Japan ATD-X - prototype
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...
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...
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
ATD-X, Mitsubishi images.
Few more piccys of the Mitsubishi . .
Interesting to note the paddle type exhaust vanes similar to NASA/MBB X-31 . . .
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?
Interesting to note the paddle type exhaust vanes similar to NASA/MBB X-31 . . .
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?
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.
