Chinese stealth fighter 'J-50' spotted in flight again
Three months after it first appeared, the new Chinese tailless fighter, nicknamed ‘J-50’, has been spotted in flight again.
The aircraft, smaller than the three-engine ‘J-36’, had a side image released on Chinese social media, which showed clearer details.
The fighter, allegedly developed by Shenyang, is tailless, with flight controls on the wing surfaces, of the “Lambda” type.
Two engines using divertless supersonic ventral air intake (DSI) have been confirmed, with a conventional landing gear.
The nose landing gear, quite robust, has two wheels and appears to be capable of receiving a hook for catapult takeoffs.
The aircraft features a triangular marking on the side of the air intake that is reminiscent of the US Navy, which could be an indication that the J-50 may be intended for the PLAN (Navy) rather than the PLAAF (Air Force).
Shenyang is currently developing the J-35, a 5th generation stealth twin-engine aircraft that will be used aboard the Fujian aircraft carrier. Therefore, a new 6th generation carrier-based combat aircraft would be a natural progression.
The test jet also features a protrusion below the nose that could be an electro-optical sensor.
The engine nozzles appear to be vectorable while the wingtips appear to be movable. The ‘J-50’ also suggests that it has side weapons bays, like the F-22.
The cockpit has not yet been clearly spotted, but it is highly likely that the aircraft will be manned, contrary to some rumors.
It is not yet clear what stage of development the two new fighters are at, nor what their applications will be. China has allowed the publication of the images in a controlled strategy to cause repercussion, but not reveal too much about the projects.
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