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The J-20 arrangement seems to be designed to minimize the necessary open angle (maybe 30-40 degrees) of the missile bay door during missile deployment, while placing the deployed missile well clear of the arc of its canard deflection. F-22 style arranagement would seem to require the bay door to open to a high angle (nearly 90 degrees) to enable the missile to shot out through the middle of the missile bay door opening. This would feature seem to be problematic on the J-20 if the J-20's canards were deflected downwards at a high angle. Even if the missile or door doesn't foul the canards outright, at least the blast from missile motor would damage the carards. Perhaps specification for the J-20 specifically require the aircraft to carry out extreme combat maneuvers involving high AOA and large canard deflection while ready to fire its IR missiles instantly, hence the unusual arrangement. The fact this unusual arrangement is present on a prototype and tested so early in development phase suggest the J-20 design devoted significant forethought right at the beginning to all aspects of close combat capability. This further discredits the notion that it is a striker, and instead suggests the design requirements for its air superiority capability was thorough and ambitious.
The J-20 arrangement seems to be designed to minimize the necessary open angle (maybe 30-40 degrees) of the missile bay door during missile deployment, while placing the deployed missile well clear of the arc of its canard deflection.
F-22 style arranagement would seem to require the bay door to open to a high angle (nearly 90 degrees) to enable the missile to shot out through the middle of the missile bay door opening. This would feature seem to be problematic on the J-20 if the J-20's canards were deflected downwards at a high angle. Even if the missile or door doesn't foul the canards outright, at least the blast from missile motor would damage the carards.
Perhaps specification for the J-20 specifically require the aircraft to carry out extreme combat maneuvers involving high AOA and large canard deflection while ready to fire its IR missiles instantly, hence the unusual arrangement.
The fact this unusual arrangement is present on a prototype and tested so early in development phase suggest the J-20 design devoted significant forethought right at the beginning to all aspects of close combat capability. This further discredits the notion that it is a striker, and instead suggests the design requirements for its air superiority capability was thorough and ambitious.
