Well, just because they test flied a prototype and someone caught it on camera may not mean that it's eventually going to be in service...certainly not everything the US test flies ended up in service. I think the Chinese has a bit more money now to spend a bit of spare cash to study some additional designs that are not laser focused on getting a plane out to already planned specifications.
China Flanker Thread II
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kwaigonegin
Colonel
I agree.. I think many of these planes we see or don't see are relatively similar to the X planes of the US.. most will never come to light and many are just test platforms.
As China's aerospace industry matures this will become more common.
One thing I would like to know is China's version of Skunk Works. I'm 100% sure they have a similar outfit and same with Groom Lake/China Lake type facilities.
Really ... I would be glad if at least one or two of hem would only be build as test platforms. IMO this is certain thing the Chinese Aviation Industry still lacks completely: the pure testing of -types similar to the US only to push the frontier even further.
For me most of them are sadly only fan-boy-dreams and fakes or rumours and concepts at best.
Deino
For me most of them are sadly only fan-boy-dreams and fakes or rumours and concepts at best.
Deino
China's aerospace industry isn't that mature yet at this stage and China is still focused on getting all the basics right. Its still very much in a catching up phase at the moment. Building these experimental planes cost money and uses manpower. China at this point is focussing its financial and human resources on real needs. Like strategic transport planes (Y-20), passenger planes (C-919), large amphibious planes (AG-600). And modernizing its fighter fleet which still boast hundreds of obselete models.
And aside from the Americans and the Russians who else is doing that ?
And aside from the Americans and the Russians who else is doing that ?
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Agreed in principle, but there were many UK, French, German and so on projects just like this ...
Anyway, back to the topic.
Deino
b787
Captain
Many nations are making aircraft these days, if you only focus in one or two you might get the impression a few aircraft makers are in the planet, that is not accurate, any aircraft, is build by hundreds of medium size companies and many many small companies.
The J-11 for example you might think is domestic, but that is difficult to ascertain, first because some technologies it uses might come from foreign sources but they have just been indigenized and the final product only bears one or two names.
To put it simple just looking at the air frame, you know the Jet is a Flanker.
Of course China is trying to indiginize most of its programs and due to its large economy has many programs, but as far to say Europe is not in the race, well, is not the most accurate way to say it, in the world there are several aerospace centers, China is one, Russia, Japan, Europe, the USA, India, Brazil, Canada are others.
China is a major center, but i do not think is unique, but one between many, everything will depend in what projects and what it makes
b787
Captain
I do not think that is the case, China like Russia and the US use heavy fighters as attack aircraft, these jets were chosen due to the advances made in electronics and the increasing prices of the airframes and engines of each generation of aircraft.
The third generation had aircraft like the F-111 and Su-24 and the Panavia Tornado, China did the same with the JH-7, however these aircraft can be replaced by heavy fighters such as the Su-30/F-15s and F-18E with their limitations.
China has followed that trend with the J-11 Flanker family, in Europe they have followed the F-18E trend, by increasing the warload of the Eurofighters.
The Su-34 is an attempt to fill the gap between the F-111 and Su-30, but most of the weight increase is due to its heavier head and the increase in fuel.
In the US and Russia they have filled the F-111 role with both the F-15E/B-1B aircraft in the case of the USA and in the case of Russia with the Tu-22M/Su-34
The reason China has not a large warload in the aircraft J-11, is simple the limits of the Flanker familiy and the lack of an aircraft like B-1B.
The J-11 has limits because it is just an interceptor customized to be a striker
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by78
General
Deino, are you setting out baits again for David Axe, Kyle Mizokami, and David Majumdar?
b787
Captain
You do not need into the strategies of conflict, since that will be another topic in it self, but just to keep in the J-11 topic, the Flankers are fighters, they were designed as long range interceptors and air superiority escort fighters, J-11 inherited the same limitations.You do realize fighters are nowhere close to being the only means the PLA can reach out and touch foreign bases in the region right?
Completely baseless assumptions.
Please humour us and see how many of these bases you can actually name.
The J-11 are only designed to operate within a 3000 km range around 1500 km radius, which is very limited considering it is with few weapons.
You might want to argue it is a Su-30 but in general a J-11 will have the same limitations because it is carrying only 4 AAMs.
Since the J-11 is not STOL and has not even thrust vectoring it needs long runways, thus it is vulnerable.
About bases let me recall you that J-11 has to defend an area quiet huge, and China has a huge border to protect, from Central Asia, the Indian Sub continent, and the Pacific.
The potential rivals of China surround it, so if you fly a high altitude flight profile, the Su-27/J-11 is even easier to detect.
Further more remember China does not have a B-2 type aircraft.
So in conclusion the J-11 is a tactical asset.
basically an interceptor
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