J20 shows its teeth
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,609
Likes: 0
From: London, New York, Paris, Moscow.
J20 shows its teeth
What we see isn't necessarily surprising, but it is interesting nonetheless. In the main ventral bays, the J-20 is carrying four PL-15 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missiles. The type is somewhat analogous to the American AIM-120D AMRAAM. Speculation about what missile actually would hold the PL-15 designation has bounced around a lot, with very long-range missiles and those fitted with throttleable ramjets also potentially receiving the designation, but now it seems the PL-15 is indeed a dual-pulse motor and AESA equipped missile with a similar profile as its predecessor PL-12. The PL-12 is loosely analogous to the AIM-120A/B.
China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Stuns By Brandishing Full Load Of Missiles At Zhuhai Air Show
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,609
Likes: 0
From: London, New York, Paris, Moscow.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,125
Likes: 1
From: UK
Interesting that the heater appears to be in a semi deployed ‘external’ position - as if to confirm that they haven’t cracked the ‘lock before launch from a bay’ conundrum. Or rather they have in a very clunky ‘remove from bay - pause - lock before launch’ way.
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 804
Likes: 96
From: UK
There must be a trapeze or ram system to push out the PL15s. There are no flow diffusers at the front edge of the bay so the missile won't freefall in to the airstream anyway - it will just bounce off and back in to the bay and then just bounce around in there.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Joined: Dec 2002
Aviation Qualifications: Military (Retired)
Posts: 16,699
Likes: 54
From: Lincolnshire
As for the LR missiles, ejection release units don't h ave to be large.
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 804
Likes: 96
From: UK
Good find Teej! Thanks for sharing.
Even so Ewan...if Fairford promised me that display next year, they could triple the price and I'd still pay up!
I thought their roll rate was quite impressive at times.
I have to admit, I think its a pretty cool looking aeroplane. But then this was what I used to make out of lego when I was a kid.
Even so Ewan...if Fairford promised me that display next year, they could triple the price and I'd still pay up!
I thought their roll rate was quite impressive at times.
I have to admit, I think its a pretty cool looking aeroplane. But then this was what I used to make out of lego when I was a kid.
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 105
Likes: 17
From: Australia
Looks like there's a secondary internal bay for the heaters to me, lots of video bits that don't show them hanging externally but lots of hinting at a secondary internal storage for them.
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 804
Likes: 96
From: UK
doors open -> missile rotates out -> doors close
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 804
Likes: 96
From: UK