[Rush104]

What do ya'll think of these pictures-

http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fighter/jxx.asp

This webpage has been around for a while. It purportedly shows different designs for the next generation Chinese Fighter(s). Is it me, or do the middle pictures look like wind tunnel test models of the F-22 and Rafale? And if they are models of the F-22 and Rafale, what is China doing building them? Are they trying to glean any performance data on the cheap by testing these models in tunnels, since they don't have access to the real things? Also, can these models be used for testing to get RCS data?
I checked some of the previous threads for any info, and didn't see any, but I ran across a thread about another Chinese fighter mockup. Hopefully, I'm not rehashing a topic previously discussed.

[Cardinal]

You'll most likely find a considerable amount of resources being allocated to the 'acquisition' of the technical engineering fruits of 'competitive nations', as such practices are as old as history itself - anyone remember 'Konkordski' and 'Buran', the Soviet Space Shuttle http://www.aerospaceguide.net/buran/index.html (look familiar?). Examples too numerous to catalogue ...

[Rush104]

Originally Posted by Cardinal

You'll most likely find a considerable amount of resources being allocated to the 'acquisition' of the technical engineering fruits of 'competitive nations', as such practices are as old as history itself - anyone remember 'Konkordski' and 'Buran', the Soviet Space Shuttle http://www.aerospaceguide.net/buran/index.html (look familiar?). Examples too numerous to catalogue ...

You're right; maybe I should have said "not yet acquired access to the real things". China did acquire the AEGIS system thru the use of front companies. With that being said, is China trying to gleam some performance data on the real airplanes without actually flying them? If so, it's a novel approach. I don't recall reading of any similar efforts by anybody previously. Stealing blueprints, enticing pilots to defect, and recovering crashed examples I've heard of, but not building wind tunnel models of other countries airplanes...

[swoop]

No one should be surprised at what China does. Dishonesty is always their best policy. The West is dealing with a future combatant here. Corporate greed has got in the way and the bottom line in the boardroom will surely aid their march to further belligerance. Remember Korea and Vietnam. I haven't forgotten. Who sells technology to front companies that enables them.? THAT IS THE QUESTION.

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by swoop

No one should be surprised at what China does. Dishonesty is always their best policy. The West is dealing with a future combatant here. Corporate greed has got in the way and the bottom line in the boardroom will surely aid their march to further belligerance. Remember Korea and Vietnam. I haven't forgotten. Who sells technology to front companies that enables them.? THAT IS THE QUESTION.

The former Clinton administration, for one. And, if there is a future Clinton administration (heaven forbid!), probably that one, too.

[sicqnus]

They're doing researchs. So what ? Until a few months back, they were flying on Mig-21s...
They've made the J-10 but no one has been able to tell what it's worth (rumors says it's a piece of junk).
They are at least 20 years late on aeronautic industry. Seeing them making wind tunnel models of F-22 and Rafale is pretty funny. Even the Russians can make the same... with computer simulation.
They have some Russian tech but remember, without it they would not have been able to launch their guy into space. Their best aircrafts are Russians and that's all. They've tried to make a buzz around "leaked" "Secret Stealth fighter" pic (the J-XX) wich was in fact a life-size mock-up of a plane that would fit better a Hollywood production than a military airbase. Crap. Disinformation. Propaganda.
Even with lots of money, it's a long way to match the occidental countries and their 100 years of military aviation experience.



I know pretty well their nuclear submarines (SSBN) Han class and if their aircrafts are in the same range (their SSBNs are as noisy as a Rolling Stones concert), we'll have nothing to fear of for a while.