If we are reading that correctly, flying supersonic upside down might be tricky if that flying wing aircraft is to be manned.
PLA next/6th generation fighter thread
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
why tricky? In supersonic mode the outer wings act as vertical stabilizers just like conventional aircraft which has no problem flying upside down. Besides, the upside-down phase is very short used only to transition from supersonic to subsonic.
Haven't we in this forum seen something similar to figure 5 on the ground from a satellite photo long time ago? Also I remember seeing a photo showing something like this in the air in other forums but the authenticity was called into question.An out of Chengdu on a variable wing design applicable to flying wings. Basically, a portion of each wing folds up slightly in for supersonic flight. For subsonic flight where more lift is needed, the portion returns to its default position to generate maximum lift.
Not entirely certain if this is the appropriate thread. Perhaps we should have a dedicated thread for China's aerospace research.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
I remember that supposedly there was a variable-wing UAV displayed said to have flown at one of those UAV shows. I don't know if there were videos of it. I never saw one. But I recall they said it was the first time something of that configuration was able to change wing shapes while still flying.
by78
General
I don't recall. But this is just a design patent on an idea. Don't know if it's being implemented for certain, and also if it's relevant to 6th-gen fighter. I posted it here just in case.
With America having flown a prototype of its 6th Gen already China really needs to step it up a notch.
Fake news....
I don't see huge leaps in technology for 6th gen aircraft, at least the way described on wiki. Seems like most of them can just be improvements added on to an existing platform. I think the leap is when a aircraft (man or unman) can be boosted to hypersonic or low orbit to get into the battefield quicker.
Currently we don't even know what the definitions of a sixth generation fighter are! Keep in mind that when the U.S. launched ATF, the Soviet Union and several European states also started working on their "next generation fighters". It wasn't until the Raptor was unveiled and demonstrated its superiority to 4th gen fighters that stealth became a requisite trait of 5th generation fighters.
That said, I'm sorry for going off topic.
That said, I'm sorry for going off topic.
I guess the Air Force must be lying