Chengdu (AVIC) J-20 (Black Eagle)

History

The Chinese Chengdu J-20 Black Hawk is a 5th generation fighter jet with stealth characteristics no different from the US Lockheed F-22 Raptor. The Chinese military industry has long relied on external help, especially from the Soviet Union/Russia, making it a force to be reckoned with in the modern world. As such, most of their Cold War inventory consisted primarily of Soviet fighter and bomber designs.

While an effective measure at the time, it was an important learning experience for Chinese engineers working on modifying various weapon systems and airframeseven if some were initially illegally copied. This eventually led to some suitable homegrown products, but only recently has the Chinese military started making significant domestic military aircraft. Aided by an influx of money in a booming economy, China has embarked on a modernization process that includes the development of a stealthy fifth-generation fighter jet. Aerospace companies in Chengdu and Shenyang both with decades of experience in Soviet and Russian designs are the Chinese military's two leaders on aircraft issues.

This, along with suspected Chinese cyber espionage of Western information, is believed to be the driving force behind the development of the new J-20.

According to a BBC report on January 24, 2011, Balkan military sources say the technology behind the new J-20 is actually based on the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk "stealth fighter" shot down from the ground in Serbia Air missiles during the 1999 Bosnia-Kosovo air battle. The incident resulted in the first and only time an F-117 was shot down by enemy fire in a hostile environment. Some debris is believed to have fallen into the hands of Chinese agents operating in the country. The Chinese and Serbian governments believed that they had close wartime ties, so technical exchanges seemed plausible. The idea that modern-minded Chinese are studying the F-117 wreckage and reverse engineering it to understand technology and concepts is a viable starting point for the technology used in the new J-20 platform.

Parts of the same F-117 - the left wing, the ejection seat used by the pilots to escape, the radio system and the canopy - were claimed and exhibited at the Belgrade Aviation Museum. The whereabouts of the other surviving parts of the aircraft remain unknown, presumably collected by a handful of farmers in the area and subsequently sold to "interested" people such as the Chinese.

Of course, this is all speculation, but it fits perfectly with what the J-20's appearance means today. It can be assumed that it is based on technology used to drive US stealth programs in the 1970s, as well as modern technology learned from Chinese engineers over decades to acquire Russian technology.

Comparing the Chinese J-20 to the full-fledged American F-22 Raptor makes sense. Despite some visual similarities to the casual observer, further inspection quickly dispelled the notion that the J-20 was an exact replica of an American fighter jet. The J-20 features a large-area delta wing design without the traditional tail surface, while the F-22 features a diamond-shaped wing layout with a horizontal tail surface behind the main wing assembly. The J-20 also has pelvic fins and forward canards, two design elements not used by any other 5th generation stealth fighter because they tend to compromise stealth characteristics. The J-20 is significantly larger than its US rivals and is longer from nose to tail, leading most to believe the J-20 was designed for range and needed an extended weapons capability capable of covering the vast Chinese airspace . The J-20's supercruising capabilities are largely unknown, although it is widely believed that the F-22 has an advantage in the field due to its size and proven capabilities.

The J-20 has a similar nose design and a similar one-piece canopy to the F-22. It is speculated that the radar array is housed in the nose cone, although it may be a borrowed system from the Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKK, as it is widely believed that Chinese radar technology falls short of what is available to Russians and Americans .

The J-20 completed a well-known taxi test at the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute Airport in southwest China's Sichuan province on January 6, 2011. Rolling tests are usually precursors to full flight cycle tests, possibly in 2011.

At this rate, and subject to significant delays, the J-20 is sure to enter service by the end of the century.

Some Western news sources believe that the appearance of the existing J-20 photos is nothing more than a model fighter design promoted by the Chinese authorities, rather than a real working prototype. However, amateur footage clearly shows the J-20 prototype rolling under its own power, and what Chinese authorities claim to be a working prototype.

Since Chinese media is state-run, the release of the photos is likely a planned event to influence political thought in the region, where the United States has flexed its muscles for decades.

The J-20 could replace the obsolete Su-27Sk "Flanker-B", Su-30MKK "Flanker-G" and (possibly) Su-30MK2 "Flanker-G" if continued operation in 2017-2018 ) Russia Descent of multipurpose aircraft. Initial series orders for hundreds of aircraft are expected.

In addition to this, the Chinese classify the J-20 as a 4th generation fighter, which in Western nomenclature corresponds to 5th generation aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35. As of this writing, the F-22 is the world's only operational 5th generation fighter jet.

NOTE: The performance figures on this page for the J-20 are estimates based on similar aircraft types and dimensions and the purported engines used in final production variants. We will update these values ??as more information becomes available in the coming years.

Specification

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Production

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Performance

Performance

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