Another Chinese fighter prototype emerges
December 26, 2024
A previously unknown fighter demonstrator or prototype from the Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute (or 601 Institute) made its maiden flight on 20 or 22 December, though videos and photos of the event did not emerge on social media until 26 December. This led many to conclude that it, and the new aircraft from Chengdu, had both made their first flights on 26 December – the birthday of Mao Zedong.
Loosely described as being a ‘sixth generation’ design, the new aircraft is much smaller than the Chengdu design, and would seem to have been designed to meet a different requirement – possibly for use by the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or perhaps with exports in mind. This would follow a today’s ‘pattern’, in which Chengdu is responsible for the J-10 multi-role advanced fighter and the heavyweight J-20 fighter, while Shenyang is responsible for the production of Chinese derivatives of the Su-27/30 ‘Flanker’ and the PLA Navy and export-orientated medium-weight FC-31 and J-35/J-35A.
The aircraft bore close similarities to concepts seen during the past few years, as it was a tailless (?) arrow-winged, twin-engined stealthy fighter or fighter-bomber. The aircraft was accompanied by a Shenyang J-16 fighter (a two-seat ‘Flanker’ derivative) during its maiden flight on 20 or 22 December 2024.
