My Review and Build of Trumpeter's 1/72 scale Kit #01663,
PLAAF, J-20 Mighty Dragon
Introduction and What's in the Box - July 20, 2014,
Introduction:
The Chinese Air Force had been concrned about the development of the US Air Force F-22 5th Generation Stealth fighter for many years. The F-22 is clearly the best air superiority fighter in the world and the Chinese and other nations simply had nothing to counter it. Beginning in 1999, under strictest secrecy the PRC began the J-XX program, meant to develop a 5th generation stealth fighter of their own.
In the mean time, the US completed and then began deploying the F-22 and was building them in serial production. By 2008, when a new President was elected in the United States, it was clear that no other nation had any aircraft that could match the F-22. The F-22 was very expensive, and in order to cut costs, in 2009 with the reasoning being that the new administration felt that there would be no other adversary 5th generation stealth fighter deployable for at least 20 years, the new US Secretary of Defense, Robert GAtes, announced the Obama administration's decision to stop building more F-22 aircraft, and capped their number at 195 aircraft, of which 187 would be available for service.
At the same time, in 2008, unknown to US intelligence, China awarded a contract to Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, Project 718, to build China's first 5th generation fighter prototype.
By 2010, the cessation of F-22 prodcution was finalized, although tooling was retained. The last set of aircraft continued down the assmebly line in 2011.
In the mean time, progress on the new Chingdu aircraft proceeded.
On January 11, 2011, and coinciding with a visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates (who had had led the decision to end the F-22 and who had announced that decision), to China, the PLAAF rolled out and conducted the first test flight of China's new 5th Generation Stealth Fighter, the J-20 Mighty Dragon. The aircraft was numbered 2001. It was a significant poliical coup by the Chinese and an embarassment to the United States.
The new fighter was of a unique design. It has a long, wide fuselage, with a chiseled nose and a frameless canopy resembling the F-22 Raptor's canopy. Behind the cockpit, on the sides of the aircraft, are low observable intakes. All-moving canards with pronounced dihedrals are located on either side of the fuselage, just behind the intakes and forward of the wings. Leading edge extensions merge into delta wing. The aft section features twin, outward-canted all-moving fins, short but deep ventral strakes and conventional engine exhausts.
It was determined that the Chinese were operating the prototype with current engines, the WS-10, which is not as stealthy or powerful as the American F-22 engine, but that the Chinese plan to replace with more stealthy, more powerful, and potentially thrust vectoring engine, the WS-15, in production.
The aircraft has three weapons bays enclosed within the aircraft. One on each side, and a large weapons bay on the bottom of the aircraft. Total capacity and volume of these bays is larger than the F-22 Raptor, which is raising suspicion that the arcraft may well also operate in a stike role as opposed to predominantly an air dominance role.
In early May 2012, a second prototype, numbered 2002 appeared. Almost identical to the first, it underwent high speed taxi tests and then began flying itself later that month.
in January 2014, a thid pototype, this one numbered 2011, appeared. This new aircraft had some important changes. A new intake was evident along with a new stealth coating. The vertical stabilizers had been somewhat redesigned, and an Electro-Optical Targeting System appeared on the chin of the aircraft. The landing gear doors and operations, particularly of the main gear, had been changed as well. That aircraft first flew on March 1, 2014. In July 2014, a fourth prototype aircraft, numbered 2012 apeared, very similar if not identical to the 3rd.
J-20 Mighty Dragon Specifications:
Crew: 1
Length: 66' 7"
Wingspan: 42' 3"
Height: 14' 7"
Wing Area: 790 sq ft.
Max Take-off Weight: 80,000 lbs.
Current Enginese: 2 x WS-10A afterburning turbofans
Thrust w/afterburner: 2 x 33,000 lbf
Planned Engines: 2 x WS-15 afterburning turbofans
Thrust w/afterburner: 2 x 40,450 lbf
Max Speed: Mach 2+
Range: 2,050 miles
Service Ceiling: 65,700 ft.
Refueling:
- 1 x refueling probe for air to air refueling (expected)
Armament:
- Up to 10 (or more) x AAM (PL-10, PL-12C/D, and/or PL-21)
- Some combination of precision guided munitions
Hardpoints: None seen to date.
The J-20 aircraft is expected to be in serial production for service with the PLAAF in the 2019 time frame. That would be ten years earlier than anticpated by the US when it made the decision to curtail F-22 Raptor production.
The Kit:
The Chingdu J-20 Mighty Dragon is China's most advanced aircraft. It is in prototype production and may soon be seen in an intial production configuration.
Trumpeter introduced the 1/72 scale model of the aircraft in late 2011 to early 2012. It depicts the first prototype aircraft numbered 2001.
Trumpeter makes very good kits and this model is no exception. It comes molded in four colors. Black, white, grey and clear. The aircraft surfaces overall are black. The internal landing gear bays are whilte. The cockpit areas are modled in gray, and the canopy itself and lighs for the landing gear, and the heads up diplay are molded in clear plastic.
Very little if any flash or left over plastic from the modling process can be found. Some of the attachments to the sprues will leave some protrusions when cut off, but these are easy to clean up.
There are three black molded srpues, one while molded spue, one grey molded sprue and one clear molded sprue. A photo etch sprue is also included that contains details for the ejection seat and sensors.
About 140 pieces all together. not including the 10-12 PE parts.
The kit DOES NOT include any weapons bay details. At the time of production I suppose the details were not well known, though they have become apparent and been diplsayed since. I do not intend to build a scratch weapons bay, either the main bay or either side bay.
Gear can be shown up or down, I intend to build it with the gear down.
There is very decent detail in the cockpit.
I intend to build the airaft as is, out of the box, with the plastic colors included and then painted per the instructions. The newer prototypes have changes to some of the trailing edges of control surfaces, to the landing gear, and include a chin mounted infrared sighting pod. I intend to build this one true to the intial prototype. Once a good, detailed, prodcution kit is available, I will beuild that...a few years from now.
The kit has a very decent set of decals, which include 60 water-slide decals. The insructions are very straight forward and intuitive.
I have already completed the Chinese Navy (PLAN) new J-15 srike fighter in 1/72 scale for their aircraft carrier. I also have several other Chinese aircraft in 1//72 scale I will be building over the next few years. They include:
- H-6F Badger Bomber by Trumpeter, I intend to modify oit to the latest "K" version.
- JH-7 Flying Leopard Attack Aircraft by Trumpeter.
- J-10S Vigorous Dragon Multi-role fighter by Trumpeter.
- Z-10 Fierce Thunderbolt Attack helicopter by Hobby Boss.
- J-11B Flanker Air Superiority Fighter by Trumpeter.
Here are some pictures of the J-20 kit before starting the build:
The Build - Cockpit and forward airframe and forward landing gear assemby - July 20, 2014
I began by painting and then bringing together the parts for the forward landing gear, the cockpit, and the forward fuselage assembly:
I then put together the cockpit.
It is fairly deltailed with a very decent ejection seat, good controls, PE parts for the staps and seat harness, an ejection pull, and a very good instrument panel and heads up display. Although the kit comes with good decals for the instruments, I went ahead and hand painted them just the same. I then glued together the front landing gear and its bay. The wheel and tire are nice, particularly after painting the forward wheel in the off white, and there is decent detail in the bay.
That's it for now. In the next session I hope to build the main gear and start putting the main fuselage togeher.
Looking really nice.
SCHEDULE for Future Activities[/u] - July 20, 2014
- By Aug 05, 2014, Complete 1/72 scale Chinese J-20 Stealth Fighter, Russian PAKFA stealth Fighter, and a US SV-22 Naval ASW Osprey.
- By Oct 01, 2014, Start the US Navy Amphibious Ready Group centered on the Gallery USS Wasp with an LHD, an LPD, a DDG, a SSN and two LCS.
- By Nov 15, 2014, Start the PLAN Amphibious Ready Group centered on the Trumpeter Type 071 LPD-999, with a FFG, and three DDGs.
- By Dec 31, 2014 Go back and start fleshing out the rest of the DDG and FFG escorts for each CSG and ARG group.
The completion of the PLAN Carrier group, centered on the already completed , (in addition to the other escorts already completed) included Mini Hobby's's PLAN Guangzhou, DDG-168. I recently pre-ordered a 1/350 scale model of the PLAN Type 071 LPD, Yuzhao Class, announced by Trumpeter and due out in October, 2013. I will end up adding two of those, propbably LPD-998 Yuzhao and LPD-999, Jinggangshan, add the PLAN- DDG-139, Ningbo, and the PLAN DDG-115, Shenyang, along with the PLAN Weifang, FFG-550 and thus build a PLAN ARG.
The completion of the US Carrier Strike group, centered on the completed , (in addition ot the other escorts already completed) included Trumpeter's, USS Freedom, LCS-1, Dragon's USS Preble, DDG-88 and Hobby Boss's USS Texas, SSN-775. When a 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-80 (or any Gerald R. Ford Class) is released from Trumpeter, Tamiya, Dragon, or whomever else, I will add it to this group along with another AEGIS Cruiser. Whichever Ford Class coms out in 1/350 scale, I will build it as the USS Enterprise, CVN-80.
The US ARG will include (which I have already completed), Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS Iwo Jima LHD-7, Gallery's 1/350 scale USS Sommerset, LPD-25, Bronco Models 1/350 Scale USS New York, LPD-21, Cyber Hobby's USS Independence, LCS-2, Acadamy's 1/350 scale USS Rueben James, FFG-57, and another Flight IIA US AEGIS class detroyer based on Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS Lassen, DDG-82...all of these models which I already own.
The UK Group is (as shown) featuring the Airfix 1/350 scale HMS Illustrious as its centerp[iece until a 1/350 scale Queen Elizabeth carrier is released. When that happens, I will add that carrier to the group as its centerpiece. The Royal Navy CSG will also include two Airfix 1/350 scale Daring Class DDGs (one of which is already completed), two Trumpeter 1/350 scale Type 23 HMS Duke class Frigates (one of which is already completed), and the Hobby Boss 1/350 scale HMS Astute SSN (which is also already completed) and Airfix 1/350 scale HMS Tragalgar SSN. One day, when a 1/350 scale HMS Ocean LPD come out, I will use tt to start building a Royal Navy ARG.
The French CSG is centered on Heller's 1/400 scale . I have purchased the 1/400 scale Heller French De Grasse, D612 DDG, which is an ASW DDG, the French Duquesne, D603 DDG which is an anti-air multi-purpose DDG, and the French Aconit F713 FFG and Guepratte F714 FFGs, both of which are Lafayette class frigates. These five vessels will round out my French CSG. As soon as a French Robin class nuclear sub, like the French Perale S606 SSN is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale, I will add that to the group. Also as soon as the Forbin D620, Horizon class anti-air DDG is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale, I will purchase two of them and replace the De Grrasse and Duquesne with them, and then save those two for when a Mistral Class LPD is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale so I can create a French ARG with those vessels.
The Japanese JMSDF group will be centered on Fujimi's very finely detailed, 1/350 scale Hyuga, DDH-181, which I own. It will be escorted by Trumpeter's 1/350 scale DDG-177, Atago, an AEGIS class DDG and the JMSDF, DDG-174, Kongo class (which I own), Trumpeters's 1/350 scale DDG-114 Susunami and DDG-111 (both of which are Takinami Class DDGs which I own), and by the 1/350 scale SS-503 Hakuryu (which I own), one of Japans new, very modern and capable AIP Diesel Electric submarines. As soon as a DDG-115 Akizuki in 1/350 scale is released, I will add it to this group. Should a 1/350 scale Osumi Class LPD be relased, I will buy two of those vessels and create a JMSDF ARG.
Then, finally it will be a complete Russian CSG (centered on Trumpeter's Kuznetsov which I own) the Russian Kirov Class nuclear battle cruiser (CGN), the Peter the Great, by Trumpeter (which I own), the Russian Slava Class cruiser, Varyag by Trumperter (which I own), two Trumpeter 1/350 scale Udaloy DDGs (which I own), Hobby Boss's Akula II class SSN (which I own), and the new Yasen class Russian SSN (which I own), all in 1/350 scale. Some time in the more distant future when a 1/350 scale Russian version of the French Mistral class comes out (which is building in real life right now), I will add two of those and build a Russian ARG.
Recently I purchased Heller's 1/400 scale Foch, the Clemceau Class carrier that was sold to the Brazilians in 2000 and in 2002 was refitted and became the Brazilian CV, Sao Paulo, using steam catapaults. I will build the model as the Sao Paulo and thus start a Brazilian group, though the Type 22 DDGs and the FFGs the Brazilians use are not available at present. I have however purchased a set of 1/400 scale A-4 Skyhawks and S-3 Trackers to build a suitable airwing for the Sao Paulo.
Then, again, once the models are available, I'd like to build an Italian Carrier Strike Group centered on the Cavour and their Horizon DDGs, a Spanish Carrier Strike Group centered on the Juan Carlos and their F-100 AEGIS FFGs, and ultimatly an Australian Strike Group centered on the new Canberra Class LPD and the Hobart class AEGIS DDGs. If they ever build the models, an Indian Carrier Strike Group centered on either the Vikramaditya or their new ADS Carrier, the Vikrant, and their Kolkata class DDGs and Shivlak class FFGs would also be nice.
Years more worth of work!
You can see all of these actual carriers, read their histories and specifictions at my site:
...and most of their surface escorts at:
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