Chinese J-6 VTOL project

[shin_getter]

In 1968 the China attempted to develop a VTOL fighter, so engineers came up with adding lift fans to the J-6 to finish it by 1971. Lack of success and the death of some of the CCP leadership gets the project canceled in 1972.



Slightly more sane proposal

 

[hesham]

Nice Project Shin,

but are you sure that a real design ?.

 

[shin_getter]

Well, you can find a number of references to it on the Chinese web.

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ä¸å›½èˆªç©ºçš„疯狂计划：为æ¼6é…4个风扇å¯åž‚ç›´èµ·é™

mil.news.sina.com.cn

The Chinese doesn't exactly have an engine that can support VTOL in 1968, so lift fans it was.

 

[Skyfire]

The second picture is more realistic,but this design is impossible to be built.

 

[Tzoli]

I doubt those 4 small turbofans could provide the necessary lift for takeoff and in normal flight they would give quite a drag reducing maximum speed and likely loadout though in some maneuvers it could increase the planes agility!
Still I remember the 4 engine VTOL Transport with much larger similar engines and even that project was cancelled by the USAF!

 

[Dilandu]

Maybe the first one was supposed to be a prototype only? Proof of concept?

 

[youROKer]

Maybe the first one was supposed to be a prototype only? Proof of concept?

The project was completed during the era of the Cultural Revolution in China. It is very likely that its creators may not have realized that such engines are not enough. Or they could be under pressure from politicians who did not understand aeronautical engineering.

 

[Tzoli]

Ahh I've found the aircraft I was referring to:
The Bell X-22

 

[Dilandu]

It would be great if anybody could provide the transation...

 

[Dilandu]

There is one idea what it may be...what if it is kind of "vertical takeoff kit" for standard fighter? I.e. container with lift engines, control systems and fuel supply, attached underneath the fighter? The idea is, that it would lift the fighter, help it to accelerate to flight speed, then detach & land under remote control.

 

[WANX]

It would be great if anybody could provide the transation...

Translation:
formal name: mission No.4; Other name: Vertical take-off and landing aircraft; Design purpose: a aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically; Design Team: Bureau 601 Group five.
Timeline: 1968.07， pre-research topic raised;
1969 early, being listed for pre-research
1969.09, research task officially initiated
1969.late, project reported
1970, 07, project confirmed
1970, late, windtunnel experiment
1972, become scientific research project.

 

[drejr]

Maybe the first one was supposed to be a prototype only? Proof of concept?

The project was completed during the era of the Cultural Revolution in China. It is very likely that its creators may not have realized that such engines are not enough.

Contemporary US engineers didn't need a Cultural Revolution to draw up things like sticking eight lift fans on an F-104.

I doubt those 4 small turbofans could provide the necessary lift for takeoff and in normal flight they would give quite a drag reducing maximum speed and likely loadout though in some maneuvers it could increase the planes agility!

They were supposed to retract into a conformal pod. I'm not sure the large drawing is accurate.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

I am still confuse about the reality of this Project,there is no sign
to believe it was existed,and the year 1968 is ringing a bell,because
most of fake Chinese aircraft was taken that date ?!.

 

[cattalonX]

PROJECT NO.4 四号任务：垂直起降歼击机 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

关于四号任务 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

 

[martinbayer]

Maybe the first one was supposed to be a prototype only? Proof of concept?

The project was completed during the era of the Cultural Revolution in China. It is very likely that its creators may not have realized that such engines are not enough. Or they could be under pressure from politicians who did not understand aeronautical engineering.

Sounds like desperation/panic levels in the Chinese aerospace engineering community during the Cultural Revolution may (understandably) have approached those of their German brethren in the waning days of World War 2.

 

[KUMA]

PROJECT NO.4 四号任务：垂直起降歼击机 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

关于四号任务 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

View attachment 681552

oh my……
it's hard to believe that I will see my website in the forum, I thought few people knew it.

 

[Deino]

PROJECT NO.4 四号任务：垂直起降歼击机 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

关于四号任务 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

View attachment 681552

oh my……
it's hard to believe that I will see my website in the forum, I thought few people knew it.

In fact I didn‘t know but I am more than interested … however I cannot access your site!

 

[KUMA]

PROJECT NO.4 四号任务：垂直起降歼击机 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

关于四号任务 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

cnaero.top

View attachment 681552

oh my……
it's hard to believe that I will see my website in the forum, I thought few people knew it.

In fact I didn‘t know but I am more than interested … however I cannot access your site!

My website was set up with my laptop, and now I'm taking it on my way to somewhere.That's why it can't be accessed.

But the good news is that I backed up the page of Project NO.4 on wayback machine. You can browse it here：

PROJECT NO.4 四号任务：垂直起降歼击机 – Sky Unknown 航迹与夜光云

web.archive.org

There is another thing I want to tell you,the CFD image you post in Dragon's Wings is not the scheme of 611, but that of 627 and 601.My friend helped me find the relevant information.

kuma

 

[KUMA]

Hi,

I am still confuse about the reality of this Project,there is no sign
to believe it was existed,and the year 1968 is ringing a bell,because
most of fake Chinese aircraft was taken that date ?!.

I can tell you with great certainty that this project exists.This project was mentioned in Gu Songfen's memoirs（顾诵芬《我的飞机设计生涯》）.
In fact, this project was not favored by designers, because the technology at that time was difficult to realize.
Amazingly, they still completed part of the design work and manufactured the lift fan system testing machine(Although the design target is not fully met).

 

[KUMA]

There is one idea what it may be...what if it is kind of "vertical takeoff kit" for standard fighter? I.e. container with lift engines, control systems and fuel supply, attached underneath the fighter? The idea is, that it would lift the fighter, help it to accelerate to flight speed, then detach & land under remote control.

Sadly it isn't.
Its design goal is only to make it can be VTOL because the technical difficulties.
The lift fan system is connet to the jet engine(WP-6甲 or WP-9(used to be call as WP-6丙)) and powered by it.The afterburner of the jet engine has a gas steering valve, through which the propulsion mode and the lift fan mode are converted(turn the gas to drive the lift fam system or Normal jet).