J-20 does not use 3D printed mainframe. It does however employ titanium welding techniques that lightens the airframe significantly.
J-20 5th Generation Fighter VII
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J-20 does not use 3D printed mainframe. It does however employ titanium welding techniques that lightens the airframe significantly.
3D printing can save more weight than titanium welding, but the technology wasn't mature enough for production for the J-20.
That depends on whether you believe the J20 has been rebuilt and upgraded recently or not.
It wasn't mature enough to build early J-20 prototypes before 2011. It is tested and verified by FC-31 since 2012. Now it is 11 years of testing and verification. It could be very mature. Also aircraft production method don't stay unchanged even for the same aircraft. 3D printing was used by F-18 (I think) in later variant, it isn't such a big deal. The only consideration is the change of mass distribution after using lighter 3D printed structure components. For J-20 we are talking about bulkhead which is very close to the centre of mass making the change relatively easy.
There is the J20B, it is not going to use old materials and methods is it? And if they have a new J20B are they not also going to use that for new single seats? Im sure all the J20 rolling off the line since J20B are brand new everything.
It may be already used in current production of J20.
Wang Huaming from BUAA gave a presentation in 2012. In it he said his team has made 3D printed load bearing components for new fighter aircraft which has passed 8000 hours fatigue test. That is the same time of J20 prototypes. They can't use is in prototypes because it is late, but serial production is vastly different from prototypes except the outward look. I really don't see any reason that they can't use it in serial production 10 years later.
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