Exactly nine months after the first appearance of the first photos and videos of the new Chinese fighter with the probable index J-50, which is being developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and already belongs to the 6th generation, clear images of it not in flight have appeared.
Traditionally, for Chinese sources, the true origin of the photos will be difficult to find, but it should be noted that they were taken at a fairly considerable distance and are actually the result of re-photographing the camera screen.
Read more: China Raises Two New-Type Aircraft J-50 and JH-XX For a Flight (Video)
That is, it is quite possible that later full-fledged high-quality photos of this aircraft will appear, which were taken while taxiing along the runway - if, of course, the author of the photo is not arrested by then.
It should be noted that the appearance of these photos may be associated with the information leak controlled by Beijing. Such an information leak may be caused by the fact that the other day the USA announced that their F-47 should take off in two years. At the same time, if the USA is still hiding the appearance of their solution, then China, on the contrary, is quite openly demonstrating its achievements. Although this may be a disinformation attempt, these photos of the J-50 indicate the same features that were visible in the images from the ground.
In particular, it is possible to consider the fully movable end of the lambda wing of the J-50 aircraft, as well as the rather powerful mechanization of the trailing edge, which solves the issue of aircraft controllability despite the absence of a traditional tail with horizontal and vertical stabilizers and rudders.
But a certain surprise can be considered a flat nozzle on engines with a variable thrust vector. Before that, such a very complex solution from a technological point of view on a serial aircraft was implemented only on the American F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter.
At the same time, similar experiments have been going on in the russian federation for decades and have not led to anything except for public demonstrations of prototypes on the Su-57 aircraft.
It should be noted that the flat nozzle should reduce visibility in the radar and infrared ranges, but the price for this is a certain reduction in thrust as well as high cost. Already in the F-35 Lightning II multirole strike fighter the USA returned to the classic version, but with a "sawtooth" nozzle edge. Although the F135 engine for the F-35 was created on the basis of the F119 engine of the F-22 aircraft.
Another technology that China "borrowed" from the United States is the so-called DSI air intake (diverterless supersonic inlet), with a fixed flow at the inlet, thanks to which it has no moving parts, which makes it lighter and simpler.
But the design of such an air intake requires meticulous calculation of the entire nose of the aircraft. This technology is implemented on the American F-35, as well as on the Chinese 4th-generation J-10B/C and JF-17 aircraft, as well as 5th generation J-20 and J-35 aircraft.
Also in the photo of the J-50 gives an idea that this fighter is quite large, as evidenced by the size of the single-seat cockpit.
Such dimensions also indicate a significant flight range, which is additionally increased by the air refueling system (the boom hatch is seen next to the cockpit on the right) as well as the ability to carry a fairly significant amount of weapons in the internal compartments.
In addition, the transparent window of the optical-location station under the cockpit directly indicates that the J-50 is a truly multifunctional aircraft with the ability to deliver high-precision strikes on the ground. In turn, additional rectangular protrusions at the top and bottom of the fuselage, apparently with Luneberg lenses, indicate that China does not want to compromise the real level of stealth of the J-50.
Read more: China Tries to Intimidate U.S. by Boasting Start of J-35 Stealth Fighter’s Serial Production
