We've never seen it deploy during actual landing. My opinion is that the J20 prototype has triple brake system to ensure landing safety, with all moving control surfaces, air brake, and drag chute backing up each other. I fully expect the production model to get rid of the air brake or drag chute, more likely the former because using drag chute is in PLAAF's culture. Removing the rather large and thick looking air brake can potentially saving a lot of weight and space. As PLAAF air bases getting bigger and better I can see the drag chute eventually go away as well, that little popup thing is pretty stupid, but the space can be used to house a towed decoy.
I'm beyond surprised we haven't seen it exercised on landing, normally the dorsal style airbrake, as on an F-15 is deployed for landing, I really didn't even know she had an airbrake , as I stated the J-20 seems to be coming over the fence at a fairly decent clip. I does make you wonder whether they have deployed it at altitude and didn't like some rumble or something, or maybe they haven't opened up the slow flight test regime yet. I would love to hear the boss man give us a little up front pilot talk, I know thats never happened, but then we don't have a Lightning daily air show or T-50 daily airshow, and yes they are justifiably proud of our little black bird, and all of our questions about 2002, and her arrival, well you can see she is already a "crowd pleaser", I would say this new openess gives every Chinese citizen or friend a lot of hope for the future. It is nice that we can have a discussion and a little insight into one anothers lives and cultures, the comment about the chutes being a part of Chinese fighter culture is interesting, of the many cool things I experienced growing up as an Air Force Brat, the snapping of drougue chutes does kind of stand out, and almost as cool is their being released as they taxi in, and the turbines spooling down.
---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 PM ----------
Maybe I'm just being nitpicky but WHY is it that you have a multi million$$ technologically advance fighter and the surrounding infrastructure looks like something out of some 4th world airport. You know background with shacks, bamboo 'fence' and some very lame shabby looking camo nets and what not.
Yes, you are being picky, thats the kind of comment that could end the Chengdu daily airshow, and shacks are part of flying culture, ie the maintenance shack, Besides that all kind of takes me back to my childhood, may sound strange, but I like bamboo, sugar cane, and rice paddies, we're being "allowed" to share this, lets show a little appreciation, maybe you could send them some proper draperies, just joking Kwai, but you get my point. Just consider it is what it is, cultural exchange. Maybe a plane cover with Chengdu on it?
