The second prototype of a new Chinese fighter jet has made an appearance, but where is the sixth-generation aircraft that the United States claims has been secretly test-flown for five years?

Recently, photos of China's new fighter jet "J-36" have once again appeared on social media. Compared to the model exposed in December last year, this time the "J-36" has undergone many changes in aerodynamic design. There are approximately three noticeable changes:

Firstly, the most obvious adjustment on the second prototype is the landing gear layout. The first prototype used a tandem dual-wheel design, with two tires arranged along the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. However, the second prototype has changed to a parallel dual-wheel layout — this modification can reduce the internal space occupied by the landing gear, potentially freeing up more space for other subsystems, such as allowing the aircraft to carry more ammunition or fuel.

The first "J-36" that was unveiled last year

Secondly, the lower intake design of the second prototype has also changed, switching from the Garett intake to a boundary layer ingestion supersonic inlet (DSI). The lower lip of the intake has also been tilted forward, which can significantly reduce radar wave scattering and enhance the aircraft's stealth capabilities.

Finally, there is a modification to the tail engine nozzle. The engine nozzle of the first prototype was located at the rear edge of the fuselage, but the second prototype uses a sharp-edged exhaust nozzle, somewhat similar to a two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzle, with a more regular shape and an inward concave design.

The US "The War Zone" website believes that if the second prototype indeed uses a two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzle, it may indicate the need for stronger performance, or it may be a solution to certain stability and maneuverability issues in tailless aircraft during specific flight phases.

The second prototype of the "J-36" that appeared a few days ago

Additionally, although the second prototype has changed its exhaust system to a two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzle, due to the angle of the photo, it is currently not possible to confirm whether the upper fuselage design of this prototype has also been adjusted.

In summary, the exposure of the second prototype of the "J-36" highlights that China's design team is rapidly and systematically advancing the engineering iteration of the aircraft. If the first prototype aimed to verify the feasibility of the basic configuration, then the second prototype is solving specific problems identified during testing and optimizing overall performance.

In stark contrast is the U.S. sixth-generation aircraft program (F-47).

This March, Trump announced that Boeing had been selected to produce the U.S. military's "Next Generation Air Dominance" fighter and claimed that the U.S. sixth-generation aircraft had been "secretly test-flown for nearly five years."

CG image of the "J-36"

However, it is quite puzzling that if the U.S. sixth-generation aircraft is so mature, why has there not been even a blurry photo yet?

Facing the repeated exposure and test flights of China's new fighter jets, and the U.S. sixth-generation aircraft being secretive, U.S. military media has found itself in a尴尬 situation of sophistry.

For example, the U.S. "The War Zone" website acknowledges the progress of the "J-36," but at the same time tries to downplay the significance of the design modifications in the two prototypes, stating that they "are not highly mature prototypes close to production," and emphasizes that "aircraft design is not important." To win future air combat, one must rely on excellent sensor and communication technologies, low observability materials science, full-domain operational system integration, and the quality and training level of pilots.

Logically speaking, the statement from U.S. media is not entirely wrong. However, from an engineering perspective, the statements from "The War Zone" website are nothing more than self-justification. Because aircraft development is about continuously iterating and improving the design through prototypes, eventually leading to final production.

U.S. media can't find any reason, so it's only using sophistry to say that aircraft design isn't important

Less than a year after the first prototype of the "J-36" was unveiled, the second prototype quickly appeared, which clearly indicates that the design of this new aircraft is becoming more mature.

The U.S. has set the first flight date of its sixth-generation aircraft for 2028. However, considering the current reality that the U.S. military's sixth-generation aircraft has not even released a single photo, by 2028, the U.S. Air Force might have to announce the delay of the first flight, while China's sixth-generation aircraft is already approaching the final production stage.



Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566481565767320070/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion below using the [top/vote] button.