Chengdu next gen combat aircraft (?J-36) thread

[EmoBirb]

Something I kinda wondered (as most of the talk so far has been about speed, range, engines, power generation and stealth) is if this aircraft will feature a new type of radar or simply an upgraded and larger version of the array found on the J-20.

Especially having read some people here acting like the focus on all-aspect stealth will make this aircraft nearly undetectable, I'm curious how that supposed issue would be addressed from the other perspective.

Given that for one, radar technology is also ever evolving and on the other hand a fancy aircraft is certainly good, but not of much use when it couldn't deal with an equally advanced aircraft on the opposing side.

Quite frankly, I definitely expect the J-36 or whatever it's eventual designation will be to field some truly impressive radar array. Otherwise I'd argue it would be a shortcoming of the fighter. Unless of course the radar detection of opponents would be handed over to disposable CCAs, but even that doesn't seem like something to rely on entirely IMO.

 

[AndrewS]

I don't actually see the point of "optionally manned". You still need to carve out a large % of the aircraft to accommodate pilots. You can make the aircraft much smaller and cheaper without pilots in there.

If the J-36 is at 60tonnes MTOW, it's not far off the B-21 at 80tonnes.

And I recall the USAF stating that making the B-21 manned/unmanned made little difference to the aircraft.

 

[AndrewS]

Place fuel modules in them and you can enable very deep (e.g. 5000km+) or fast (e.g. supercruising the entire flight) missions.

Can you provide examples of such mission profiles?

 

[Antey1]

It seems to me that the USSR always played catch-up with the US in aviation.

MiG-23M mass production started in 1972.
MiG-23ML mass production started in 1978.

F-14A entered service in 1974.
F-15A entered service in 1976.
F-16A entered service in 1978.

MiG-29A mass production started in 1983.
Su-27S mass production started in 1986 (entered service in 1990, cold war wasn't even a thing at that time... CFE treaty, warsaw pact almost disbanded).

YF-22 first flight was in september 1990.

The US was consistently 1 generation ahead (of everyone including europe).

 

[sunnymaxi]

Something I kinda wondered (as most of the talk so far has been about speed, range, engines, power generation and stealth) is if this aircraft will feature a new type of radar or simply an upgraded and larger version of the array found on the J-20.

J-36 will have next generation ''Gallium Oxide-on-Diamond'' AESA radar tech.

China recently published studies showing its advancement in Gallium Oxide-on-Diamond RF module. The GaO-on-Diamond substrate offer 14x the thermal conductivity of GaO-on-Si as well as 7.4x that of GaO-on-Sic. Basically, Diamond substrate addresses the extremely poor thermal conductivity property of Gallium Oxide.

we have a separate thread on China Radar Technology. if you have time please do visit. some really valuable information is available.. thanks

 

[styx]

MiG-23M mass production started in 1972.
MiG-23ML mass production started in 1978.

F-14A entered service in 1974.
F-15A entered service in 1976.
F-16A entered service in 1978.

MiG-29A mass production started in 1983.
Su-27S mass production started in 1986 (entered service in 1990, cold war wasn't even a thing at that time... CFE treaty, warsaw pact almost disbanded).

YF-22 first flight was in september 1990.

The US was consistently 1 generation ahead (of everyone including europe).

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Since World War II, the Americans have consistently shown themselves to be far ahead of others in aviation. This Chinese move seems to have marked a traumatic break in this pattern, a wound that stings both in terms of image and politics.

 

[BoraTas]

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Since World War II, the Americans have consistently shown themselves to be far ahead of others in aviation. This Chinese move seems to have marked a traumatic break in this pattern, a wound that stings both in terms of image and politics.

Americans are already working on 8th gen. The B-21 is 6th gen and they showed it. You know, if Americans have shown anything they already have the next gen in service and are working on the double next gen. The 8th gen has no engines, no fuselage, no tails, no weapons, no radar. It is thus 1000% stealthy.

 

[mack8]

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Since World War II, the Americans have consistently shown themselves to be far ahead of others in aviation. This Chinese move seems to have marked a traumatic break in this pattern, a wound that stings both in terms of image and politics.

I cannot but think of Ramius's line from Red October: Today the game is different. WE have the advantage. How do you say that in Chinese?

 

[siegecrossbow]

Americans are already working on 8th gen. The B-21 is 6th gen and they showed it. You know, if Americans have shown anything they already have the next gen in service and are working on the double next gen. The 8th gen has no engines, no fuselage, no tails, no weapons, no radar. It is thus 1000% stealthy.

They weaponized Chinese libs?

 

[styx]

Americans are already working on 8th gen. The B-21 is 6th gen and they showed it. You know, if Americans have shown anything they already have the next gen in service and are working on the double next gen. The 8th gen has no engines, no fuselage, no tails, no weapons, no radar. It is thus 1000% stealthy.

They often say that the B-21 is sixth-generation, but there's just one problem: it's a bomber, and the generational system only applies to fighters by their own commercial definition.