The race to reach the first sixth-generation combat aircraft, led by the United States and China, appears to be entering a new chapter. This is clear from a series of recent images that have quickly gone viral on social networks, through which the Chengdu aerospace firm, one of the most important in the Asian Giant, would have introduced changes and redesigns in what is assumed to be its new J-36 fighter-bomber, intended to equip the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, through the start of test flight of a second prototype.
Made known virally at the end of last year 2024, the J-36 – an unofficial designation awarded by the community of specialists by observing the number “36” on its fuselage and the “J” in allusion to the name with which the PLAAF names its fighters – is one of the two designs of alleged sixth-generation fighters under development by China, with the main characteristic being the adoption of the flying wing design.
Throughout the current year, this aircraft has been observed performing various test flights, allowing us to appreciate some of its main characteristics, such as the choice of an unusual three-engine configuration for its propulsion system, as well as the presence of a reinforced landing gear.
The large size of the aircraft, compared to other aircraft models, as well as the so-called “J-50”, the alleged sixth generation fighter under development by Shenyang, suggests that we are dealing with a heavy fighter-bomber or a stealth tactical bomber. It would also not be unreasonable to assume that we are facing a technology demonstrator, with the aim of developing experimental systems that could be carried and applied in the current generation of Chinese fourth and fifth generation combat aircraft.
This notion would seem to be reinforced with the confirmation of a test flight of what would be the second prototype of the J-36, which introduces substantial changes to the landing gear, the exhaust system and the air intake system, which could favor maneuverability instead of the stealthiness of the first prototype.
The most noticeable change in the images that went viral days ago is the aircraft’s landing gear. While the first prototype observed at the end of 2024 had a landing gear with a tandem configuration, this new model of the J-36 abandons this configuration for a system of twin wheels placed side by side, which would represent an improvement in terms of less space required when retracting and smaller doors.
However, the most radical changes impact the aircraft’s alleged stealth capabilities. In the first prototype, the escape system was recessed inside the fuselage, in an arrangement reminiscent of Northrop Grumman’s YF-23, prioritizing stealth and speed over maneuverability.
On the contrary, and following the line observed in the J-50 —also called Shenyang J-XDS—, you can see what appear to be 2D, or two-dimensional, vector impulse nozzles. However, the images do not allow us to appreciate further details, but, as with what was previously mentioned, the design and development team of the J-36 seems to have chosen, for this fuselage, to prioritize maneuverability to the detriment of stealth, which also leads to rethinking what the combat function that the design would ultimately have, or if the requirements of the military authorities are changing.
The other change observed focuses on the air intakes—or inlets— of the front section of the fuselage, where the original prototype that had been carrying out test flights to date had a layout similar to that of the American F-22. Now, it seems that we are facing a profound redesign, where the design team opted for DSI type air inlets, a characteristic of stealth design aircraft, perhaps seeking to compensate for the loss of this capacity as a result of the changes made to the exhaust systems.
Finally, and again with more doubts than certainties due to the changes observed in this second J-36, it is presumed that the aircraft is still in a development and concept demonstration phase, which suggests that the final design of what could be the future fighter-bomber of the Chinese Air Force is far from being defined, indicating that we are still far from seeing pre-production or production models by Chengdu.
Another possibility is that the flights carried out, within the framework of the flight test campaign, are part of the options that are being developed to respond to the requirements put forward by the program, which, to date, remain a mystery, as both the company and official sources lack a description of the development of the aircraft.
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