This thread is to discuss J-20 canopy coating material for RCS reduction purposes.
The photos of the 2017 prototype showed a canopy with a coating quite reminiscent of that seen on the F-35.
F-35:
However, all subsequent units featured a very different coating of the canopy. Here is a good photo of the color and the interference pattern:
The color and the interference pattern appear almost identical to what can be found on modern airliners, like the Airbuses. This material is known as indium tin oxide and is commonly used in the opto-electronic industry.
The Boeing 787 uses a gold thin film in the composite structure of its windshields:
Observe how similar this hue is to the EODAS windows on the J-20. According to this article from the manufacturer:
one of the purposes of the thin gold film is to reflect IR radiation and prevent excessive heat build up in the windshield.
Can we claim with some confidence that the J-20 canopy coating is indeed indium tin oxide? How would this material compare to thin gold film in the F-22 and F-35? Both are conductors and offer a Faraday cage protection to the interior of the cockpit. However, they will reflect incoming RF energy.
Whay are the EODAS windows coated with a different material, likely gold thin film?
The photos of the 2017 prototype showed a canopy with a coating quite reminiscent of that seen on the F-35.
F-35:
However, all subsequent units featured a very different coating of the canopy. Here is a good photo of the color and the interference pattern:
The color and the interference pattern appear almost identical to what can be found on modern airliners, like the Airbuses. This material is known as indium tin oxide and is commonly used in the opto-electronic industry.
The Boeing 787 uses a gold thin film in the composite structure of its windshields:
Observe how similar this hue is to the EODAS windows on the J-20. According to this article from the manufacturer:
one of the purposes of the thin gold film is to reflect IR radiation and prevent excessive heat build up in the windshield.
Can we claim with some confidence that the J-20 canopy coating is indeed indium tin oxide? How would this material compare to thin gold film in the F-22 and F-35? Both are conductors and offer a Faraday cage protection to the interior of the cockpit. However, they will reflect incoming RF energy.
Whay are the EODAS windows coated with a different material, likely gold thin film?