Recently, when Chinese Air Force Deputy Commander Wang Wei was interviewed by the media, he stated that there were no technical bottlenecks for the new generation of strategic bombers. This statement generated quite a buzz. If there were any doubts, the FL-2, the unmanned stealth bomber (first prototype) officially rolled out in April 2021, can indeed indirectly confirm this claim. Additionally, a scaled model was showcased at the 2018 Zhuhai Airshow. After all, this aircraft was independently developed by the Chinese private company “Zhongtian Feilong.” The fact that a private company could develop it independently further indicates that military enterprises possess the necessary technical reserves, implying that Deputy Commander Wang Wei’s statement was indeed well-founded.
According to the information disclosed at the time, the FL-2 adopts a flying wing design without a tail and with dorsal intake ducts, similar to the American B2 stealth bomber. It also features an internal weapons bay. Over 90% of the aircraft’s body uses advanced composite wave-transparent materials, and its surface skin is coated with a new type of radar-absorbing coating. All onboard electronic equipment’s RF antennas are integrated with the stealth skin. The active radar onboard the FL-2 utilizes frequency hopping and broadband operation mechanisms, further reducing the chances of being detected by enemy air defense systems, thus possessing strong omnidirectional radar stealth capabilities.
In the field of stealth UAVs, there have been many achievements. At least the ones we are familiar with include the Attack-11, the CH-7 stealth UAV by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the Feihong-97, and the Cloud Shadow 550T. As a private company, Zhongtian Feilong first unveiled the scaled model of the Feilong-2 (FL-2) at the 2018 Zhuhai Airshow.
According to data from the exhibition, the FL-2 is defined as a stealthy subsonic multi-purpose combat platform, powered by two turbofan engines. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 22,000 kilograms, a service ceiling of 15 kilometers, a cruising altitude of 10-12 kilometers, a cruising speed of 600-780 kilometers per hour, a maximum speed of 900 kilometers per hour, a maximum range of 7,000 kilometers, a maximum endurance of 10 hours, and an operational radius of 1,200 kilometers.
However, one detail was never mentioned: the size of the aircraft. Given its maximum takeoff weight of 22 tons, the size is evidently not small, but how big is it exactly? There was no clear concept, even from the prototype rolled out in April 2021, which was pixelated. The images only revealed a stealth flying wing design with no reference objects, making it seem similar in size to the Attack-11.
Recently, a screenshot from the CCTV “National Defense and Military” program provided a sense of the aircraft’s size. In the image, a group of visitors appeared at the front of an unmanned stealth aircraft, with a clearly defined flying wing layout. The comparison revealed that the FL-2 is indeed quite large, justifying its 22-ton takeoff weight. It’s worth noting that this weight includes extensive use of composite materials, with a maximum payload of six tons, a figure not to be underestimated. Even the much larger H-6K bomber has a payload of only 12 tons. It should be noted that the company describes it as a transport-type aircraft, not a bomber, although its flat profile clearly does not suit transporting large items.
With a cockpit added at the front, this size could potentially serve as a manned aircraft, though this is a joke. The fact that its flying wing design can successfully take off already indicates a breakthrough in technical bottlenecks.
Recently, foreign media exposed another new unmanned stealth aircraft, also with a flying wing design. With various flying wing models appearing at airshows, it seems that flying wing layouts face no technical bottlenecks. The newly exposed model likely features a variable tail design, rumored to be one of the design options for the H-20.
Flying wing configurations lack vertical tails, making it difficult to correct yaw or longitudinal oscillations, leading to large turn radii and challenging control. Adding variable tails increases complexity significantly, requiring the development of actuation systems and related structures, and considering the aerodynamic changes during tail deflection. Using unmanned flying wing configurations for preliminary technical trials is an excellent approach, explaining the explosive growth of Chinese stealth UAVs. The dissemination of technology allows for a hundred flowers to bloom and a hundred schools of thought to contend, facilitating the selection of optimal solutions and laying a solid foundation for manned flying wing layouts.