Images have emerged of a new large combat aircraft, apparently making a test flight, which could be China's new secret H-20 stealth bomber. The location and exact date of the shooting were not disclosed, and the People's Republic of China has not given an of- ficial comment on the footage, the authenticity of which cannot yet be established.
A tailless fighter airframe has appeared at the main factory of the Chinese jet aircraft manufacturer in Shenyang. The object appeared after two new tailless heavy tactical jets appeared in the skies of China on December 26. Now, a recent satellite image shows what looks like another next-generation fighter airframe or mock-up at the main Shenyang factory in the city of the same name.
Planet Labs took the satellite image in question on January 1. It shows an object about 50 feet (or 15 meters) long with a slightly wider wingspan, on a small ramp need the main taxiway in the northern part of the airfield, combined with the factory in Shenyang. It has a mod- ified diamond-shaped delta platform with a wide central fuselage, which apparently has two upper engine nacelles. The tail is not visible in the picture. Athin, pointed nose extends from the main fuselage area. The exhaust pipes appear to have a wedge-shaped outline at the trailing edge. The chassis is not visible in the shadow, but this does not mean that it is not there, judging by the resolution of the image and the angle of light. The intriguing object seen in Shenyang on January 1 could be another concept for a next-gen- er ation manned tactical combat aircraft, in the mid-weight category compared to the heavier designs we've seen more recently, or an unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV). Manned or unmanned, it can also be a demonstrator, just a mock-up, or something completely different. It can also be used as bait to confuse foreign intelligence.
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