missions with the Rocket Force. The Chinese Air Force does not have such urgent needs. Then the J36 will become like the J35. Maybe it will be 10 years before we see the mature J36 sent to the Zhuhai Air Show for performance——Like an air cruiser with CCA friends.

China have clearly a couple of step in front, and it's not a small step right now their aviation industry/growth is sprinting. Russia industry is pushing a walker and US is trying to go forward with their shoes tied with the enormous pit of the F-35. I'm hoping to see nice new designs flying. Would be interesting to see but I cannot see that happening fast in the US and Russia.

 

[phrozenflame]

SAC tease reveal reminding White House that they missed the F/A-XX announcement deadline.

 

[Gloire_bb]

Still Russian are also working on their ''6th gen'' with PAKDP, I could say they are at more or less the same level of advancement than US in that regard. The industry side of things is lacking quite a bit tho.

PAK-DP is goddamn dedicated interceptor program in unknown status (it doesn't look alive). DP stands for long range intercept.
Yes, there are 6th gen studies in Russia.
No, it isn't PAK-DP. No more than Mig-31 is 4th gen.

3. Italy/Japan/UK: Assembly of first GCAP/Tempest demonstrator (prototype?) has begun
4. France/Germany/Spain: Go ahead for the full development program imminent

If those are included, may as well count in T-75.

 

[00CuriousObserver]

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F/A-XX Will Have Just 25% More Range Over Existing Navy Fighters​

...

Donnelly did not offer any specifics, but the F-35C carrier-based variant of the Joint Strike Fighter has the longest combat radius of any tactical jet in the Navy’s current carrier air wings, which U.S. military sources put at around 670 nautical miles (close to 1,241 kilometers). This, in turn, would put the F/A-XX’s expected maximum combat radius at roughly 837.5 nautical miles (just over 1,551 kilometers)