[Military Next Generation] Author: Tianlang

With the successful completion of the seventh sea trial of the Fujian aircraft carrier, China's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier is entering the countdown to official service. According to existing patterns, it is expected to be delivered to the navy as early as mid-2025, which will officially usher in China's "catapult era." The construction of the matching carrier-based aircraft is also progressing steadily. The multi-type expansion of the J-15 catapult model and electronic warfare variant, as well as the continuous test flights of the J-35, all indicate that China's carrier-based aircraft system has initially taken shape.

▲Related report from South China Morning Post

However, while everyone is still waiting for news about the J-35's deployment on the carrier, South China Morning Post suddenly reported that Chengdu Aircraft Company is developing an auxiliary landing system for a sixth-generation aircraft to solve the problems of flying wing layout aircraft during carrier landings. This also means that Chengdu's J-36 may be quietly preparing for its deployment on carriers. Once the news broke, it immediately sparked heated discussions among military enthusiasts, and we have already briefly analyzed it yesterday.

After all, the J-36, with its extreme flying wing design, cancellation of vertical tails and traditional horizontal stabilizers, has always been considered a representative of the next generation of stealth air superiority fighters. Is a sixth-generation fighter emphasizing long-range and air combat capabilities really capable of becoming a carrier-based aircraft? From a technical perspective, this question is indeed worth in-depth discussion.

Firstly, looking at the aerodynamic layout, although the J-36 adopts an extreme flying wing design, canceling the vertical tail and conventional horizontal stabilizers, this does not hinder its physical possibility of being deployed on a carrier. The U.S. successfully tested the X-47B carrier-based drone with a flying wing layout, and our country is also developing a flying wing configuration attack-11 carrier-based drone. Therefore, the flying wing layout itself is not an insurmountable "taboo" for carrier operations. The key lies in how to solve its control problems during the carrier takeoff and landing process.

▲U.S. Navy's flying wing X-47B carrier-based drone conducting landing tests

According to papers published by the Chengdu team in the Journal of Aeronautics, researchers are developing a control system based on the "incremental nonlinear dynamic inverse (INDI) + fixed-time disturbance observer (FTDO)" to ensure high-precision autonomous landings of flying wing aircraft under complex interference conditions such as turbulence at the stern of the carrier and six degrees of freedom motion of the deck. More importantly, this control system can take over control in the event of pilot incapacitation or adverse sea conditions, significantly improving the safety and controllability of flying wing carrier-based aircraft.

Secondly, from the flight performance analysis, the J-36 is designed with three pairs of flaps, dual-direction drag rudders, and partially upward deflected vector nozzles, providing strong maneuverability and lift adjustment capabilities at low speeds. In particular, segmented flaps can flexibly adjust their curvature according to flight conditions to enhance airflow control at large angles of attack. The nose-up moment of the nozzle also provides additional support during takeoffs and landings, ensuring flight attitude stability. These designs undoubtedly reserve technical possibilities for carrier operations.

However, the J-36 still faces several major challenges to truly become a carrier-based aircraft:

▲U.S. Navy's flying wing layout

The first is the issue of takeoff weight and catapult capability matching. Public data suggests that the maximum takeoff weight of the J-36 may exceed 50 tons, far exceeding the 31.8-ton F-35C of the U.S. Navy and approximately 35-ton J-35 of our navy. Under current technology levels, is the electromagnetic catapult on the Fujian aircraft carrier capable of launching a 50-ton heavy aircraft in one go? Although not publicly disclosed, judging from the use of the J-15 catapult model, the domestic catapult is likely to have reached or even exceeded the 45-ton upper limit of the Ford-class catapult. Therefore, it is not impossible from a hardware perspective, but it poses higher requirements for the lifespan and load management of the catapult system.

The second is the space utilization efficiency issue. The J-36's fuselage is larger than the J-50 (Shenyang's sixth-generation aircraft), inevitably occupying more deck space and hangar volume, which will directly affect the number of carrier-based aircraft that can be carried. Simply put, on the same deck, the J-36 may only deploy 20 aircraft, while the J-50 could deploy 30. This is a non-negligible trade-off for the scale of strike power of the carrier-based fleet.

The third is whether the navy "needs it." From an operational perspective, the J-36, as a strategic sixth-generation aircraft with ultra-long range and large payload capacity, is theoretically suitable for serving as a heavy strike or electronic suppression platform. When the carrier is far from the battlefield, it can penetrate deep into enemy territory without relying on mid-air refueling. However, looking at it from another angle, the high cost, low deployment density, and complex maintenance could hinder the overall operational rhythm of the carrier. Therefore, whether the navy is willing to accept the J-36 depends on whether it is positioned as a "small number of strategic strike platforms" or a "core carrier-based combat unit."

▲UK's Jane's Defense推测的 J-36 and J-50 performance parameters

However, it cannot be denied that the Chinese military is promoting the development of future naval aviation through a "dual carrier-based aircraft system." That is, a high-density conventional strike force primarily composed of J-35 medium-sized carrier-based aircraft, while J-36 and J-50 such "carrier heavyweights" serve as long-range penetration or special task support. Similar to the U.S. pairing of F-35C with F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet." It is worth noting that the landing control system developed by Chengdu is not only intended for the J-36 but is also very likely to become the technical foundation for future Attack-11 drones, further enhancing the "manned + unmanned" carrier-based aircraft system.

As the Fujian aircraft carrier approaches its commissioning, the Chinese navy is also entering a critical transition from the "ski jump era" to the "catapult era." Whether or not the J-36 ultimately becomes a carrier-based aircraft, the advanced aerodynamic concepts and control technologies it represents will undoubtedly inject new vitality into China's carrier-based aircraft system. Judging from the South China Morning Post report, China's aviation industry is no longer content with just "being able to fly," but is exploring the future maritime and aerial combat landscape of unmanned and intelligent systems. And when the J-36 truly transitions from a land runway to a carrier deck, it will mean that China's sixth-generation aircraft have achieved comprehensive control from sky to sea.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499034273228390922/

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