Latest news with #wingtips
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
What do we know so far about China's advanced J-36 and J-50 fighter jets?
China's two next generation stealth fighter jets – known as the Chengdu J-36 and the Shenyang J-50 – stunned the world when they seemingly emerged out of nowhere on December 26 last year. Over the past six months, more sightings and the resulting images and witness reports have given us an increasing amount of detail about the two advanced and yet mysterious aircraft. Here is what we know about them so far – as well as some of what we do not. Chengdu J-36 Also nicknamed the 'Gingko leaf' because of its shape, the name of this aircraft, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC), has never been officially disclosed. It is known as the J-36 because of the serial number '36011' that was painted on the prototype jet in the first images – similar to the initial J-20, which bore the number '2001'. The J-36's distinctive diamond shape derives from its delta wing platform design, which could greatly reduce air drag when the plane is cruising at high speed. The aircraft is also distinctively tailless – essential for radar evasion. Other unique aerodynamic features include trailing edge control surfaces per wing and split flaps close to the wingtips. These configurations further streamline the airframe while making up for the loss of manoeuvrability. The J-36 is powered by an unorthodox three engines, which are believed to be the same WS-10C Taihang that is used in the J-20. They could also be upgraded to the WS-10 thrust-vectoring version or the more advanced and powerful WS-15 Emei. The engines also use different inlets, with the one on the dorsal featuring a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) air intake with a compression bump. The two ventral engines use Caret inlets that have adjustable ramps to ensure high-speed performance. The trio of engine exhausts is arranged in a petal design – similar to the United States' experimental YF-23 aircraft in the 1980s – which is said to provide better management of airflow temperature while reducing infrared observability. Most of the J-36's unusual design features are aimed at improving stealth, suggesting the aircraft has also been equipped with a considerable capability upgrade against radar and electro-optic detection in all directions compared to fifth-generation fighters. In its first appearance, the J-36 was accompanied by a J-20S chase plane, providing clues about its size. Based on the images from that day, the aircraft is at least as long as the 21-metre (65.6 feet) J-20, if not slightly longer, but almost double its 3-metre (9.84 feet) wingspan. The estimated size of the J-36 serves as a baseline for conjecture about its other specifications, such as its empty weight, take-off weight, speed, fuel capacity, combat range, armament capacity, and so on. The only thing we can say for sure is that this plane is significantly larger than the heavyweight fifth-gen J-20 fighter, which would allow abundant space for more armaments as well as radar and other advanced avionics. This has led to some speculation about whether the J-36 is more of a bomber. For the sake of its stealth profile, the aircraft's weapon bays are hidden, with one popular theory suggesting that its firepower could greatly exceed the J-20. According to this theory, the J-36 has one main bay in the fuselage belly that can carry up to six or eight long-range missiles, as well as two side bays, each capable of holding two smaller missiles. Another guess is that the J-36's cockpit might be twin-seated with a side-by-side seat arrangement. This has not been confirmed by clearer images, but if true, could be intended for better drone control. Shenyang J-50 There have been fewer close-up eyewitness reports about the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) fighter compared to its Chengdu counterpart. As another tailless stealth fighter, the smaller J-50 has a number of similar aerodynamic features, including movable wingtip control surfaces to enhance stability and manoeuvrability. The J-50 has a lambda wing platform design – a shape that has been compared to a brown needletail, a large swift that gets its name from the spined ends of its tail – a conventional structure in stealth fighters that stabilises flight while reducing the radar cross-section. It is powered by two engines – possibly thrust-vectoring WS-10B/C types that would provide stronger manoeuvrability – with sophisticated DSI inlets to increase the aircraft's stealth. The J-50's size can also be estimated, thanks to its appearance alongside a J-16 in the available images. These show that it is almost the same length as a J-16 but with a wider wingspan. Because it is not as big as the J-36, there has been speculation that the J-50 could be fitted for aircraft carriers. Two symmetrical weapon bays under the fuselage are believed to be large enough for the PL-17, China's most powerful long-range air-to-air missile. Neither the Chinese military nor the two developers CAIC and SAC have made any remarks about the two aircraft, so the timetable for their development and expected service time – as well as how many are planned – is absolutely unknown. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mystery Tiltrotor Aircraft Emerges
What looks to be a previously unseen vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft design, with a mix of tilting and fixed rotors, has emerged at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. Mojave is a hotbed for aviation development where testing of new and often intriguing designs, including VTOL types, regularly occurs. Photographer Matt Hartman took the pictures seen above and below of the unusual aircraft at Mojave yesterday and posted them on social media. The aircraft was sitting outside a hangar on the eastern side of the main apron area, according to Hartman. Several aviation companies have a permanent presence at Mojave, and the U.S. military also makes use of its facilities. and here the #EVTOL oddball of the week seen at MHV! No id or idea on this one… #avGeek #VTOL 02-10-25 — Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) February 11, 2025 No identifying markings are readily visible on the aircraft and it is unpainted in its primer coating. It is also physically anchored to the ground and hoses are seen snaking down from the nacelles holding the rotors, all of which is common to see during ground testing of VTOL designs. From what can otherwise be seen in Hartman's pictures, the design has six rotor assemblies. There are two larger ones in tilting nacelle pods at the wingtips and two pairs of smaller ones that appear to be fixed vertically in nacelles built into the high-mounted wing. A single, horizontal trapezoidal tail points to a twin-boom tail configuration that is also visible. There is a central fuselage with a front windscreen with two distinct halves, pointing to side-by-side seating, at least for individuals up front. A large doorway is also seen on the left side of the forward fuselage. A tricycle landing gear arrangement consisting of a nose wheel and two main wheels attached to struts sticking out from the sides of the rear of the fuselage is visible, as well. In some very broad respects, it almost looks like a mashup of the OV-10 Bronco light attack and observation aircraft and the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor. Though what kind of propulsion system the design might have is unknown, the wingtip nacelle pods at least have exhausts pointing to turbine engines, which could drive the rotors directly or produce electricity to run electric motors that drive these rotors. They could also drive the wing rotor via mechanical linkages or by providing electronic power to their motors. Additional turbines might also be present in the wing nacelles to provide power to those rotors, either mechanically or electrically, but they would have to be small and this seems less likely to be the case. A hybrid-electric design where turbines provide electricity to at least some of the rotors would be a particularly big deal as this is still an emerging technology space, especially for the U.S. military, if it is involved with this design at all. The market space for hybrid and electric VTOL designs, crewed and uncrewed, and intended for civilian and/or military use, has exploded in recent years in the United States and globally. In April 2024, the independent Vertical Flight Society said its database of distinct electric VTOL, or eVTOL, concepts had hit 1,000 entries. Many such designs have been tested at Mojave. The Air Force's Agility Prime program, which began in 2020, is perhaps the best-known example of recent U.S. military efforts in this space. Run through AFWERX, the service's internal technology incubator, Agility Prime has been experimenting with a variety of eVTOL designs, including types from Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation, and LIFT Aircraft. In December, Aviation Week reported that persistent range limitations with existing eVTOL designs had prompted Agility Prime to refocus its efforts on hybrid-electric types. For the U.S. military, interest in new VTOL aircraft designs, including the active development of types with more traditional propulsion arrangements, is being driven in part by a desire for greater runway independence amid concerns about the growing vulnerability of air bases, as well as other established facilities, during a future high-end conflict. This, in turn, has led to the development of new concepts of operations focused heavily on expeditionary and distributed operations, including in remote and austere sites with limited existing infrastructure. New VTOL designs, especially uncrewed ones, are also increasingly viewed as important components of future supply chains for forces in forward areas, including right on the front lines. Casualty evacuation and the extraction of downed pilots, including from behind enemy lines, have also been presented as potential roles for such aircraft. There is also considerable civilian interest in hybrid-powered and eVTOL designs, including from commercial operators eyeing them for use as air taxis. While we don't know if the aircraft that has now emerged at Mojave is intended for civilian or military use, or both, it does appear to be quite elaborate overall. Larger tilt-rotor designs also remain rare among civilian-focused general mobility concepts. TWZ will be keeping an eye out for more information about this VTOL aircraft and what its projected roles might be. Contact the author: joe@
