J-20 5th Generation Fighter VII
- Thread starter siegecrossbow
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Good thing wars aren't won aesthetically
Is there a way to visually tell WS10vs Al31?
Shorter shiny nozzles with different number of petals for regular WS-10. Al-31 has two layers of petals and the WS-10 only one. For J-20 it is easier since the WS-10 has jagged nozzles.
I've always wanted to ask this but why isn't the canopy processed with a layer of stealthy tint like the F-22??
F-22 for comparison:
I also wonder what happened to the pillar canopy on early J-20 prototypes? What prompted them to abandon the design?
Are you referring to the gold plated tinting? I believe the canopies are tinted but it is only apparent at certain angles. Even the canopies of J-10B/C are tinted.
They abandoned the "one-piece" canopy since it was heavier than the current design. Due to the engine limitation they needed to shave off as much weight as possible for the time being.
So does this mean that they will be back when the WS-15 gets into service??
I don’t know but probably not.
Why not?? What prompts you to think so? A pillarless canopy has a lot of advantages over the current pillared canopy (I know that there is only one pillar but it still makes a difference.)
By the time WS-15 is ready they’ll probably be integrating more stuff on the plane to weigh it down.
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