J-20 5th Gen Fighter Thread V
- Thread starter Deino
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I feel your frustration.Ich glaube, die machen das absichtlich, um mich zu ärgern ... jetzt haben die neuen Maschinen noch nicht einmal eine Seriennummer !
Deino
But I "warned" everyone here that PLA may have just applied their new missinformation method.However, there is still a chance for all of us. When somehow PLAF decides to officially show off their new birds, we may "suddenly" see many numbers in one photo or video clip through official channel or wallclimbers.
Now if you think about it, what operational value is left there for serie number to be on the aircraft anyway? Today, aircraft operate far away from their buddies, together with the LO paintings, it is really difficult if not impossible to see the serie number of their peers. Also, every aircraft is equipped with some sort of electronic (or laser optical) beacons to identify themselves, a visual marking difficult to see beyond hundreds meters is really useless. To me, it is perfectly good to remove the numbers all together, but only leave the national insignia in place for visual identification in patrol operation during peace time.
I feel your frustration.
However, there is still a chance for all of us. When somehow PLAF decides to officially show off their new birds, we may "suddenly" see many numbers in one photo or video clip through official channel or wallclimbers.
Now if you think about it, what operational value is left there for serie number to be on the aircraft anyway? Today, aircraft operate far away from their buddies, together with the LO paintings, it is really difficult if not impossible to see the serie number of their peers. Also, every aircraft is equipped with some sort of electronic (or laser optical) beacons to identify themselves, a visual marking difficult to see beyond hundreds meters is really useless. To me, it is perfectly good to remove the numbers all together, but only leave the national insignia in place for visual identification in patrol operation during peace time.
You're all wet here Taxiya, pilots and maintainers ALWAYS identify specific aircraft flown or maintained by the serials in the military, tail numbers are recorded in every log book entry and on every radio call. N271MA is the only turbo-prop I have ever flown, it is went down on Nov 16. 1988, with one of my best friends the only fatality at Chicago Midway.
If you join the F-4 page on Facebook, those guys rattle of serials by the reams, and specific history and incidents. Serials are an absolute necessity in identifying individual aircraft on the line and on the ramp, as well as in the air......
the bird with NO serial, is no doubt 2102, its lack of a serial indicates a "shell game", no doubt to mask actual numbers or lack there-of as we play the "you don't know what I got game", but with folks like Deino, its not easy to play that game anymore??? Satelites also make that much more difficult, LOL?
So now we see an aircraft in primer with NO serial, 2103??? or 2101 with the numbers "over-sprayed",, Emperor XI is a big fan of secrecy, and if indeed he was visiting, then its rather likely that this aircraft is 2103, which we have been expecting for some time, and as well we may see 2104, 2105, and 2106 in rather quick succession?
I am highly skeptical of 40 aircraft in three years, with a new bird like this??? I would guestimate more like 20-24 aircraft in three years, and I would point out, that even as "ramped up" as they no doubt want to be, production to date has been leisurely. The main reason a program that has been out in the open goes "black" is that either objectives or quantities are underperforming expectations?
Anywhere between 6 to 12?
I would say between 3 and 12, I'm suspecting that the latest "primer bird" is our long awaited 2103, with 2104, 2105, and 2106 to follow shortly??
Also once production does begin in earnest, they will cut down the number of flights of each aircraft at the factory to a modest number to determine airworthiness and basic safety, and then on to Xian or where-ever for further testing. So we should see first flights at Chengdu ramp up with production, and depending on how individual aircraft check out, then turned over to the military for final testing and induction.
Taxiya is right, the lack of visible serials displayed prominently is likely to continue, simply to keep observers from "keeping score"?
The pay off will probably be 20 birds lined up in a roll for a photoshoot at Zhuhai 2017.
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