Flight testing for China’s new fighter aircraft designs continues, providing fresh insights into both types. Recent imagery of the larger aircraft, unofficially dubbed the J-36, offers the clearest view yet of its unique three-engine exhausts and hints at a possible two-seat cockpit configuration. Meanwhile, new perspectives on the second design, known as the J-XDS or J-50, highlight an interesting bay configuration and confirm details about its distinctive swiveling wingtip control surfaces. These developments underscore the rapid progress in China’s advanced military aviation programs, providing valuable insights into the future of chinese fighter aircraft.
Key Details Emerge on China’s J-36 Fighter
The newest views of the J-36, reportedly filmed in Chengdu near the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation plant responsible for its development, provide an unprecedented look at the exhausts for its trio of engines. This three-engine setup is already highly unusual for a fighter. The latest images clearly show ‘petals’ extending over the top of the exhaust trenches situated inward of the aircraft’s trailing edge. This observation aligns with previous analysis regarding the J-36’s exhaust configuration and its notable similarities in form and function to the Northrop YF-23, which also featured a unique exhaust design for signature management.
Close-up view of the J-36 engine exhausts from the rear, showing the unique three-engine setup and exhaust petals on China’s new fighter aircraft prototype.
The J-36’s exhaust arrangement is clearly a low-observable design choice, aiming to manage both radar and infrared signatures. Recessing the engine exhaust before the upper trailing edge is a classic stealth design element, pioneered by aircraft like Northrop’s Tacit Blue, B-2 Spirit, and the YF-23. This design spreads out ejected exhaust and potentially allows for active cooling. Crucially, it provides very limited line-of-sight to the exhausts themselves, significantly minimizing infrared signature and radar cross-section from most aspects.
Top-down view of the Northrop YF-23 stealth fighter prototype, illustrating its exhaust configuration with trenches and petals, relevant to new generation fighter aircraft designs.
The recent J-36 footage also offers a new angle into the aircraft’s cockpit area. Since the aircraft’s initial public appearance, speculation has centered on the possibility of a two-seat cockpit with side-by-side seating. While the latest imagery remains inconclusive, observations suggesting the visibility of two distinct heads-up displays (HUDs) have been noted by long-time Chinese military observers. This further fuels the possibility of a two-seat configuration for china 6th generation fighter aircraft concepts.
Insights into the J-XDS/J-50 Design
Additional pictures and videos of the J-XDS/J-50, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, have also been circulating online. Most notably, a bay of some kind, featuring a pronounced bulge at the front, is now plainly visible on at least the right side of the fuselage. This bay is located immediately behind the air intake and just in front of the main landing gear bay on that side of the aircraft.
Close-up image of the J-XDS/J-50 fuselage side bay behind the air intake, showing the pronounced bulge on China’s new generation fighter aircraft.
The exact purpose of the J-XDS/J-50’s visible bay remains unknown. It’s speculated whether it could be intended for weapons storage or serve another function. Questions have been raised regarding whether there is sufficient internal space in this specific fuselage section to house relevant munitions. It’s worth noting the comparison to China’s J-20 stealth fighter, which also has weapons bays in a roughly similar location, featuring a unique configuration where missiles and launch rails extend fully before firing. This is a key aspect of new generation fighter aircraft design.
The new imagery also provides much clearer views of the J-XDS/J-50’s distinctive swiveling wingtip control surfaces. Previous analysis has suggested these wingtips likely play a crucial role in providing additional stability for the tailless aircraft design. The advantages and disadvantages of incorporating such swiveling wingtips in a stealth fighter have been explored in detail.
Broader Context: Other Potential Chinese Aviation Projects
While details about the J-36 and J-XDS/J-50 continue to attract significant attention, they represent only a part of China’s substantial military aviation development efforts known to be underway. This includes advancements in flying-wing UCAVs, airborne early warning jets, and large drones, with additional unconfirmed work likely progressing out of the public eye regarding various fighter aircraft of China.
A separate development gaining traction is a curious object with a stealth fighter-like appearance spotted in a satellite image at Jining Qufu Airport in Shandong Province. This object, visible since at least September 2024 according to additional satellite imagery, features a modified diamond-like delta platform, canards, and twin vertical tails. Its presence is particularly notable given that Jining Qufu Airport was officially closed in December 2023.
Satellite image showing a close-up of the mysterious stealth fighter-like object located on the apron at Jining Qufu Airport in China, possibly a mock-up.
Wider satellite view of Jining Qufu Airport terminal area showing the location of the stealth fighter-like object on the apron in China.
While the exact nature of the Jining object remains unclear, it is widely assessed to be a mock-up or decoy of some kind. It shows some superficial similarities, but also significant differences, to fictional designs like the Baidi Type-B ‘space fighter’ displayed at the 2024 Zhuhai airshow. Comparisons have also been made to mysterious J-20-esque ‘shapes’ seen at Lintao Air Base in 2022, though the Jining object’s wing and nose structures appear distinct.
Side-by-side comparison image showing the stealth fighter-like object at Jining Qufu Airport next to one of the unidentified shapes previously seen at Lintao Air Base, China.
Adding to the speculation, a video circulating on social media has prompted questions about the potential emergence of yet another new Chinese advanced military aircraft. Footage of this aircraft is limited and blurry, making definitive identification difficult. What can be seen doesn’t immediately align with currently known Chinese designs, nor does its shape fit the tailless fighter-like airframe previously spotted at Shenyang’s main plant in January. The possibility of it being a UAV/UCAV has been raised, highlighting the diverse nature of ongoing aviation projects, which might even include comparisons to developments like pakistan new fighter aircraft.
The potential for a third new platform to emerge suddenly is not unprecedented. The dramatic, previously unseen appearance of both the J-36 and J-XDS/J-50 flying on December 26 last year serves as a prime example of how quickly new Chinese advanced aircraft can become public knowledge.
The ongoing flight testing of the J-36 and J-XDS/J-50 continues to unveil new details about these significant next-generation designs. As anticipated, clearer imagery is emerging. With various advanced Chinese military aviation projects known or suspected to be in development, it is highly likely that further details about these and potentially other new aircraft will continue to come to light in the near future.
