J-35A fighter (PLAAF) + FC-31 thread

[vincent]

We don't need to go over this again.
Air combat trends are going towards greater distances and BVR in networked environments, it's not a surprise to hear that pilots would recognize WVR weapons have less viability in modern air warfare.

Unless you're saying that "newbie pilots" would value WVR capability more, in which case I agree with you.
Experienced pilots with good command of modern air warfare trends should recognize that the emphasis of WVR capability is reducing further and further.

Just to add to Siege's post. Yankeesama said newbie pilots consider PL-10s deadweights.

 

[Maikeru]

It’s probably the other way around: why does the F-35 choose to ditch a perfectly fine and effective system (the HUD) and decide to rely solely on a new and relatively high-risk piece of technology to function? While not an all-ending flaw over the years we have certainly seen the HMD system on the F-35 cause a bunch of problems. Weight, cost, technological hurdles such as its image resolution & delay, just to name a few.

One can certainly argue that going all in with the HMD has its share of benefits and I agree, however it’s a risky design choice that probably will take its toll in time, costs as well as time to become fully combat-ready. The US might have an argument for being able to withstand these drawbacks with the JSF program since they had a period of absolute military superiority with essentially no threat of high-intensity war during which the JSF was developed. China on the other hand has much more pressing national defense needs and as such it makes a lot more sense for them to retain tried and true technology (the hud in this case) while dipping their toes in the water, so to speak, with new tech in order to gradually introduce them and familiarize themselves with them without hindering their combat effectiveness.

I read somewhere a lot of F35 pilots got neck pains because of using the new helmet at high G.

 

[Schwerter_]

I read somewhere a lot of F35 pilots got neck pains because of using the new helmet at high G.

Yeah that makes sense because having a full projection system able to crank out high-res video feed and whatnot inside a helmet would make it quite a bit heavier. Weight has been an issue imo for basically all HMS and HMD systems but the F35’s is I think the worst offender so far. If I’m not very much mistaken, there’s a minimum body weight requirement for F-35 pilots which is set at least partly due to the neck stresses caused by the HMD system.

 

[Blitzo]

Just to add to Siege's post. Yankeesama said newbie pilots consider PL-10s deadweights.

That actually makes sense, considering they'll have received the more up to date curriculum as well and I suspect may on average have better understanding of modern air warfare than more "experienced" pilots on average.

 

[LuzinskiJ]

According to Yankeesama J-20 pilots think even side bays are essentially dead weight in fifth gen combat supported by force multipliers. They probably won’t hold the gun in high regards.

So merge is no longer a thing for 5th gen?

 

[siegecrossbow]

So merge is no longer a thing for 5th gen?

You want to avoid it when you have situation awareness advantage. If you don’t, just run and fight another day.

 

[Schwerter_]

You want to avoid it when you have situation awareness advantage. If you don’t, just run and fight another day.

Plus, one can always just use bvraam in a pinch. They won’t be as good in visual ranges but modern fox3s can do some pretty nasty high G turns especially when the engine’s burning.

 

[gelgoog]

Do we know for a fact that J-20 has meaningful A2G capabilities? My impression has long been that, akin to the F-22, it's an air superiority fighter (but not an interceptor!).

The J-20 has a 360 degrees EOTS below the nose. That suggests it was developed as a multi-role aircraft with ground attack capability from the start. It is definitively not a pure air superiority fighter.

 

[BoraTas]

So merge is no longer a thing for 5th gen?

Post-cold war SRAAMs are exceedingly lethal. 60G rated load, high lift design, thrust vectoring, multiple cuing options by the sensors and the helmet, gimballed seekers that are imaging, etc... A merge means both fighters are likely to get shot down most of the time.

I want to leave this here. SRAAMs have the lift and energy to attempt for a second time in some conditions nowadays. The Python 4 and 5 are advertised to have the capability. I wouldn't be surprised if the AIM-9X block 2, PL-10 and ASRAAM had the same too.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Don't underestimate CAC or SAC's ability to ramp up production.

Have you not looked at the major ramp up in orders for meta material and carbon fiber for PLAAF related projects?

And my point still stands.

Even as both Chengdu and Shenyang ACs have sufficient production slots to roll out 200-300 J-20As and J-35As respectively per year in the coming years - Having the PLAAF procuring both the J-20As and J-35s is still the better, if not superior option than overwhelmingly focusing on J-20/A production only, as per my reasoning above.

Plus, should I also remind that both Chendu and Shenyang ACs do produce other types of warplanes beyond the J-20A and J-35A, so there's that.

I'd suggest a re-read on what I have explained.