 |
| J-21 Snow Owl, Shenyang-Designed Stealth Fighter Jet Eliminated in China's J-XX Program |
International Military - Shenyang's defeat in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) stealth fighter jet competition was officially revealed for the first time in 2020. It was the China Central Television (CCTV) channel which at that time produced the second series of a documentary film titled Memory of the Military Industry.
In the video, viewers are taken to a gallery with a model airplane in the hall. There is displayed the Snow Owl (Snow Owl), Shenyang's project name for its 5th generation fighter jet. The Shenyang fighter jet, codenamed J-21, competed with the Chengdu J-20 in the J-XX program of the 1990s.
This Shenyang-designed aircraft has a delta main wing complete with horizontal and vertical tail fins and an additional canard wing at the front. The PLAAF has set requirements for a 60-degree angle of attack, similar to the United States' Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
To achieve the goal, designer Li Tian chose a three-wing layout. It said the J-21 had an angle of attack of up to 65 degrees during wind tunnel testing. However, the shape of the aircraft causes some disadvantages of its own. By having three sets of wings, the fuselage is much longer than the J-20.
This results in heavier weight and increased demands on the engine. To reduce the overall weight, Shenyang engineers reduced the size of the radome.
As is known, in the J-XX program, Shenyang J-21 was finally defeated by Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon. The Chengdu J-20 is the third 5th generation fighter jet in the world to be operational after the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II from the United States.
Despite being defeated, the Shenyang J-21 fighter jet model turned out to be sold as a souvenir at the Changchun Air Show in Changchun, Jilin Province which took place on August 26, 2022.