China’s fifth generation stealth fighter, Chengdu J-20, has successfully conducted its second test flight on Tuesday at the Chengdu airfield. “The aircraft made several passes and waggled its wings to salute the crowd near the airfield,” the Chinese Global Times Newspaper quoted a witness. The prototype took off at 4:25 pm and landed at about 5:50 pm. China’s Defence Ministry did not comment on the issue.
According to Reuters the successful second test flight for the advanced fighter follow China’s warning in late March that it faced an increasingly volatile Asian region where the United States has expanded its strategic footprint. Some analysts have said that the first few photos of the J-20 suggest that China may be making faster-than-expected progress in developing a rival to Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor. The J-20 made its first flight (video) on 11 January 2011.
Photo credits: China Defense Blog
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The Chengdu J-20 is a single-seat, twin-engine aircraft which appears to be larger and heavier than the comparable Sukhoi T-50 and Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The prototype is believed to be powered by Russian Saturn 117S engines. The J-20 may have lower supercruise speed, yet greater range, and less agility than the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor or Sukhoi PAK FA, but might have larger weapons bays and carry more fuel. Deputy Commander of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force said in November 2009 that he expected the J-20 to be operational in 2017–2019.