PLA Air Force news, pics and videos

Tomboy said:

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Seems to be the same aircraft/model, allegedly taken at an RCS testing facility a few months ago

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There were non-reputable folks on Chinese forums claiming right after J-36 reveal in December 2024 that there was a J-36 looking aircraft (triangular and simple geometry unlike J-50) that is high supersonic. Recall one blurry, super zoomed in image of an otherworldly looking and an exhaust trail. The image does tend to resemble this thing. We all ignored it since there wasn't much more info behind it and came from some randoms.

Having said that, that rumour and the performance assigned to that theoretical aircraft was also mistakenly tied to the J-36 hence lots of chatter of J-36 being high supersonic until reputable sources mentioned that J-36 is not designed for even mid to high supersonic implied mach 2.5+

bsdnf said:

It was true before reusable rockets, but the commercial cost of aerospace planes is higher than that of reusable rockets, aerospace planes are more for strategic/military purposes.

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We may have a misunderstanding here, I am referring to the first-level horizontal takeoff and landing platform such as the one in the Tengyun project. If such a launch system is successful, it will have a significant reduction in cost compared to vertical reusable rockets.

visitant said:

We may have a misunderstanding here, I am referring to the first-level horizontal takeoff and landing platform such as the one in the Tengyun project. If such a launch system is successful, it will have a significant reduction in cost compared to vertical reusable rockets.

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I'm referring to the Tengyun Project, it's costs is higher than those of reusable rockets. It's TBCC engines are very expensive, insulation and heat dissipation materials also more expensive, yet it's deliver a small payload capacity.

bsdnf said:

I'm referring to the Tengyun Project, it's costs is higher than those of reusable rockets. It's TBCC engines are very expensive, insulation and heat dissipation materials also more expensive, yet it's deliver a small payload capacity.

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Clearly we have different views on this point, but this topic is too off-topic, let's stop here.