Chengdu J-20 pictures, analysis and speculation Part I

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consealed said:
The Artist said:
Length (Without the probe, exhausts or the verticals) - 66 ft / 20.1168 m

Without exhausts or the vertical fins? B)
Was the exhausts said by you meant nozzles?

Yes, without the nozzles. I measured the model in its current state of construction.

Perhaps I should clarify. The measurement was taken from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail booms.
 
Sorry ... but what do You mean with "scallops" (surely not these http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallop) ??? ;D


Besides that ... the situation at or around CAC has become quite at the moment, seems as the security has been increased or the J-20 is now no longer interesting for the spotters.

Otherwise one new photo - like a few similar ones shown during mid/late October - shows "this" one and in mind of a lighter grey (could also be simply because of the lighting conditions
icon_question.gif
) some speculate if this is simply a mock-up, a static test airframe (2002) - but why then outside the hangars ?) or maybe the second flyable prototype (2003).

Deino
 

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See these pics of the F-22 and F-35. Both have complex shaping at the wing root - LE flap junction. In fact, F-22 has complex shaping on the rear flaps too, which may be missing on the F-35.

This is the kind of serious detail design that marks a VLO fighter from an LO fighter. If J-20 has similar shaping on the flap junctions. it would help ascertain the level of RCS being aimed at.
 

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Come on, this is the sort of nonsensical, head in sand nitpicking that harps of a dubious implication of a detail in wilful disregard of a much certain picture painted by the overall thing. It seems beyond unbelievable that, having accepted the definite weight penalties of serrated edges on skin panels, doors, canopies, and sculloped edges to the vertical stablizer, they would intentionally say "well, we were aiming for a lower level of stealth, so let's give up scolloped edges to flaps seams so that we can give up the additional stealth which can be cheaply bought but which we didn't want."
 
The F-35 has the shaped flaps as well, you just need a better picture to see it. ;)
 
overscan said:
See these pics of the F-22 and F-35. Both have complex shaping at the wing root - LE flap junction. In fact, F-22 has complex shaping on the rear flaps too, which may be missing on the F-35.

This is the kind of serious detail design that marks a VLO fighter from an LO fighter. If J-20 has similar shaping on the flap junctions. it would help ascertain the level of RCS being aimed at.

Thanks a lot for Your explanation ... I was only surprised, since the term "scallops" was new to me.

Cheers, Deino ;)
 
I looked at my J-20 folder and believe Overscan is right, however it is best seen in two relatively large head-on shots where the gap looks "x-shaped" rather than top/bottom photos. BTW, the T-50 has similar shaping in some areas too (wing tips, stabiliser/tailboom junction etc.) and there is at least one photo which would suggest that the Su-47 did as well (LE flaps).
 
Some new photos from today + two very close-ups of the afterburner's inner structure

http://www.fyjs.cn/bbs/htm_data/27/1111/628293.html
 
After a longer break, the J-20 returned to flight testing yesterday !

Here's the video ... take a look at 0:30/0:31 showing a PU/JFS exhaust flame !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE9KSihpIPk

Deino
 
Well that is one impressively set up video. Something about the choice of camera angles and the atmospheric conditions.
 
new photo with bad shot
 

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A nice .gif showing the J-20 opening its weapons bays !! :p ... and I think we can be sure now that they fold !

http://top81.jschina.com.cn/top81bbs/thread.php?cid=1&rootid=3522810&id=3522810

Deino
 
The scalloped edges of the vertical stabilizer seam is very clear.
 
Deino said:
After a longer break, the J-20 returned to flight testing yesterday !

Here's the video ... take a look at 0:30/0:31 showing a PU/JFS exhaust flame !



Deino

Those flight controls look pretty aggressive. More so than any other I've seen. The airbrake pratically vibrates there at 1:10. Very impressive beastie. :eek:
 
sferrin said:
Deino said:
After a longer break, the J-20 returned to flight testing yesterday !

Here's the video ... take a look at 0:30/0:31 showing a PU/JFS exhaust flame !



Deino

Those flight controls look pretty aggressive. More so than any other I've seen. The airbrake pratically vibrates there at 1:10. Very impressive beastie. :eek:

Those control surfaces do appear to be more responsive and prompt in their deployment than anything I've seen at least. It's almost as if the plane's suffering muscle spasms.
 
It is pretty impressive, but not unheard of. Rafale has a similarly snappy (if much shorter) FCS BIT routine and I'm sure most modern fighters could move their control surfaces at that rate if desired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJdeVkQGa8
(watch how the canards snap into position as the hydraulic system pressurises at 0:51 and how they flutter and wink during the BIT routine at ~2:00)
 
Yeah, i remember noticing the snap of the controlls as well. :) Here is an F-22 example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuxClc7SP4
 
:eek:
 

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It's a nice photoshop job by someone.

The sky is lit by the sun from the left while the plane is lit by the sun from the right. Not to mention there is some serious yaw input from the rudders. I suppose he could be performing a wingover, but it isn't likely, at least at this point in the flight test program.
 
Maybe an interesting chart with the J-20's dimensions were posted ! (regardless its reliability)
With a little bit help from some friends at the SDF (since words are not very clear when zoomed in) ... it seems like:

- length 21.26 m
- Fuselage width 3.94m
- Wing span 12.88m
- Height 4.45m
- Canard span 7.62m

- Empty weight 17 tons
- ..?.. 25tons

- Cruise speed 1.83
- Max speed 2.5m

- Ceiling 20,000m
- Combat radius 2,000km
- Ferry range 5500km

- Crew 1

Deino
 

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Deino said:
Maybe an interesting chart with the J-20's dimensions were posted ! (regardless its reliability)
With a little bit help from some friends at the SDF (since words are not very clear when zoomed in) ... it seems like:

- length 21.26 m
- Fuselage width 3.94m
- Wing span 12.88m
- Height 4.45m
- Canard span 7.62m

- Empty weight 17 tons
- ..?.. 25tons

- Cruise speed 1.83
- Max speed 2.5m

- Ceiling 20,000m
- Combat radius 2,000km
- Ferry range 5500km

- Crew 1

Deino

Funny how they give the cruise speed as exactly that given for the F-22 in Jay Miller's F-22 book. ::)
 
I really have my doubts about these parameters since we only got "some" data for the J-10 a few years ago. As such these are most likely estimations ... but I would be interested where this chart was shown.

Deino
 
Deino said:
... but I would be interested where this chart was shown.

Deino

Check all Chinese museums, where a Harbin H-5 is exhibited in a high position (see aircraft in the background) ;) .
 

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sferrin said:
Funny how they give the cruise speed as exactly that given for the F-22 in Jay Miller's F-22 book. ::)
Yes, I got a chuckle out of that as well ;)
 
Reportedly flight 62 today !
 

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2011-08-29
from http://www.fyjs.cn/bbs/
 

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If the empty weight of the J-20 was supposed to be 17 tons, where did they get the 25 tons for weight of combat?
six MR a2a missiles plus two SR dogfight missiles should be no less than 2 tons, therefor, the internal fuel remained while engage air combat would be 6 tons! So the Maximum internal fuel should b around 10 tons!? :eek:
 
Anybody notice something different about the photo posted by Flateric? The J-20 is missing the pitot tube which has graced the "2001" aircraft from the beginning.
 
IMO removed with PS !

Besides that flight-log now stands at 65.

Deino
 

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The use of PS is always a possibility! ;)

Blown up I see some slight blurring at the end of the nose where it could have been "brushed" out.

Still its interesting to see the J-20 profile without the pitot tube....

Respectfully the official flight log is fairly dubious along with the idea that the first flights of a new class of Chinese stealth fighter occurred in front of thousands of people.

The first flights of the J-20 certainly occurred before the dog and pony show that embarrassed the prior SECDEF Mr. Gates.
 
A very nice photo by Lanpang - alias Eagle - to commemorate the first flight anniversary
 

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Seems as if the break for the flight-tests is over .....& especially this one with the AB is nice !

EDIT: seems as both are from take-off in full AB.
 

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I cant recall seeing J-20 in full AB before, thanks for posting.
 
Nice ones Deino ...so anything about the second prototype ( and third, fourth etc )? Any rumours going on in the Chinese fora? Thanks.
 
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