The images of the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group airfield in Chengdu received in October from Planet Labs spacecraft indicate that work is underway in China on a mysterious new aircraft made according to a tailless aerodynamic scheme, writes The Drive.
The publication notes that the product is comparable in size to the Chinese fourth-generation fighter J-20, and in concept - with the projects of American X-44A Multi-Axis No-Tail Aircraft (MANTA) and Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD).
The publication says that the new aircraft can be a fighter or a guided drone.
The publication reminds that the tailless aerodynamic scheme provides the aircraft with a long range and flight speed to the detriment of maneuverability.
In October, Aviation Week editor Steve Trimble on Twitter revealed the concept of a sixth-generation carrier-based fighter being developed by the US Navy as part of its NGAD program to replace the current F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.
In June, The Drive reported that being developed under the NGAD program for the Air Force (Air Force) The US sixth-generation fighter will receive expensive "Chinese" and cheap "Russian" versions. According to the publication, in the first case we are talking about a long-range aircraft designed for operations in the Pacific Ocean. The second is about a shorter-range fighter for Europe.
Ivan Potapov
