J-35 carrier fighter (PLAN) thread

[KevinG]

Some say that this aircraft is actually a verifying aircraft, an X-series aircraft. Currently, PLAN has too many things to verify, especially the stealth coating against erosion and maintenance of a 5th generation aircraft on board. The current model is really hard to believe to be the main fleet for PLAN in the future, both the engines and the size are really unsuitable.

The stealth coating material against erosion and maintenance can be easily verified at component level. Really no need to build a X aircraft to verify that. This should be production version. For China, all key technologies for aircraft based 5th generation fighter are there, China just needs to assemble them together and hope they can work as designed.

 

[latenlazy]

Some say that this aircraft is actually a verifying aircraft, an X-series aircraft. Currently, PLAN has too many things to verify, especially the stealth coating against erosion and maintenance of a 5th generation aircraft on board. The current model is really hard to believe to be the main fleet for PLAN in the future, both the engines and the size are really unsuitable.

Verification is the *final* development test phase before you enter production testing. X-series planes are not *verification* planes, but demonstrator or validation planes.

 

[Lethe]

But tbh, PLAN's CV should focus more on defending the fleet than working as a striking platform. China now has advanced hypersonic missiles, possibly they will put them on board, carried by giant destroyers, which seems to be a better anti-navy weapon than air2navy missiles carried by aircraft. On the other hand, PLAN needs to face attacks both from the US's CVs and bombers from their overseas airbases. Thus to effectively protect the fleet, what they need should be a bigger aircraft, instead of a smaller FC-31 size one. That's why I think the model we see here is still verifying aircraft, the same as the preceding FC-31 family. And don't forget, their current model is J-15, one of the biggest carrier fighters ever in the world.

The reason that the US turns to smaller F-35 and gives up NATF is definitely the collapse of USSR and sudden relief of air-defend stress to the CV. Also they quickly retire all the F-14 and AIM-54, and turn to multi-function FA18.

I agree that J-XY is too small and conservative to serve as the sole combat aircraft for the future PLAN carrier air wing over the next generation. There is little doubt that USN's NGAD will outpace it in most if not all key metrics and thereby undercut the ability of PLAN carriers to achieve air superiority. That said, I do think it makes sense to pursue a relatively low-risk project such as this one in the near-term, while also laying the groundwork for a future large combat aircraft to be introduced in the mid-2030s. One of the major benefits of such a "dual track" approach is that it provides a fallback position if that more ambitious future project stumbles.

 

[longmarch]

SAC proved me wrong, good for them. They have worked on this thing for so long anyway.

I have to say that for PLA to choose this airframe is short-sighted, and now they have to wait for WS-19 to mature. But it is what it is.

Now I want to see H-20 and 076.

 

[DexterM]

I think benefits in having a larger hump in terms of volume (especially in terms of additional fuel), and any aerodynamic advantages as alluded to by the screenshots of studies, are a more than reasonable explanation for the modification of the canopy/fuselage part we are talking about.

Maybe it has something to do with strenghtening the airframe near the front landing gear to withstand the forces applied during catapult launches.

 

[Blitzo]

Maybe it has something to do with strenghtening the airframe near the front landing gear to withstand the forces applied during catapult launches.

Doubtful, as such strengthening would not have to be externally visible nor result in an increase in physical volume.

 

[Temstar]

Shilao just got some interesting package from SAC - official models of J-15 and J-31.

Note the box, the model has FC-31 printed but the box lists it as "J-31".

 

[Totoro]

the drawing on the box still resembles the old cockpit area more than the new, redesigned one.

 

[11226p]

View attachment 78712
Shilao just got some interesting package from SAC - official models of J-15 and J-31.

Note the box, the model has FC-31 printed but the box lists it as "J-31".

The J-31 model seems to have the same EOTS/IRST we see on the current prototype so maybe it is actually a scaled model of that.

 

[Gloire_bb]

The J-31 model seems to have the same EOTS/IRST we see on the current prototype so maybe it is actually a scaled model of that.

Box is box, but fc-31 is literally written on it ;p