Recently, Japan Air Self-Defense Force held a new aviation festival, and the Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin experimental aircraft was among the displayed aircrafts. This time even its engine nozzles, which were originally mosaicized, were unveiled for taking pictures by the public.
The biggest feature of this experimental aircraft was to verify its vector nozzle technology. It is well known that with the fifth-generation aircrafts beginning to emphasize maneuverability, combat-based five-generation fighters like F-22 and Su-57 fighters are using vector nozzle technology. Through swing of their vector nozzles, plus aerodynamic structures, their maneuverability is greatly enhanced compared to traditional four-generation aircrafts.
However, according to Chinese analyst Gong Chengshi, it is surprising that X-2 Shinshin did not verify its binary vector nozzles like those on F22, nor the omnidirectional vector technology used by Russia. Instead, it’s using the oldest ternary baffle vector technology.
In fact, as early as the mid-1980s, the United States had already carried out ternary baffle vector technology, which has been more than 30 years since. The so-called baffle vector technology is to install a baffle plate made of heat-resistant material behind the engine nozzle, and movement of the baffle can change the direction of the jet to achieve vector maneuvering, which can actually be regarded as a gas vector. As the forerunner of vector nozzles, the advantage of the baffle vector is that it is light and easy to modify, but its disadvantages are extremely obvious – its thrust loss is extremely serious.
In terms of vector technology, China carried out relevant research in as early as late 1980s and developed an early verification vector engine for J-8II fighter, which accumulated a lot of technical experience in vector nozzles for China.
At Zhuhai Air Show 2018, J-10B vector verifier is equipped with the latest vector version of the Taihang series of engines, performing ultra-high aircraft technology, perfect interpretation of super-mobility, which is the first application of vector engine technology on a canard wing tailless fighter, which reflects China’s profound knowledge in vector technology.
Compared with the baffle vector of X-2 Shinshin, J-10B’s vector engine verifier uses the latest baffle vector in the omnidirectional vector, taking into account the jetting efficiency of the fighter gas and greatly reducing the weight of action mechanism. And its technical performance far exceeds the baffle vector used by X-2 Shinshin. Therefore, “in some respects, the vector technology adopted by J-10B fighter is 30 years ahead”, said Gong.
