New images have emerged of one of China's futuristic fighter jets, a three-engine, tailless flying wing aircraft that Western analysts have dubbed the J-36.
According to foreign media, it is unclear when the footage, which was taken from a video, was shot, but it appeared on Chinese social media sites on Monday and shows the plane flying over a highway near the runway of Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, the factory in Sichuan province where the new plane is believed to be made.
Images of the J-36 first appeared on Chinese social media late last year, quickly attracting the attention of aircraft enthusiasts and military analysts. More footage surfaced online last month.
The aircraft is thought to be a sixth-generation aircraft, incorporating the latest stealth aircraft technology and powerplant and airframe engineering.
Military aviation expert David Cenciotti, a former Italian Air Force officer, said on his website, The Aviationist, that the six-second video gives a close-up look at the J-36's design, writes A2 CNN.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force will officially debut its J-35A fighter jet next week.
"The trijet engine design, with two engine inlets under the wings and one inlet mounted on the back behind the cockpit, is a departure from the conventional twin-engine installations seen in many contemporary fighters. This innovation could offer advantages in terms of speed and endurance," Cenciotti wrote. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
