Sorry if this is a bad question, but why is it harder to get a picture at SAC rather than at CAC? And yes, there's a pretty big drought in information when it comes to the PLAAF this year.
Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator
- Thread starter RedSky
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A short answer, geography, you can check google earth.
Long answer,
Generally, SAC and CAC are typical Chinese state enterprises, specially military ones. The high raise buildings around the airstrip and factory builds are mostly their own residential and office buildings in case of SAC (and XAC as well). They are only occupied by employees and their relatives, no outsiders. The employees are treated somewhat like military service men. Even their family members are obliged to keep secrets. Outsiders are generally forbidden to get in the complex or must be escorted otherwise. And any outside visiters are registered to the hosts for traceability and accountability.
However, that doesn't prevent J-20 to be spotted in CAC besides the relaxing we saw before. The difference is that SAC is located in a flat landscape in Northeast. The surrounding area outside of the restricted area seems to have less high raise buildings than CAC. Even there are some, they will be most likely blocked by SAC's own high raise. In CAC's case, just outside of the wall of the airstrip it is un-restricted public road and trees taller than the wall, and beyond, commercial residential high raise. You realize that all the unofficial photos and videos of J-31 are very grainy and small, because they are taken from a very far away spot unlike J-20.
But if China does not limit the civilian commercial buildings to "invade" the military's complex, eventually I think SAC would have to more further out. I think it is actually in the plan already.
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AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
There are a lot of buildings built up around CAC to watch what happens. I think the wall they built around CAC probably helped secrecy a lot since no one will be able to see if a J-20 or anything else that is new is being prepared to take-off where people will have time to get there and take pictures. If someone hears a take-off you wouldn't be able to tell if it's a J-20 until it's too late. How many different aircraft take off every day? Probably a lot. You can catch the landing but then you would have to know it took off for one to have a chance to catch it landing.
SAC doesn't have a city built around it. For one to see something happening, they would probably have to hang around the perimeter long periods of time to which then security can easily spot and catch you.
SAC doesn't have a city built around it. For one to see something happening, they would probably have to hang around the perimeter long periods of time to which then security can easily spot and catch you.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Neither did we of the J-11D when initial rumors of a completed prototype came out, which was months before the flight.
If it was worthwhile to protect SAC from inspection by stray visitors who was the same not practised at CAC even before it was decided to produce the spectacular J-20 there.
It is probably possible it discriminate between the noise of different aircraft taking off so that might be warning enough that soon a J-20 is going to land, unless it is flying away of course.
I assume you mean why.
I think the answer is not "why not", but "how can". The government has gradually "lost" or relaxed social control after the economy reform. It does and emphasizes on rule of law, but not well prepared to play by the new rule itself. So it ends up in "letting" the civilian city development companies "invading" the military sites in crowded cities. SAC is merely luckier than CAC due to the geography, not much to do with the special protection.
The central government has realized it and demanded local civilian governent to put military's need on a higher position in their local planning, that was at the begining of Xi Jinping's presidency.
I just did some research on the first demonstrator-prototype and its own timeline …
Following the most reliable reports I found it was transported out of SAC on the 19th June 2012 and was spotted at Tianjin on the 21st via the Beijing-Harbin Expressway … later on it was chased – sported again on 23. & 24. June – up to the AVIC 623rd Institute at Xi'an, where it reportedly arrived on Monday 25. June 2012.
The first images of the true flying prototype ‘31001’ appeared in the net on 15. September 2012 and maiden flight occurred on 31. October 2012.
Let’s see what will happen next !
Deino
Following the most reliable reports I found it was transported out of SAC on the 19th June 2012 and was spotted at Tianjin on the 21st via the Beijing-Harbin Expressway … later on it was chased – sported again on 23. & 24. June – up to the AVIC 623rd Institute at Xi'an, where it reportedly arrived on Monday 25. June 2012.
The first images of the true flying prototype ‘31001’ appeared in the net on 15. September 2012 and maiden flight occurred on 31. October 2012.
Let’s see what will happen next !
Deino
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