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China’s 6th-generation aircraft
China’s new alleged 6th-generation aircraft performed its maiden flight on Dec. 26, 2024. Escorted by a twin-seat J-20 Mighty Dragon, the flight took place in Chengdu. We can assume the hop was conducted by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC) given that the company (located in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province) already developed and built the J-20, J-10, and J-7 fighters.
Allegedly the new aircraft, which has a flying wing design optimized to books maneuverability, is powered by three engines, including a forward lift one.
The video below (filmed from multiple locations) appeared on Twitter/X and shows the two aircraft flying under a clear blue sky.
As reported by Scramble Magazine, the design was conceived by the 611th Institute starting in 2018 and the development of a tailless aircraft surfaced in October 2021, when a full-scale mockup was reported under construction.
J-XX or J-XD?
Instead as noted by The Eurasian Times, the aircraft maiden flight coincided with the birthday of the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Chairman Mao Zedong.
To add uncertainty surrounding its designation, some accounts have labeled the new Chinese aircraft the “J-XX” while others refers to it as “J-XD.”
Rick Joe, a military analyst and expert who closely follows People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments noted on Twitter/X:
‘People will compare the “J-XD” just flown with the NGAD demonstrator revealed in 2020 to have flown — understandable. The validity of that comparison lies in how representative this J-XD airframe and the NGAD demonstrator are, for their respective programs.
‘J-20 is already decently voluminous as fighters go (J-20S twin seater as chaseplane), but the “J-XD” alongside looks like it’s a whole other level. Even with three engines, this thing will have a lot of internal volume to play around with.’
By contrast Justin Bronk, another world-famous defense analyst, said on Twitter/X;
‘Fascinating that the PLAAF/CCP have chosen to fly this prototype in daylight now… I’d be cautious about attributing it as China’s NGAD-equivalent 6th gen fighter though. I suspect more likely to be the 5th Gen regional bomber/strike fighter project sometimes called J/H-XX.’
Nevertheless, Joe replied to Bronk;
‘FWIW — I’m very doubtful of this thing being JH-XX. Without going into details, the grapevine leading up to+predicting this thing, describes it as a A2A platform first (with the usual system of systems, CCA trends). “Fighter” may be an increasingly out of date term with time.’
Another tailless aircraft
But apparently, CAC aircraft was not the only China’s 6th-generation aircraft that took flight recently. The image (shown below) of another tailless aircraft soon appeared on internet, sparking speculation that Shenyang Aircraft Corporation flew its own 6th-gen aircraft prototype already on Dec. 20.
Again, Joe remarked on Twitter/X;
‘If this is real then I will legitimately be shook. It would really demonstrate the PLA still has the ability to surprise and then some.’
As highlighted by The Eurasian Times, the two aircraft feature several differences, with the first being that while CAC’s prototype features a tri-engine configuration, the Shenyang’s design adopts a simpler twin-engine setup.
Moreover, while the CAC’s aircraft has delta wings to boost high-speed stability, the Shenyang design features swept wings, optimizing it for maneuverability at various speeds.
The two prototypes have the tailless design in common meaning that they are both aimed at prioritizing stealth, reducing radar signature, and advanced flight characteristics.
Photo credit: Twitter/X
