A third one found! @huitong ... finally a J-20 from the 4th AB for your list!
View attachment 140170
Thanks for the update! Good find!
J-20 5th Gen Fighter Thread VIII
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
Thanks for the update! Good find!
Two J-20s spotted, with one of them carrying two unknown AAMs. Posted by @齐天的孙猴子 and @耳机林Sir on Weibo.
Does a launch rail/adapter extend that far forward of the wing's leading edge? Or is it a view angle problem?
Depending on the payload it's meant to carry, that is certainly not uncommon.
At any rate that specific picture to me seems like the shape of it is a bit lacking to be a missile or weapon (even a finless mockup).
If I had to guess it could be an external pylon for something, potentially a large unitary payload, but I suspect there is no actual payload installed itself in those images.
(One type of external pylon we know J-20 has is a dual BVRAAM rack)
I have no idea whether this is an actual photo or just a PS-ed work, but apparently someone has spotted at least one J-20 flying in beast mode configuration (or with the empty missile racks/launch rails in beast mode configuration).
Further verification is required.
Posted by @Clay_PLAPAP on Twitter.
Further verification is required.
Posted by @Clay_PLAPAP on Twitter.
After seeing that image, for the last hour or so I've been trying to see if the weibo account 渤海湾的座头鲸 has that image itself, but the handle seems to have been largely cleansed even though I think their posts and pictures have previously made it to the English language side before.
I wonder if it's because they've posted some sensitive stuff and decided to delete some stuff.
A 4x dual rack BVRAAM external loadout is something that we've long deduced J-20 could carry, but it's understandable why we haven't seen an image of it and might be considered sensitive.
I consider that picture to look visually plausible, with a lot of details consistent with what we know the J-20 dual rack looks like, and it looks like they are carry missiles (potentially finless) on them as well.
Whether the picture is actually real, who knows.
The canards seem pretty cranked (light coming through the gap on the right side) ? Would the pilot be (presumably) pulling much AoA with such a payload?
The landing gear is extended in that picture, so it is either on approach for landing or taking off (I feel like the former).
I wouldn't read anything into canard positioning in that picture because of that.