The Chengdu J-20, Mighty Dragon, is a Chinese, supersonic, stealth fighter aircraft, which entered service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 2017. With a different design, this 5th generation air-superiority aircraft is able to match its US Air Force's counterpart, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, in speed, stealth technology, avionics, and weapon system. In 2022, the J-20 was upgraded with a new power plant as the Russian-made Saturn AL-31FM2 engines were replaced with the domestically-built Shenyang WS-15 afterburning turbofan machines; this new engine is rated at 33,000 pounds of thrust and it can enable the aircraft to travel at a sustained, supersonic cruise speed of Mach 1.2, without resorting to the afterburner.
The first prototype of the Chengdu J-20 first took to the air on January 11, 2011. The trial phase lasted for more than six years, with the aircraft's performance constantly being improved. Before being authorized for mass production, the third prototype's movable surfaces, such as ailerons and canards were redesigned, and its flight computer was replaced with a new one. In 2016, it was disclosed to the public by the Chinese government during International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. On March 9, 2017, the new aircraft was introduced into active service as the J-20. Since then, more than 300 stealth fighter aircraft have been produced, with the J-20B being the main variant. The J-20S is the two-seat version, which is used in airborne early warning and control missions.
Technical Descriptions
The Chengdu J-20 is a single-seat, twin-engine, stealth-technology monoplane. Its airframe is made of steel and titanium parts, while the external fuselage is made of steel and aluminum. It features cropped delta wing and movable canards which sweeps back at high speed. The canards provides the aircraft with flight stability and maneuverability, making it avoid stall. The cockpit is comfortable and fitted with a bubble canopy that gives the pilot excellent visibility. The engine air intakes are located at the sides of forward portion of fuselage, right behind the cockpit. Its WS-15 engines enable this combat aircraft to have much longer range than the F-22 Raptor.
Specifications
Type: 5th generation, all-weather, multirole, stealth fighter.
Length: 21.2 m (69 feet, 7 inches)
Wing Span: 13 m (42 feet, 8 inches)
Wing Area: 73 m2 (790 square feet)
Height: 4.69 m (15 feet, 5 inches)
Power Plant: two 33,000-lb, Shenyang WS-15 turbofan engines, with afterburner.
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.1
Range: 5,500 km (3,400 miles)
Climb Rate: 305 m/s
Service Ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 feet)
Crew: 1
Avionics: NRIET Type 1475 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar.
Armament: six PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles; or 11,000 kg of precision-guided munition/or air-to-surface missiles.
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| Above: front view of the J-20, checking its canards before take-off. |
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| Third prototype during flight trials. |
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| Belly of J-20A as it flies over. |
The Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon flight demonstration (video)
