PLA next/6th generation fighter thread

T-U-P

The Punisher
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Then there is the portion underneath the center screen:
View attachment 105378
This guy is sitting inside a cubicle that looks like a cockpit mockup of a fighter jet towards the front. Notice another screen right in front of him (which looks like it is also displaying the cockpit view of the testbed plane itself, with the canopy frame partially visible), the throttle lever to the left, and the side stick to the right.

So, I think the 6th-generation fighter shown on the center screen very likely a CGI indeed.

Or (a huge) maybe, a live video feed from a chase plane that is flying alongside the actual testbed plane, but I don't think this case is likely.
I highly highly doubt this is a live video feed. Everything else surrounding this (including the building and all the other seats next to it) looks like flight simulation of some sort. Which means the object in the upper screen is a CGI.

Just my guess, but the thing in your circle is an aerial refueling probe.

Also, based on the giant projection in the background, the image of the large curved cockpit display looks to be inside the spherical simulator in the middle of the building.
 

ChongqingHotPot92

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I highly highly doubt this is a live video feed. Everything else surrounding this (including the building and all the other seats next to it) looks like flight simulation of some sort. Which means the object in the upper screen is a CGI.

Just my guess, but the thing in your circle is an aerial refueling probe.

Also, based on the giant projection in the background, the image of the large curved cockpit display looks to be inside the spherical simulator in the middle of the building.
I would hypothesize that the PLA has an idea of the general shape/basic layout of their 6th gen fighter, but they have yet to decide whether they want a single engine or twin engine aircraft.
 

Blitzo

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I would hypothesize that the PLA has an idea of the general shape/basic layout of their 6th gen fighter, but they have yet to decide whether they want a single engine or twin engine aircraft.

I think for a 6th generation manned fighter they probably already know whether they want a single engine or twin engine fighter, as that would determine what size the aircraft is that they want.

For a new in development aircraft, one of the very first things that you'd want to determine is the weight class of your aircraft and the general powerplant configuration.


I do also agree they probably have a broad idea for the outline planform that is desirable, but what the exactly go for will be dependent on various RCS studies and wind tunnel and computer studies, which is as much an outcome of air force requirements, as what kind of study work the industry can do.
 
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Blitzo

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Given that's an official avic video, and given the geometry of the thing on the screen, I strongly feel like whatever the screen is showing is intended to the same thing as that tailless aircraft on the satellite image in October 2021. The overall shape but also the angling of the sides of the wings is fairly distinctive.

Now, whether the thing on the screen is a real video or picture of the real aircraft flying or a CGI is an entirely different matter, and also the fact that they're showing it in a cockpit simulator is also a bit weird (but par for the course for Chinese MIC public relations output).

I suspect that it is just a CGI shown on the screen, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is not of some significance. After all, showing a CGI of that tailless demonstrator from AVIC proper is still notable.

But I would caution everyone to not entertain the idea, even briefly, that the PLA 6th gen fighter would look exactly like that.
There are many variations and permutations of "stealthy tailless supersonic capable delta" and we would expect AVIC to investigate and test multiple of them, all of which could end up informing the final product.
 

ACuriousPLAFan

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On April 1st we can troll them hard by getting @Deino to tweet one of 四川地产界高层-军事画’s laser totting transforming tailless fighters as a serious PLAAF sixth gen prototype.
Of course.

If H.I. Sutton can fool many people with the ficticious Type 100 super SSBN through Naval News on April Fools, I think we could too with our "6th-generation fighter leaks".

Just that we need three things:
1. The "leak" photos needs to be blurry-ish and amateurish, to look as if it was authentic and real,
2. A convincing news article describing the "leak" to make it looks like the "leak" is truthful, and
3. Someone managing those frequently-visited military news websites (The Drive, Warzone etc) to help us publish the "leak" and gain more audience.

First and second ones are rather easy. Third one is more challenging.
 
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Temstar

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Of course.

If H.I. Sutton can fool many people with the ficticious Type 100 super SSBN through Naval News on April Fools, I think we could too with our "6th-generation fighter leaks".

Just that we need three things:
1. The "leak" photos needs to be blurry-ish and amateurish, to look as if it was authentic and real,
2. A convincing news article describing the "leak" to make it looks like the "leak" is authentic, and
3. Someone managing those frequently-visited military news websites (The Drive, Warzone etc) to help us publish the "leak" and gain more audience.

First and second ones are rather easy. Third one is more challenging.
If only AVIC PR department can get in on this. They could pull this off easily by leaking something like that
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thing.
 

Deino

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Of course.

If H.I. Sutton can fool many people with the ficticious Type 100 super SSBN through Naval News on April Fools, I think we could too with our "6th-generation fighter leaks".

Just that we need three things:
1. The "leak" photos needs to be blurry-ish and amateurish, to look as if it was authentic and real,
2. A convincing news article describing the "leak" to make it looks like the "leak" is truthful, and
3. Someone managing those frequently-visited military news websites (The Drive, Warzone etc) to help us publish the "leak" and gain more audience.

First and second ones are rather easy. Third one is more challenging.


3. is no problem, since I know Thomas quite well since he's our publisher's editor!
 
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