Japan ATD-X - prototype
 

As reported here and other places.

The Aviationist » Japan?s new stealth jet fighter has been officially unveiled

http://theaviationist.com/wp-content...-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?

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

OK, how about only one ejection seat warning triangle?

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.

LOL nice one Courts...:D

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.

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.

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

I defer, well spotted. :ok:

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


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Or that it's Japanese...

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

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 :}

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.

All good Courtney :ok:

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

Not if he has been blurred out as well.......!!