Xinhuanet: Photos of China's stealth fighter J-20

United States House Committee on Armed Services chairman Howard McKeon said on the J-20 "my understanding is that they built it on information that they received from Russia, from a Russian plane, that they were able to copy".

Russia has denied that any of its project 1.44 materials had been provided to China.

Rightrdia believes the Russians because it has been highly critical of China reverse engineering it aircraft and other weapon systems. China prefers to buy one model and reverse engineer it rather than buying a squadron  of Russian fighter aircraft. 

Balkan military officials told the Associated Press that China and Russia may have adopted some stealth technology from a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, which was shot down by the Serbian military in 1999 during the Kosovo war.

If Chinese experts used the F-117 stealth coatings, the result would be decades behind current American state-of-the-art.

However, Chinese test pilot Xu Yongling said that the J-20 was a "masterpiece" of home-grown innovation. He also said the F-117 technology was already "outdated" even at the time it was shot down, and could not be applied to a next-generation stealth jet.

Janes editor James Hardy agrees that it was unlikely China would have learned much from the wreckage.

Wikipedia Specifications

Because the aircraft is in development, these specifications are preliminary and are taken as estimates from the available images.

Data from Loren B. Thompson of the Lexington Institute^[85] and James Dunnigan.^[86]

General characteristics

• Crew: one (pilot)
• Length: 21.26 m (69 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 12.88 m (42 ft 3 in)
• Height: 4.45 m (14 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 59 m² (630 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 17,000 kg (37,479 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 36,287 kg (80,000 lb) upper estimate^[2]
• Powerplant: 2 × WS-10G (prototype); WS-15 when J-20 is serving afterburning turbofans dry, 180 kN (40,000 lbf) with afterburner
• Maximum speed: Mach 2.0 or less (DSI limit)^[87]
• Range: 5,500 km (3,418 mi; 2,970 nmi)
• Combat range: 2,000 km (1,243 mi; 1,080 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 20,000 m (65,617 ft)

Armament

• None on prototype
• Production aircraft will be equipped with PL-21 LRAAM, PL-12D MRAAM, PL-10 SRAAM, LS-6 Precision Glide Bomb, 30mm cannon, up to four rocket launchers, two IR decoy launchers, air-to-surface missiles and smart bombs.

see more photos at: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/photo/2012-05/02/c_131563172.htm

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-20

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China's new J-20 aircraft may be using some US technology

(Jan. 23)  Chinese officials recently unveiled a new, high-tech stealth fighter that could pose a significant threat to American air superiority and some of its technology, it turns out, may well have come from the U.S. Itself.

Chinese J-20 appears to be a knockoff of the Mig 1.44.  it is primarily derived form a Russian prototype.  The J-20 airframe appears to be almost identical to the Mig 1.44 prototype.

The Yugoslav 250th Missile Brigade was responsible for the air defense of the Beograd area. The 3rd battery employed the S-125 (SA-3) SAM system to shoot down both a US Air Force F-117 and F-16.

The battery was commanded by Col. Dani Zoltan. It however, had some key advantages over its sister units.

According to Dani, this advantage was based on their previous research into the field of the detection, acquisition, and destruction of targets with low radar cross-sections (RCSs).

He said he and his subordinates followed articles written about the F-117 calculating how systems in service with the Yugoslav air-defense forces could possibly cope with such a threat.

Finally in 1998 he proposed minor, in-field technical modifications to the SAM system.

His team modified the UNV antenna unit and the UNK-M control cabin responsible for missile control (NATO: Low Blow).

They also made another modification to the P-18 (NATO: Dry Rack or Spoon Rest D) radar that provides target acquisition for each battery.

His superiors didn't approve the modifications.

He finally went ahead and made the modifications within his own unit without higher approval, taking full responsibility.

Although he still declines to discuss particulars of the "quick fix." The only specific Col. Dani would provide was that the modifications did not involve the use of the auxilliary Karat TV target-tracking system.

Dani added that the survivability of the VHF P-18 from US HARM missile launches is the single biggest reason for the command-guided Neva system's success compared to the semi-active Kub (SA-6) system.

The Russians also suggested that older continuous wave (CW) radars could detect the US stealth aircraft. There are also indications that the USAF was not varying the flight path of the F-117A's either in the Yugoslav theatre.

source: http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2005/11/secrets-of-1999-f-117-shootdown.html
 
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Chinese J-20 appears to be a knockoff of the Mig 1.44

Mikoyan Project 1.44 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Mikoyan Project 1.44/1.42[1] (Russian: Микоян МиГ-1.44) is a technology demonstrator developed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau.

Apart from a number of names along the lines of "Object/Project 1.44/1.42", the aircraft is also known as the MiG-MFI.

This MiG is now using this designation for an advanced Mikoyan MiG-29.

The Russian government cancelled the initial program in 1997 because of the cost.

An artist's conception of the MiG 1.44 technology demonstrator with delta wing design

The 1.44 was Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau's entry to the Multifunctional Frontline Fighter (MFI) program, which originated in 1986.

Similar to the United States' Advanced Tactical Fighter. It was designed to compete with the American Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.

Many of its design features are similar to those found on 4.5 generation Western fighters, including supercruise ability and modern avionics.

The 1.44 served mainly as a technological showcase and testbed for future aircraft designs, not as an actual air superiority fighter prototype.

The MiG 1.44 program has been shrouded in mystery throughout the course of its existence. The Russian government cancelled the MFI program in 1997 due to its high unit cost (US$70 million).

Development continued, with the first test flight taking place on February 29, 2000 as well as two confirmed test flights in 2001.

After the cancellation of the MFI program the the Prospective Air Complex for Tactical Air Forces (PAK FA) program was initiated in order to develop an advanced air superiority fighter to fill a role similar to that of the F-22, with a cost similar to that of the F-35 Lightning II.

In 2001, India agreed with Russia to make the PAK FA program a development/production joint-venture between the two nations. Both Mikoyan and Sukhoi submitted concepts to the Defense Ministry for the PAK FA program, with MiG starting an updated Project 1.44.

The MiG 1.44 formerly served as a technology demonstrator for the PAK FA program. The in-development PAK FA aircraft will use the same in-development Lyulka AL-41F engine planned for the 1.44.

The 1.42/44 is a delta wing, twin-tailed single seat air superiority/strike fighter with an all-moving forward canard plane. It has a tricycle landing gear system, with a single, dual-wheel landing gear in the front, and two single-wheels in the rear.

It is powered by two Lyulka AL-41F afterburning, thrust vectored turbofan engines. Both engines are fed by two air intakes placed side by side under the fuselage. The intakes include serpentine ducts covered in radar adsorbent material.

It features an internal weapons bay between the engines. Weapons and fuel tanks can be carried under the wings as well.

The 35-ton aircraft has a maximum speed of over Mach 2 at altitude, and is capable of long-term supersonic flight.

The fighter is equipped with a glass cockpit and features a Pulse-Doppler radar with a passive electronically scanned array antenna.

The radar system is linked to a fire control system that allows the fighter to engage up to twenty separate targets at the same time.

Note: The 1.44 and 1.42 never went beyond pre-production, so most of the specifications are estimated.

^{General characteristics}

• ^{Crew: 1}
• ^{Length: 19 m (63 ft)}
• ^{Wingspan: 15 m (50 ft)}
• ^{Height: 4.50 m (15 ft)}
• ^{Empty weight: 18,000 kg (40,000 lb)}
• ^{Loaded weight: 28,000 kg (62,000 lb)}
• ^{Max takeoff weight: 35,000 kg (77,000 lb)}
• ^{Powerplant: 2× Lyulka AL-41F afterburning turbofans, 176 kN (39,680 lb) each}

^Performance

• ^{Maximum speed: Mach 2.6 (2761 km/h, 1716 mph)}
• ^{Range: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)}
• ^{Service ceiling: 27,000 m (70,720 ft)}

^Armament

• ^{Guns: 1× 30 mm Izhmash GSh-301 cannon, 250 rounds}
• ^{Missiles: R-77 (AA-12 Adder) medium-range radar-guided missiles and the R-73 (AA-11 Archer)} 
• ^{K-37 long-range radar-guided missiles and K-74 short-range IR-guided missiles}
• ^{Payload: likely any AGM or small-diameter free fall bomb in the Russian inventory}

^{source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan_Project_1.44}


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Ria Novosti: China confirms maiden flight of fifth-generation fighter

15:39 11/01/2011

BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) Chinese President Hu Jintao confirmed on Tuesday his country had carried out its first test-flight of a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

Hu confirmed the flight during talks with visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The prototype Black Silk J-20 stealth fighter made the flight at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to information posted by Chinese aviation enthusiasts on websites.

The jet was tailed by two J-10 fighter chase planes during its 20-minute maiden flight.

The J-20 is thought to be similar to the U.S. F-22 Raptor and the Russo-Indian T-50 jets, although imagery and video footage now appearing on the Internet suggests the Chinese model is larger, the Aviation and Aerospace website said.

This means it could be capable of flying a longer range and carrying a heavier load. Rightardia believes the size of the airframe suggests fighter-bomber or reconnaissance roles.

"The J-20 appears to be either a demonstrator or a prototype of a combat aircraft with low observable characteristics, particularly in the front quadrant," said Douglas Barrie, a senior fellow for military aerospace with the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The J-20 is notionally anticipated to enter service around 2018-2020. Barrie said:

The design, particularly the rear section and in plan-form is reminiscent of MiG's 1.42 fighter project, the program for which was cancelled in the latter half of the 1990s."

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China test flies Chengdu stealth J-20 'Black Eagle'

RussiaToday | January 11, 2011

China's confirmed it's conducted a successful test flight of its new 5th generation stealth fighter. Following on the heels of the U.S. and Russia, it is now the third country to put a stealth prototype into the air.

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RIA Novosti: China's J-20 fifth-generation stealth aircraft

RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik

Both experts and amateurs who have studied the blurred photos of an unfamiliar fighter jet on a runway in China (http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2010/12/chinese-stealth-in-plain-sight-curious.html) have concluded that Beijing has started testing its fifth-generation stealth fighter.

The J-20 prototype is expected to rival the U.S. F-22 and the Russian T-50 fighters. But is China ready to start mass-producing the aircraft?

Experts call it a combination of the Russian and U.S. fifth-generation fighters, but that greatly simplifies matters. In the last 20 years, China has been working closely with Russia to develop a modern fighter jet. But the J-20 is not simply a copy of a Russian design.

China has tried to build a completely new aircraft based on the technology and knowledge it has gained during its years of cooperation with Russia.

The future of the new Chinese fighter will depend on several factors.

Engine

It is not clear what kind of engine the plane will have. Some say it will use the prospective Chinese-made WS-15 engine with a maximum thrust exceeding 18,000 kg, but the engine is still in the pipeline.

China has been unable to reproduce Russia's highly efficient high-temperature turbofan AL-31F engine, designed in the early 1980s and currently mounted on the Su-27 fighter and its modifications. The engines for Sukhoi planes manufactured in China are made in Russia and then assembled and adjusted in China.

The AL-31F engine is also mounted on China's J-10 fighter planes. The engine's Chinese analogue, the WS-10, is less efficient than the Russian prototype.

Materials

A fifth-generation stealth fighter must be able to evade radar, and so it must be made from modern composite materials. However, China does not produce such materials in commercial amounts, and experts doubt that it can develop and produce them for its air force.

Electronics

Electronic equipment, primarily radar, in China stands at approximately the same level as its engines. Chinese designs fall short of the capabilities of their Russian, European and American counterparts. Although China has been gradually narrowing the gap, it still has to import modern electronic equipment for its aircraft.

The best aircraft radar systems are currently made for Russia's Su-30MKK fighters, and China will most likely copy this design.

It is not clear how much it will differ in terms of specifications from next-generation Russian or American radar systems.

Weapons

The guided weapons used in the Chinese Air Force were mostly copied from U.S., Israeli and Russian prototypes made in the 1960s through 1980s. China will have to spend a great deal of time and effort to develop its own weapons, even if it borrows elements of prototypes bought from other countries.

Foreign producers are becoming increasingly wary of sharing their next-generation technology with China.

Conclusions

Since the 1970s, China has consistently lagged 15 to 20 years behind the world leaders in aircraft manufacturing. This was true of their third- and fourth-generation aircraft, and this appears to be the case with its fifth-generation fighter plane.

The J-20 fighter was produced nearly 20 year after the U.S. YF-22 (the prototype of the mass-produced F-22A), 17 years after the Russian MiG-1.44 (MiG-MFI, or Multifunctional Frontline Fighter), and 14 after Russia's S.37 (Su-47).

If the J-20 is accepted as the prototype for a new series, China will be able to produce a fifth-generation fighter plane within 10 years.

If not, it will begin batch production no sooner than 15 or 20 years from now.

Given its traditional policy of aircraft manufacturing, China will most likely create a functional analogue of foreign-made 5G planes that will cost 50% to 80% less than Russian and U.S. models.

China will most likely sell the plane in Central Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia, as well as to the richest African countries.

The export models of the J-20 and the planes of that series made for the Chinese Air Force will have foreign, including Russian, equipment and weapons. Moreover, in the next 20 to 30 years China will have to continue to import modern aircraft technology.

Despite the strides made by China's aircraft designers in the last 20 years, China has only slightly narrowed the technological gap dividing it from the global leaders.

The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.





Rightardia would guess this aircraft will be a fighter-bomber or a reconnaissance aircraft. The airframe is to large for a fighter aircraft and a stealth interceptor is pointless.


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