It makes sense to make the prototype by modifying an existing machine/aircraft – especially if the “prototype” is an upgrade of an existing design/product.
J-10 Thread III (Closed to posting)
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It makes sense to make the prototype by modifying an existing machine/aircraft – especially if the “prototype” is an upgrade of an existing design/product.
FriedRiceNSpice
Major
Is it just me or does the new nose look slightly more F-16ish, as opposed to the Flankeresque shape found on the original?
SteelBird
Colonel
As the author has mentioned, in the comparing pix, the blade antenna was gone, but on the following pix, it is still there. I notice one more thing, the DSI inlet and the IRST are both in darker yellow color, why? To me, I feel hard to believe this is a real one. Maybe we should wait a little more to see.
Having a darker or lighter color may not mean that much, except that the DSI inlet and the IRST has a body shell that may be comprised of a different material than the rest of the body.
Lets say, if the inlet and the IRST uses composite. The primer used on the parts will have to be different from the primer used on aluminum, or the primer used on titanium, since the primer has to be made to adhere to the substance. Even an alteration in the chemistry in the primer can produce a different shade.
SteelBird
Colonel
Crobato, you know there are too many fake pix of PLA on the Chinese forums, that makes me careful before I decide to believe any new pix. Though this one was given high credibility, I think we better be patient, and wait a little more before we draw any conclusion. Personally, I really don't like the DSI installed J10 (in the pix), it looks weird. IRST is great and I also hope they can get a more powerful engine, some 150KN thrust for example, even though this is hard.
A few minutes later:
I copied this from sina.com. Somebody concluded that it is a PSed. It generally said:
1. The speed measure tube is too big
2. The pennant number looks modified
3. Inlet has different color with the body
4. The canopy has a white spot which shouldn't appear in the weather condition of the pix
5. The rear part of the missile looks pale which is not consistent with the whole aircraft
6. The most serious mistake is the scale of people stand near by the aircraft. That bird looks too big?
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Having different color in the parts of the body is a poor argument. Even with real J-10s on primer, the engine section for example is often in a different color from the rest of the body.
Its easy to explain why the DSI has a different color. The line where the lighter and darker color meets is the mid sectional structure of the aircraft. Remember, this plane is built in sections. That line illustrates that section. It's same on the real J-10s. The intake won't be built part and machined out of this section. Its likely formed from a different metal or composite, which is placed ahead of the midsection. My bet is that the DSI inlet has to be formed out of a composite, just like the JF-17's because composite is much easier to mold into complex geometries. Underneath, there should be some metal structure.
The midsection should be identical to the old J-10, which will save on costs and machining by trying to keep as many parts the same as the old one.
If you figured this out in your head, you would have figured out why it was relatively easy to make this inlet change.
Because the inlet is composite but the mid section is carved from a solid billet of metal, the primers would be different on each. Hence the change of color. In fact, you can use the primer colors change of the "naked" J-10s and J-11Bs as well as hints which sections are made of different alloys and composites.
As for the pitot tube in being big, it has to be big because its a prototype and that's what the tube does---flight measurement.
Its easy to explain why the DSI has a different color. The line where the lighter and darker color meets is the mid sectional structure of the aircraft. Remember, this plane is built in sections. That line illustrates that section. It's same on the real J-10s. The intake won't be built part and machined out of this section. Its likely formed from a different metal or composite, which is placed ahead of the midsection. My bet is that the DSI inlet has to be formed out of a composite, just like the JF-17's because composite is much easier to mold into complex geometries. Underneath, there should be some metal structure.
The midsection should be identical to the old J-10, which will save on costs and machining by trying to keep as many parts the same as the old one.
If you figured this out in your head, you would have figured out why it was relatively easy to make this inlet change.
Because the inlet is composite but the mid section is carved from a solid billet of metal, the primers would be different on each. Hence the change of color. In fact, you can use the primer colors change of the "naked" J-10s and J-11Bs as well as hints which sections are made of different alloys and composites.
As for the pitot tube in being big, it has to be big because its a prototype and that's what the tube does---flight measurement.
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I'm not sure what you mean. There aren't any people in any of the four pictures. There is no one near the landing gear. There are some stuff near the landing gear, but these are not people (examined under magnification).
Note on the "clearer" pictures, there is actually a second J-10 in the picture. Its covered in whatever fabric they're using and its about the same size as the alleged proto.
Note on the "clearer" pictures, there is actually a second J-10 in the picture. Its covered in whatever fabric they're using and its about the same size as the alleged proto.
I think it may be a person. The one on the left seems to be wearing a white hat or helmet. If it's a helmet it could be a PLAAF's pilots helmet, which are white coloured for the J-10 (is this of any significance?).
Both seem to be crouching a bit. If we add a bit of height to the two people and compare them to older photos of the original J-10 with people next to them, the size of the plane isn't that much different.
The PL-8 (or red) missile under the wing seems unusually large though... Or could that just be a camera angle thing? I don't really know
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