The YF-23 rumors have been going on for years. A decade ago there were rumors that the Saudis were interested and would fund the YF-23 R&D if the USAF didn't want it. I wouldn't put too much faith into these things.
Should China build the f-23?
- Thread starter samba
- Start date
The YF-23 rumors have been going on for years. A decade ago there were rumors that the Saudis were interested and would fund the YF-23 R&D if the USAF didn't want it. I wouldn't put too much faith into these things.
Oh ... come one ! These "rumours" are as stupid as Mach 10 flying operational hypersonic bombers in PLAAF-service or litle green men on Mars.
Additionally such considerations that "China should build the F-23" directly implies that the CHinese Aviation Industry should "copy" again a design instead of being independent.
Yet one final thought to keep up the testbed/prototype argument albeit from a different point of view: There are and there have been numerous testbeds/prototypes for various projects ... the whole X-series comes into mind but also in the west, the VSTOL Kestrel (pre-Harrier), EAP (pre-Eurofighter) ... why aren't such projects - at least I don't know any - in China to explore some certain technologies or configurations ??
Just my 2 cents.
Deino
Additionally such considerations that "China should build the F-23" directly implies that the CHinese Aviation Industry should "copy" again a design instead of being independent.
Yet one final thought to keep up the testbed/prototype argument albeit from a different point of view: There are and there have been numerous testbeds/prototypes for various projects ... the whole X-series comes into mind but also in the west, the VSTOL Kestrel (pre-Harrier), EAP (pre-Eurofighter) ... why aren't such projects - at least I don't know any - in China to explore some certain technologies or configurations ??
Just my 2 cents.
Deino
I wish so ... and I wish even more to see them !
But I'm almost sure that they "simply" used wind-tunnel or sub-scale models, calculations and at best testing of components ... but not a single airframe built esp. for testing = testbed like the EAP.
IMO if China would have gone this way earlier - like just testing the J-9 as a testbed - and not remodeling it again and again until it was too late they would have learned a lot much earlier.
But I'm almost sure that they "simply" used wind-tunnel or sub-scale models, calculations and at best testing of components ... but not a single airframe built esp. for testing = testbed like the EAP.
IMO if China would have gone this way earlier - like just testing the J-9 as a testbed - and not remodeling it again and again until it was too late they would have learned a lot much earlier.
It's probable that adopting full sized test beds up until recently was too expensive for China.
build a single engined, but with a diamond wing and Vtail, a mini-YF-23 would not be a bad idea.
whoever builds them, prob would kick JSF's rearend in export market. which ever the meaning of "kick-rearend" you prefer...
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