We Just Got Our Best Look Yet at China’s J-36 Stealth Fighter
The most curious aspect of the J-36 footage seems to be the fact that the footage was taken at all.
New footage has emerged of a new and secretive Chinese stealth aircraft, commonly referred to as the Chengdu J-36. The footage, shot from a motorist’s phone, shows the J-36 on final approach at the Chengdu factory airfield in Sichuan, China—and offers viewers the best glimpse yet of the three-engine jet.
“We don’t know for sure when the footage dates from,” The War Zone reported. “But it’s the latest evidence of the progress being made in the testing of both this and China’s other tailless stealth fighter, [the J-50].”
What Do We Know About the J-36 Fighter? Not Much…
The newest video of the J-36 is not the first glimpse Western analysts have seen of the aircraft. Other footage showed it in December, then again in March.
But the new video offers a much closer glimpse of China’s stealth program. In the video, the J-36 is shown just as its about to land, with its twin-wheeled landing gear deployed. The aircraft featured “large twin split ruddervons working as stabilizing airbrakes” to assist in the landing.
The video also offers a glimpse at the J-36’s cockpit, which is streamlined with the fuselage. The streamlining, “combined with the aircraft’s very broad nose section,” probably indicates “a side-by-side seating arrangement,” according to The War Zone. The video shows what appears to be a single pilot’s helmet, meaning that a tandem two-seat configuration is unlikely, although “a single-pilot cockpit also remains a possibility.”
“In the side view of the jet provided in the video, we also get another good look at the dorsal engine air intake and its apparent diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) design, with a prominent hump and forward-raked upper area,” The War Zone reported.
The J-36’s Unusual Configuration
Notably, the video shows a three-engine configuration, which is quite unusual for a modern fighter. The “tri-jet” configuration has more commonly been found in commercial aviation, where jets like the Boeing 727, Lockheed-1011 TriStar, McDonnell Douglas MD-11, and Hawker Siddeley Trident have all incorporated three engines. But even in commercial aviation, the tri-jet appears to have been a passing fad; the only civilian trijets still in production are Dassault Falcons business jets. On the military side, the J-36 is the only known tri-jet currently being made—although in the past, military aircraft like the North American A-5 Vigilante and the Martin XB-51 have featured three engines.
Indeed, the most curious aspect of the J-36 footage seems to be the fact that the footage was taken at all. The testing of secret prototype aircraft in full view of megacity commuter traffic is not something one is likely to find in America, where new aircraft are tested in secrecy far away from urban areas. But China’s Chengdu manufacturer followed the same protocols for the J-20 stealth fighter, which was also tested at the same Sichuan airfield.
Despite what appears to be fairly regular testing of the J-36, it is hard to say when the new aircraft will be operational. What is clear, however, is that China is behaving ambitiously as far as its aerospace capabilities are concerned.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / Sanit Fuangnakhon.