PLA AEW&C, SIGINT, EW and MPA thread

ACuriousPLAFan

Brigadier
Registered Member
Cross-posting from the Transport thread, as this is of relevance here.

A paper on numerical simulation of the aerodynamics of a large strategic transport. Filing it here for record keeping, since there have been signs of China working on a large transport in the same class as C-5 and AN-124. Of particular interest is that the paper examined the aerodynamics of an early warning variant mounting an impressively large radome.

54421962625_8c61198aae_o.jpg

54421962620_198a13a2bb_o.jpg
54421962640_9a7463e200_o.jpg
54421771049_716e7b4d7c_o.jpg
54420722367_876bb7d756_o.jpg

Big Bun CG on Weibo estimated that rotodome to be 32.8 meters in diameter.

008k1Segly1i0054r0fw1j30kp0f3mzq.jpg

A literal flying PAWE PAWS/SSPARS (though not exactly) lmao.
 
Last edited:

Stealthflanker

Senior Member
Registered Member
Huge dish. For me tho it might be more modest but still massive. At most 26.4 m, thickness of 5.2 m (simple rule of thumb of rotodome size is 10-30% of wingspan, with thickness of no more than 20% of its diameter). It will be majestic tho. The insides tho might not as wide as one would expect as there has to be structural reinforcements to the dome. That C-5 concept above has structural reinforcements cutting through the passanger and cargo compartment.

1743595977345.png
 
Top