China's J-20

[skyrover]

Has entered LRIP and will be seen at the Zuhai airshow



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHQT9CijHv0

[Eric Mc]

LRIP?

[Simpo Two]

Licentiate of the Royal Institute of, er... Planes?

[PRTVR]

Low rate initial production ?

[Eric Mc]

Let Rip?

[PRTVR]

Got to say I think it's a good looking aircraft, should be quite capable with all the borrowed technology

[wolfracesonic]

+1 It looks like they broke into the offices of Lockheed, Sukhoi, Mikoyan and Eurofighter to come up with that design.

[skyrover]

LRIP is just abbreviated Low Rate Initial Production.

Yes... they "borrowed" heavily from the F-35 program, hence the DSI intakes.

They are still using Russian engines for the first batch until the domestic WS-15 is ready, which should offer improved performance. We may see an attempt to improve the exhaust nozzles by then.

[skyrover]

Close up of the nose showing the EOTS system



And underside

[lufbramatt]

Looks like nobody told them that the film "Firefox" wasn't a documentary.

[Europa1]

A brief film of it in flight is now on the BBC News website.

[skyrover]

Here is a clip from the airshow in 4k high definition showing the J-20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EytTfRgg6tY

Edited by skyrover on Friday 11th November 07:21

[AlexC1981]

She's a big one.

[MartG]

AlexC1981 said:

She's a big one.

Probably for the same reason the Soviet Union used to build huge interceptors - China is a big country so it'll need long range

[DamienB]

Missing Firefox from that diagram...

[Simpo Two]

DamienB said:

Missing Firefox from that diagram...

Yay! I wish they'd make the sequel 'Firefox Down' into a film.

[davepoth]

MartG said:

AlexC1981 said:

She's a big one.

Probably for the same reason the Soviet Union used to build huge interceptors - China is a big country so it'll need long range

From what I've read it's only stealthy from the front. Looking at the back of the rest of the planes in that diagram I'd be inclined to agree. I wonder how far this plane will be able to carry a nuclear bomb?

[skyrover]

China does not employ aircraft for nuclear missions, it uses land and sea based intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Not much is known about the role which this aircraft is designed for.

One thing we do know is that this platform will be fitted with new domestic engines in the future. We may see an attempt to improve the exhaust nozzle stealth at this time.

[Boatbuoy]

AlexC1981 said:

She's a big one.

I can't believe the Iranian Qaher F-313 has been left out of that line up!

[Atmospheric]

It's huge. Sort of reminds me of a MIG 25/31.