Just weeks after it was confirmed that Boeing would be responsible for developing the future sixth-generation F-47 fighter jet for the United States, there has been increased activity in the test flights of what are believed to be China’s counterparts, intended to equip its Air Force. Only days after what would be the second test flight of the aircraft developed by Shenyang, a new video has surfaced showing the stealth J-36 jet built by Chengdu, in what is the clearest and closest footage of this new model to date.
First revealed at the end of last year—when various video clips and images emerged in late December confirming their existence—the provisionally named Chengdu “J-36” and Shenyang “J-50” have become the focus of speculation and hypotheses by leading analysts and experts.
While both models share the distinctive flying wing shape, with no vertical stabilizers or tail, they are believed to serve different purposes. The “J-36” is reportedly a larger and heavier aircraft, equipped with three engines, whereas the “J-50,” with its lambda-shaped wing, is a smaller, twin-engine model.
In speculative terms, both stealth aircraft are considered the latest developments of China’s aerospace industry, designed to become the next sixth-generation fighter jets of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. In this context, the Chengdu-developed model might be intended for tactical stealth bomber missions, while the Shenyang variant would fit the role of a front-line multirole fighter.
It is also possible that these are experimental platforms used to test and demonstrate new technologies, which—after the necessary testing and maturation—could be incorporated into both current and future Chinese combat aircraft.
As for the latest images and viral videos, they show the closest recorded sighting of the “J-36” to date, as it crossed a highway during landing. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and geolocation tools have confirmed that the footage was taken near Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) facilities, where the aircraft landed at the company’s airfield in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan province.
Thanks to these recent viral images, new details have emerged, helping to piece together the puzzle these aircraft represent. First, the “J-36” appears to feature a two-tone “splinter” camouflage pattern, with lighter fuselage panels around the aircraft’s dorsal intake. It also seems to include a diverterless supersonic intake (DSI), a design element found in fifth-generation jets and also present on the “J-50.”
Additionally, the footage appears to show a side-by-side cockpit configuration—similar to that of the Su-34 fighter-bomber and older-generation attack aircraft—apparently ruling out a tandem-seat layout. This supports the theory that the aircraft is a heavy strike fighter, designed for deep penetration attack missions or as a tactical bomber.
Finally, as mentioned earlier, sightings of China’s new stealth aircraft seem to have increased since President Trump’s announcement. This may be due to two factors: a technical need to carry out more test flights as part of the development process, and a deliberate propaganda effort.
In this regard, conducting flights in broad daylight—captured by thousands of bystanders, as in the recent sighting—contrasts with the secrecy surrounding the competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin to produce the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation fighter. As officially stated by DARPA, the NGAD program’s “X” aircraft began test flights between 2019 and 2020, without disclosing which company flew first.
Making test flights more publicly visible could be part of China’s strategy to show both domestic and international audiences that it is leading the race to develop the next generation of combat aircraft—while the U.S. has so far only made announcements and released conceptual renderings.
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