Shenyang next gen combat aircraft thread

Schwerter_

Schwerter_

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latenlazy said:
Maybe they just repainted it.
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Maybe, but I would argue it’s not very likely. Looking at past SAC projects, namely the FC-31 prototypes (1.0 sporting its black paint scheme for its entire life, 2.0 staying yellow for years before getting a grey coat which then stays on with no changes) , I don’t think SAC (or anyone for that matter) would change the paint scheme of a prototype on a whim
 
Gloire_bb

Gloire_bb

Captain
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To be fair, PL-17 is, mildly speaking, big boi, which IMHO wasn't really meant to be carried inside (in the sense that PLAF didn't compromise it's performance for internal/conformal carriage; whatever wants to carry them inside should adjust to them, and not the other way around).

Otherwise, it's nice, but hardly necessary for stealth fighter to carry them inside.
They're stealth precisely as to be able to come into effective range of smaller weapons, and I'd personally argue that even PL-15 is far too long ranged/big for VLO fighter IWB optimal.
 
lcloo

lcloo

Captain
My wild wild guess is that Shenyang aircraft has a beam that separates 2 large IWB thus the dark groove that was observed, I don't know the true purpose of that design, may be it is there to strengthen the internal structure to withdstand the impact of aircraft carrier landings. This aircraft has a wide belly, and these 2 IWB are not small or narrow as we might had visualised.

Again another wild wild guess. After the demostrator was bult and flew, they build 2 prototypes, one for airforce and one for aircraft carrier. Thsi is a very wild guess but not impossible, especially China always give unexpected surprises.

Also, I always expect that 6th gen has duel flight mode, manned and unmanned (as an UCAV), on a same aircraft.
 
Neurosmith

Neurosmith

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GyrfalconFC31 said:
View attachment 142634
A new photo from Shenyang. There is a pitot on the head.
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Looks like there is a cockpit. This is a manned aircraft, not a drone.

As for the IWB, both the manned aircraft and drone would need one. I'm still of the opinion that two prototypes were built and this one is the more refined one.

And we really can't judge its size since we don't have a reference point at this moment.
 
Neurosmith

Neurosmith

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sutton999 said:
one guesswork, otherwise J36 will be the only supersonic stealth PL17 IWB.
View attachment 142644


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Unlikely. There is a distinct groove between the intakes/engines, which would make a YF-23-style bay physically impossible to integrate.
The only plausible configuration is for the DSI intakes to wrap around the large nose and for the IWBs to be integrated directly underneath the intakes.

That is probably why there is such a prominent boxy protrusion coming from the underside of the intakes (and why there is a groove in the first place).

Even if it's a tech demonstrator (it likely isn't), its configuration should match closely with that of the full-on prototype.
 
M

mack8

Junior Member
What if, just like the J-36 is 36011 which implies there was a 36001 according with chinese variant numbering practice, it's the same situation with J-50 hence the apparent differences between the airframes seen so far. One is 50011 and the other is 50001?
 
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