Chinese tailless delta-winged aircraft
The Chengdu J-36 is a speculative designation given by military analysts to a trijet tailless delta-winged aircraft under development by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC). It is sometimes considered to be a sixth-generation fighter, but it's unclear whether that designation is appropriate because the detailed capabilities of the aircraft are not publicly known.
On 26 December 2024, an aircraft believed to be a J-36 was spotted allegedly conducting test flights in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Since the aircraft's serial number (36011) begins with '36,' following the People's Liberation Army Air Force convention, this model was presumably designated as J-36, but further information is limited.
Development and history
In January 2019, Dr. Wang Haifeng, chief designer of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) announced that China had begun pre-research on a sixth-generation aircraft, predicting that the program would come to fruition by 2035. The plan was reiterated by Chinese state media in 2021.
In 2018, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation reportedly submitted eight proposals for the sixth-generation fighter design, and four designs were tested in low-altitude wind tunnels.
In October 2021, a fighter aircraft with a tailless design was spotted in Chengdu Aircraft Corporation facilities. Intelligence and rumors indicated the Chinese designs would use tailless flying wing or flying arrowhead configuration that can provide greater broadband stealth characteristics compared to the previous generation of fighters, new propulsion technologies, improved sensors allowing the aircraft to operate alongside unmanned teaming aircraft or unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), etc.
In September 2022, United States Air Force (USAF) General Mark D. Kelly, head of the Air Combat Command (ACC) suggested China was on track with the aforementioned characteristics for its six-generation fighter program, and he believed the Chinese design uses a 'system of systems' approach like the United States, which allows for "exponential" reductions in stealth signature and improvements in processing power and sensing.
In February 2023, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) shared its six-generation fighter aircraft concept on social media. The featured concept included diamond-shaped wings and tailless design, which correlated with earlier images released in various AVIC presentations.
Apparent public appearance
On 26 December 2024, online photos and videos showed that Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) has publicly flown a prototype aircraft in Chengdu, Sichuan. The aircraft was spotted flying around an airport owned by CAC and features a trijet tailless flying wing design. It was followed by a Chengdu J-20S twin-seater stealth fighter as the chase plane. Some photos showed the aircraft painted with code number '36' on the forward fuselage, thus the aircraft was tentatively named J-36 by military analysts. Analysts speculated the aircraft may be either a sixth-generation fighter prototype or a regional bomber prototype design previously known as the JH-XX. Observers believe that CAC chose to carry out the flight on 26 December in commemoration of Mao Zedong's birthday. Evidence also suggested multiple demonstrations have occurred before the 26th of December flight.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense, People's Liberation Army, Chinese aviation industry, and Chinese state media did not confirm or report on the testing or aircraft. Still, analysts believed the lack of control on video footage spread was intentional to incite discussion and debates on the projects.
Design
The prototype is a trijet tailless flying wing aircraft with a voluminous, blended, diamond-like double delta wing configuration. The fighter is large in size, with a thin and wide nose area and chine lines extending to the wing section. Behind the nose radome are the canopy, electro-optical windows, possible side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) arrays, dual-wheel nose landing gear, two under-wing caret inlets, one dorsal intake with diverterless supersonic inlet, double delta wings with five trailing edge control surfaces on each wing (including two split flap rudders at outboard wing edges), a ventral weapons bay, two sets of tandem-wheel aft landing gear, no vertical stabilizer, and trijet engine bays with segmented exhaust articulation surfaces.
The prototype has an estimated length of 20–26 m (66–85 ft), a wingspan of approximately 20 m (66 ft), a wing area of more than 190 m (2,000 sq ft), and a maximum take-off weight of 100,000–120,000 lb (45,000–54,000 kg; 45–54 t). The aircraft's powerplants were unknown, including the identities, arrangement, and possible differences of the three engines mounted. It was estimated three modified WS-10 or WS-15 variants were mounted, while the possible installation of propulsion systems with other working regimes, such as ramjet and variable cycle engine, remain speculative. The overall aircraft design is speculated to emphasize all-aspect stealth, high speed, long endurance, high payload capacity, and multispectral situational awareness.
See also
References
- "New Chinese warplane triggers concerns over 'strategic gap' in India". South China Morning Post. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- Nikolov, Boyko (31 December 2024). "Chengdu J-36 creator calls it the best 6th-generation jet yet". Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- ^ Honrada, Gabriel (2 January 2025). "China's J-36 stealth fighter another blow to US air superiority". Asia Times. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- ^ Sweetman, Bill (3 January 2025). "China's big new combat aircraft: an airborne cruiser against air and surface targets". The Strategist. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- Chopra, Air Marshal Anil (28 December 2024). "USAF vs PLAAF: U.S. "Downplays" China's Air Combat Capability; Can 6th-Gen "J-36" Change The Game?". EURASIAN TIMES. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- Singh, Ashish (28 December 2024). "India's 5th-Gen fighter challenge amid China's 6th-Gen advances". Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- "J-36: Assessing China's New Generation Combat Aircraft". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
- Rogoway, Thomas Newdick and Tyler (26 December 2024). "China Stuns With Heavy Stealth Tactical Jet's Sudden Appearance (Updated)". The War Zone. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
- "China unveils new sixth-generation stealth fighter jets". New Atlas. 2024-12-28. Archived from the original on 2024-12-28. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- Joe, Rick (20 September 2019). "Beyond China's J-20 Stealth Fighter". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021.
- Osborn, Kris (8 April 2021). "China Claims It Will Win the Race to a New Stealth Fighter". National Interest. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ Trimble, Steve (6 February 2023). "Weekly Debrief: What Does A Concept Design Reveal About China's Next Fighter?". Aviation Week.
- Rogoway, Tyler (30 October 2021). "Tailless Fighter-Like Airframe Spotted At Chinese Jet Manufacturer's Test Airfield". The War Zone.
- Joe, Rick (11 June 2024). "China's 6th Generation and Upcoming Combat Aircraft: 2024 Update". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- Newdick, Thomas (28 September 2022). "China Is Working On Its Own Sixth-Generation Fighter Program: Official". The War Zone. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- Arthur, Gordon (24 June 2024). "When will China have a sixth-gen fighter jet?". Defense News.
- Roblin, Sébastien (16 February 2023). "China's Sixth-Gen Fighter Jet Sure Looks Like the Air Force's Sixth-Gen Fighter Jet". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023.
- "First flight of Chinese 6th-Generation fighter today". Scramble. 26 December 2024.
- Doyle, Gerry (27 December 2024). "Images show novel Chinese military aircraft designs, experts say". Reuters.
- ^ Newdick, Thomas; Rogoway, Tyler (26 December 2024). "China Stuns With Heavy Stealth Tactical Jet's Sudden Appearance (Updated)". The War Zone. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
- ^ "New Chinese Advanced Combat Aircraft Emerge In Flight". Aviation Week. 26 December 2024. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- Newdick, Thomas (26 December 2024). "Yes, China Just Flew Another Tailless Next-Generation Stealth Combat Aircraft". The War Zone. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- "China surpasses rivals with 'world-class' sixth-gen stealth fighter jet: experts". South China Morning Post. 2024-12-27. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
- Waldron, Greg. "China celebrates Mao's birthday with new combat jets". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
- Axe, David (26 December 2024). "China Revealed Two New Stealth Fighter Designs In One Momentous Day". Forbes.
- Rahaman Sarkar, Alisha (28 December 2024). "China unveils novel advanced military aircraft". The Independent.
- ^ Joe, Rick (30 December 2024). "J-36: Assessing China's New Generation Combat Aircraft". The Diplomat.
- Ling, Xin (27 December 2024). "New Chinese fighter jet seen over Chengdu tacitly confirmed by military". South China Morning Post.
- Cadell, Cate (27 December 2024). "China unveils new futuristic fighter jets in surprise flyby". The Washington Post.
- Axe, David (2024-12-30). "Secrets of China's mysterious new flying-wing stealth planes unravelled". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ Sweetman, Bill (27 December 2024). "Boxing clever? China's next-gen tailless combat aircraft analysed". Royal Aeronautical Society. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Sweetman, Bill (31 December 2024). "China's big new combat aircraft: a technical assessment". Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Archived from the original on 2 January 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
Categories: