China China to unveil J-35A stealth fighter jet

[Strong AI]

Flush air data sensors generally have more to do with hypersonic regimes (given induced drag forces, heating and so on):

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19990105883/downloads/19990105883.pdf

Pitot tube RCS is not significant design driver in say <Mach 2 regimes I believe (especially reading this paper and the calibration and sensoring trade-offs, especially in lower speed less-laminar flow regime)... compared to conventional probe past boundary layer.

Compared to signature of the canopy, flight control surfaces (in operation) and curved surfaces etc. These tradeoffs (for the aerodynamics) bake in lot more RCS return than the pitot tubes I would assume.

I don't know if this author is an expert but it looks like that air data sensors/tubes do affect RCS.

Obviously, the B-2 carries no external/protruting pitot tubes (that would affect the aircraft’s Radar Cross Section – RCS – making it less stealthy); to check airspeed, the aircraft uses static ports set flush into the skin.

This Close Up Photograph of the B-2 Spirit Provides A Fantastic View On The Stealth Bomber's Air Data Ports

This shot exposes a few interesting details about some of the B-2's sensors. The U.S. Air Force has just released some interesting photographs of one of

theaviationist.com

 

[Nilgiri]

I don't know if this author is an expert but it looks like that air data sensors/tubes do affect RCS.

Obviously, the B-2 carries no external/protruting pitot tubes (that would affect the aircraft’s Radar Cross Section – RCS – making it less stealthy); to check airspeed, the aircraft uses static ports set flush into the skin.

View attachment 76307

This Close Up Photograph of the B-2 Spirit Provides A Fantastic View On The Stealth Bomber's Air Data Ports

This shot exposes a few interesting details about some of the B-2's sensors. The U.S. Air Force has just released some interesting photographs of one of

theaviationist.com

Nice find. Yeah I guess the trade-off was worth it here, the B-2 does have a lot more capacity in avionics.

i.e The avionics cost being left more open ended (since only a squadron of B-2 planned or ended up being made I forget which) for B-2 compared to F-22 probably a factor here. To get that final few % increments in RCS improvement at greater cost etc, especially factoring in what is the size of the bird on hand at the nose area to host it too etc.

Per unit costs roughly:

B-2 : 2 billion USD
F-22: 350 million USD

(would have been somewhat lower if they produced a lot more of both, but the B-2 is especially capital cost loaded by low number etc)

From what I remember the F-22 avionics package started cutting down requirements early (to essentially focus on handling the radar primarily), so side mounted radars (what would eventually develop into DAS downroad for the F-35 etc along with EOTs) and even IRST were all given the chop. I'm unsure what's required onboard (that the B-2 clearly has with the price impact being less of a bar) for flush sensors here, though I would imagine its part of reason why it didnt make it to F-22 given what else was cut.

They are now looking to patch in IRST into the F-22 or example, a complicated effort:

F-22 Raptor To Get Distributed Infrared Search And Track System

Plans to add some form of increasingly critical infrared search and track system to the Raptors have been in the works for years now.

www.twz.com

The F-117 (the high stealth design driver approach with really low compromise to aerodynamics) had its own compromises again (no radar at all and constrained avionics capacity optimized to FLIR instead), so again the trade off for flush sensors, IRST etc deemed not worth it.

 

[Strong AI]

Nice find. Yeah I guess the trade-off was worth it here, the B-2 does have a lot more capacity in avionics.

i.e The avionics cost being left more open ended (since only a squadron of B-2 planned or ended up being made I forget which) for B-2 compared to F-22 probably a factor here. To get that final few % increments in RCS improvement at greater cost etc, especially factoring in what is the size of the bird on hand at the nose area to host it too etc.

Per unit costs roughly:

B-2 : 2 billion USD
F-22: 350 million USD

(would have been somewhat lower if they produced a lot more of both, but the B-2 is especially capital cost loaded by low number etc)

From what I remember the F-22 avionics package started cutting down requirements early (to essentially focus on handling the radar primarily), so side mounted radars (what would eventually develop into DAS downroad for the F-35 etc along with EOTs) and even IRST were all given the chop. I'm unsure what's required onboard (that the B-2 clearly has with the price impact being less of a bar) for flush sensors here, though I would imagine its part of reason why it didnt make it to F-22 given what else was cut.

They are now looking to patch in IRST into the F-22 or example, a complicated effort:

F-22 Raptor To Get Distributed Infrared Search And Track System

Plans to add some form of increasingly critical infrared search and track system to the Raptors have been in the works for years now.

www.twz.com

The F-117 (the high stealth design driver approach with really low compromise to aerodynamics) had its own compromises again (no radar at all and constrained avionics capacity optimized to FLIR instead), so again the trade off for flush sensors, IRST etc deemed not worth it.

View attachment 76308

Thanks for the answer.
This is my speculation now but afaik Jets like F-22 are optimized for front aspect RCS, whereas flying wings are optimized for all aspect RCS.
So maybe those sensors do have only a very low impact for frontal RCS.

 

[Passenger]

Chinese aircraft manufacturer hosts first flights of 2026 for J-35 stealth fighter jet​

An unpainted J-35 stealth fighter jet takes off at an airfield of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province on January 6, 2026. Photo: Official account of AVIC

China's top aircraft manufacturer, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), on Wednesday announced that it had hosted first flights of the new year for the J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter jet among other types of aircraft, accompanied by photos and a video. An expert said the move demonstrated China's confidence in its warplane production capabilities.

AVIC revealed in Weibo posts on Wednesday that a J-35 conducted its maiden flight of the new year on Tuesday at the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter jet has drawn widespread attention since making its debut at China's V-Day military parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025. Compared with its Air Force counterpart, the J-35A, the J-35, the naval variant, is specifically designed for aircraft carrier operations.

The J-35 was among the three types of aircraft that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy announced on September 22, 2025 had completed initial catapult-assisted takeoff and arrested landing training aboard the Fujian, China's first electromagnetic catapult-equipped aircraft carrier. The Fujian later entered service with the PLA Navy on November 5.

Attached to the latest AVIC post, two photos and a video clip showed an unpainted J-35, coated in a green primer, lifting off from an airfield.

This was not the first time an unpainted J-35 had appeared in an official report. On October 5, 2025, China Central Television released footage showing unpainted J-35 and J-35A aircraft under construction at hangars of AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of the Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the green primer indicates the J-35 has not yet been painted with tactical coating, meaning the aircraft is newly manufactured. The latest flight was likely a factory or pre-delivery test flight conducted before the aircraft is handed over to the PLA Navy, after which it would receive full tactical coatings.

AVIC also announced on Wednesday that two test aircraft took off from Yanliang Airfield in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Sunday, marking the launch of the year's first scientific research test flight mission. The company did not disclose the aircraft types or release imagery.

According to AVIC, other aircraft that have made their first flights of 2026 included the AG600 amphibious aircraft and multiple helicopter models produced by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co Ltd and AVIC Changhe Aircraft Industries Group.

Wang said that the Chinese aviation industry's concentrated release of information on aircraft development and production reflects a higher level of openness and signals growing confidence.

Now that advanced aircraft such as the J-35 have already been unveiled in previous events, it is natural that the public is seeing more details of the aircraft's production process, Wang said.

Wang Yongqing, the chief designer of multiple types of aircraft as well as the chief expert of the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute under AVIC, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview in June last year that the J-35 series, developed with an "air-sea twin configuration" approach and a "one aircraft, multiple variants" concept, is expected to enter large-scale production in the future, with the aircraft acting as a "point guard" in systematic combat operations and delivering outstanding performance.

Chinese aircraft manufacturer hosts first flights of 2026 for J-35 stealth fighter jet - China Military

AVIC revealed in Weibo posts on Wednesday that a J-35 conducted its maiden flight of the new year on Tuesday at the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in Shenyang.

eng.chinamil.com.cn