Maybe it's for safety redundancy? If the helmet system fails, the HUD can still be used. The burden of a HUD system should be very low.
J-35A fighter (PLAAF) + FC-31 thread
- Thread starter ACuriousPLAFan
- Start date
HUDs are relatively low in weight in context of the full airframe so they have barely a penalty on the aircraft's weight overall -- more importantly, compared to HMDs, HUDs are able to pump out higher quality imagery for the same mass/weight.
It essentially means that with HUDs, you get the best of both worlds -- the ability to fly without needing a relatively heavier HMD (compared to regular flight helmet) all the time even for sorties were HMDs don't matter, as well as being able to wear the HMD for sorties where you think they are needed (reducing cumulative load on the pilot's neck), while still having the HUD as both a backup and a higher resolution display than what the HMD can put out.
Going without HUDs means you force your pilot to fly with a HMD for every sortie, and it also means you are more limited in resolution in from the frontal perspective/angle of the HMD's display compared to what a HUD can offer.
Two more.
and indeed cn. 0101 & 0102
Not really. Since it is similar to F-35's solution it may employ the same solution for ejection. F-35 has exlosive cord in the middle top, back and along the edge. J-35 is likely doing the same.
F-35
We have seen many J-35A individuals with some differences. The one you saw is most likely one that has different canopy design. I can see the edge and back cord in it marked in red. The top cord is just not visible due to the angle of the photo.
Fundamentally there is no way that you can remove explosive cord and garantee a quick ejection.
Weight increase of HMDS is one reason for keeping HUD instead. HMDS is always heavier than conventional helmet of same generation. It's force applied to pilot's neck is multiplied by the G that the aircraft pulled. 100g becomes 800g at 8G. I believe you have taken ride of roller coaster or free fall, they only produce one or two extra Gs, yet you would barely able to raise your head. Imagine mutiple the difficulty by 6 to 8 times.
HMDS being widely used by helicoptor precisely because they don't pull high Gs. Keeping HUD means that the fighter jet can provide good information without risking the neck of the pilot. I won't regard F-35 as a good example and choice.
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The interesting thing to note is that the PLAN J-35 has a high probability of seeing combat in future as compared to the J-35A which might not see combat or at most against Taiwan.
PLAN J-35 has to face off the US naval might and the design has slight differences and perhaps, J-35 (Naval) isn’t available for export since there’s no prospect customer that has an aircraft carrier.
Keeping all that in mind, Export of J-35A even if results in some sort of leakage of RCS parameters won’t be of any issue for China since the real thing is the J-35 Naval that matters.