Of all the places they could have taken a clear photo of the plane, they chose the pitot tube
might as well give us an 8k hdr photo of the tires at this point
Shenyang next gen combat aircraft thread
- Thread starter Blitzo
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might as well give us an 8k hdr photo of the tires at this point
That's a pitot tube with two branches positioned orthogonally which allows the designer to calculate the plane's rate of turn from the airspeed measured along X, Y and Z directions. It's a pretty standard setup for test flights.
idk man, not only is it ugly af it will for sure impact stealth and IWB capacity. Since the J-35 had a smooth underside this will probably have one too :copium:
This kind of tease is unbearable for an aviation nerd. Considering how open is China now, inevitably there would have been "tourists" lurking around SAC and CAC and taking high resolution pictures. So whatever external details these aircraft have, they are probably hungrily disseminated already by the enemy. Hence little sense in not releasing such pictures to the general public, which will only serve positively as far as PR goes, i mean China is flying two of the most advanced combat aircraft ever built, ahead of everyone else. Perhaps if there are folks here with ties to chinese people in the know or even authorities you can make this point.
Well as I said what the jet end up having is surely what is best given the tech level available and the design requirements.
The groove affects stealth in a vacuum yes, but maybe for example it’s the solution with the lowest RCS affect for its design flight envelope (as opposed to having winglets or a pair of v-tail). Again the groove removes the ability to have a giant centerline IWB, but again maybe carrying large diameter strike munition isn’t part of its requirement. Just a few examples to show having it isn’t the end of the world or anything, it’s just one of many many design features that all need to be considered together and not isolated
I don't think the groove (if exists) affects IWB. J-22 and F-22 all have a centre wall in their IWBs which extend to meet the two doors. Having a shallow groove does not eat any usefull volume in the bay. The groove does improve stability like vertical stablizers. There is a document discussing the subject in a tailless design where it proposed groove between engines on the back side. A groove at the belly through IWB will reduce the need for a deeper groove between engines both upper and belly sides. It is reasonable.
About stealth, a groove is like any other non-flat surface, it is not necessarily a big deal or a deal at all. It all depends on how it is shaped and angled so the incoming radio wave is bounced to directions away from radar.
An ideally flattened flywing would be the worst in being detected if the incoming radar wave is right angled. There is no perfect design for everything.
About stealth, a groove is like any other non-flat surface, it is not necessarily a big deal or a deal at all. It all depends on how it is shaped and angled so the incoming radio wave is bounced to directions away from radar.
An ideally flattened flywing would be the worst in being detected if the incoming radar wave is right angled. There is no perfect design for everything.
indeed, but we are used to this Salami-slicing unveiling of high-end stuff
Given the angle at which this photo was taken, this image - when released in its entirety - will almost certainly confirm the existence or absence of a cockpit and possibly of the ventral groove.
Good theory by @ from weibo. Answers our question about why no prominent bump is visible.
Hypothesis on SAC's 6th-Gen Fighter Intake Design
Hypothesis on SAC's 6th-Gen Fighter Intake Design
Initial Analysis of J-XX Photos
Current CG/line art depictions inaccurately show either:- CARET intakes (ruled out due to absent boundary layer dividers)
- Top/mid-mounted DSI bumps (incompatible with aft-swept lips, as DSI requires forward-swept lips to create mid-bump high-pressure zones for boundary layer diversion)
Lessons from Existing Stealth Intake Designs
- Airbus' Loyal Wingman
- Features: Ventral quadrilateral intake lips (classic stealth configuration)
- Russian Su-75 Checkmate
- Features: Shallow conical bump behind the nosecone, forming a dual-cone compression surface
Proposed SAC Intake Structure
- Simplified Model:
- Start with a single central DSI intake
- Split vertically into twin flank-mounted DSI units
- Key Observations:
- The V-shaped lips (side/bottom) align with blue mini-bumps for boundary layer bleed
- Mini-bumps ride the nosecone’s lower surface, creating a dual-cone DSI system
- Advantages:
- Higher total pressure recovery vs single-cone DSI
- Low-profile secondary bumps reduce drag + enhance stealth (mirroring the shallow canopy design)
- Integrated nosecone pre-compression + forward landing gear bay within the central bleed channel
Update: Side View Assessment
- Likely shared single bump for both intakes
- Landing gear positioned atop the bump, avoiding interference between bilateral bleed flows
