Japan ATD-X - prototype

[JFZ90]

As reported here and other places.

The Aviationist » Japan?s new stealth jet fighter has been officially unveiled (http://theaviationist.com/2014/07/12/atd-x-officially-unveiled/)

http://theaviationist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ATD-X-first-prototype.jpg

The pictures all seem doctored - with aspects of the main intakes and some secondary intakes on the upper fuse blurred out, presumably to disguise some stealth aspects, or hide the intake geometry.

What is more odd is that they have also blurred out the top of the main landing gear, or some aspect of the fuse design in that area.

Any speculation on the latter?

[Bushfiva]

If you have access to other photos in the series, there's a guy in a light blue overall taking pics with a small camera or cellphone. I expect those photos will be online at some point.

[dmanton300]

Main undercarriage looks straight off of a Mitsubishi F-1/T-2. As a sub-scale test aircraft I guess recycling that kind of thing makes perfect sense. The interesting thing for me is that it's clearly a twin seater.

[Courtney Mil]

Dmanton, not necessarily a twin seater. The canopy is not unlike the F-15 A and D models, but hard to tell from just one angle. As Japan used to build their F-15s under licence, it's hardly surprising. I would say it "could" be 2 seat or maybe a common configuration for 1 or 2 seat.

My understanding, though, is that it's a technology demonstrator (hence the name), so I wouldn't imagine the seat configuration now has that much significance. The other thing is, at this stage, it's tiny - smaller than F-35. That, and today's technology, makes me think it's unlikely to be 2 seat.

[dmanton300]

I still think it's a twin seater but points well made! :ok:

(Interestingly a quick search shows that the canopy and windscreen *MAY* be Kawasaki T-4 components, which still doesn't mean anything regarding seat numbers I suppose)

[Martin the Martian]

I seem to recall that the EAP used quite a few Tornado parts, so I guess it makes sense to help keep costs down.

What does surprise me to some extent is that, with very similar requirements, why Japan and South Korea never formed a partnership to produce a new fighter aircraft.

[Courtney Mil]

OK, how about only one ejection seat warning triangle?

[Bushfiva]

Because Korea regards Japan as a brutal occupying power that has never acknowledged its past? There's no way Korea would cooperate with Japan on anything.

[glad rag]

OK, how about only one ejection seat warning triangle?

LOL nice one Courts...:D

[Yamagata ken]

Because Korea regards Japan as a brutal occupying power that has never acknowledged its past? Because Korea never acknowledges the reparations and agreements. Japan paid reparations to the Korean government. The Korean govenment chose to spend the money (reparations) on whatever it wanted. The Korean government chose not to pay reparations to the victims of Japanese occupation. It's a Korean problem.

[JFZ90]

OK, so it seems Japanese and Korean collaborative programme is not on the cards.

Getting back to the picture. I suppose the blurring on the top could be anything - not necessarily an intake*.

The part near the front gear could be sensor related. But as this is a tech demo, it seems more likely they are focusing on proving the stealth aspects. Could this be a novel stealth technology? Plasma related?

Seems odd to draw attention to it in this way. Some normal red blanking covers would have raised fewer questions.



* they could be blurring out the second ejection triangle.:E Courtney is no doubt right, but it does look like a two seater. Maybe its a two seater config with only one seat fitted to the proto.

[dmanton300]

OK, how about only one ejection seat warning triangle?

Ooooo get you, getting all "logical" and stuff!

I defer, well spotted. :ok:

[Tashengurt]

Couldn't the red circle under the canopy indicate an optional ejection seat or similar?


Posted from Pprune.org App for Android

[Bing]

Couldn't the red circle under the canopy indicate an optional ejection seat or similar?

Or that it's Japanese...

[PURPLE PITOT]

Just drowned my keyboard!:O:O:O:D:D

[CoffmanStarter]

Clearly the guy flying the first trip is going for his Master Green IR with all that paper stuck on the inside of the hood :}

[Courtney Mil]

Ooooo get you, getting all "logical" and stuff!

Sorry, Mate. Just spotted it at tha last minute. Mind you, as a mock up it may have nothing inside. We shall see!

Coff, I'd be happy to offer to do his rating. BTW, home safely?

It's a cute little jet, though.

[CoffmanStarter]

All good Courtney :ok:

[Tashengurt]

Well I'm disappointed. I thought my net would be fuller. I guess that's why I never went fishing.

[Walking Ballast]

there's a guy in a light blue overall taking pics with a small camera or cellphone. I expect those photos will be online at some point.Not if he has been blurred out as well.......!!

[tartare]

Hmm - would have thought those tails should have been canted out a little more to increase stealth?
It's all a bit of a moot point now really.
Radar processing being so fast, and some very clever use of ambient radiation means the system just looks for the stealth aircraft-shaped `hole' in the sky and takes aim...

[Bevo]

Other than a chine on the nose (possibly for aerodynamic reasons) I see no other design features that would lead me to believe this is a reduced signature aircraft.

[JFZ90]

You are right about the lack of obvious stealth features on things like the apertures (gear doors), but the chines are probably signature related, and the radar bulkhead appears to be canted backwards - which is done for signature reasons.

I suppose it depends on what technologies this prototype is intended to de-risk, it doesn't appear to be not the finished article, like EAP wasn't.

[Flap62]

So you think Japan might roll something out of the hangar that would compromise their Stealth technology? Really?

Wake up!

If it's important you won't see it.

[Bevo]

So you think Japan might roll something out of the hangar that would compromise their Stealth technology? Really?

Wake up!

If it's important you won't see it.

Well my friend at some point you have to fly the technology to see if it works. Pole models can only give you a limited view of the signature of an operational vehicle. Things have a habit of changing under aerodynamic loads. Items like a low signature air data system have to be flown to ensure they work.

In addition, the op stated “presumably to disguise some stealth aspects ….Any speculation on the latter? ”; hence the response. I’ll go back to sleep now. You can wake me up again later.

[JFZ90]

Well they blurred the photo for some reason - and as you can see it looks fairly conventional as prototypes go.

So what are they trying to hide, whilst at the same time publicly revealing their progress?

Could be anything. Could be something boring like preventing you seeing the number of turbine blades on the 1st stage compressor, but that seems unlikely.

They've rolled something out of the hangar and clearly were concerned enough about some aspect of the technology that they went to the effort of doctoring and carefully controlling the pictures.

[garyscott]

Few more piccys of the Mitsubishi . .
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/ATD-X_model_2.JPG/300px-ATD-X_model_2.JPG

http://chivethebrigade.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/atd-x-550-27.jpg?w=550&h=380

https://sobchak.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/1407_2_img2.jpg?w=480&h=268

Interesting to note the paddle type exhaust vanes similar to NASA/MBB X-31 . . .

http://mach.air-nifty.com/kazetan/images/2013/12/23/atdx_nozzle_002.jpg

http://cavok.com.br/blog/wp-contents/uploads/2011/08/atd-x-japan-fighter-3.jpg

http://www.janes.com/images/assets/815/41815/p1526626.jpg

Many and varied images on the web, but these show something of it, and the windtunnel model shows a little of the rear end, maybe the paddles are for development only - high AoA recovery, unusual attitude recovery?

[Davef68]

Maybe a two seater with the back cockpit occupied by test equipment like the IAI Lavi prototypes?


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/IAI-Lavi-B-2-hatzerim-2.jpg

[garyscott]

Unsure dave, there are some images which show the vehicle having the same mold line, but with the rear transparency swapped for fuse skin, similar to SU-39, so could be for internal equipment. Even though its a small airframe, it could be used for a two seat aircraft as the Asian man is small of stature, home-grown aircraft generally have very snug cockpits compared to western types.