Chinese J20 pilot defects to the US

Holy smokes! Seems the US has its hands on the new J20 stealth fighter from China. Word is the pilot defected to Okinawa and was then flown to the US.

www.thesun.ie...

a reply to: lakenheath24

The source your post mentions indicates it is a mock-up.



Cheers

a reply to: lakenheath24

Just don't let the Canadians get their hands on it (no offense to our sane brothers and sisters in the North Country).

Trudeau is likely to send it back to the CPP, gift wrapped, with an apology letter.

a reply to: lakenheath24

Interesting that the military responded and called it a mock up...not like they wouldn't lie...but if they wanted to cover it up or not let it be public, then why fly it into Georgia for folks to see?

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: lakenheath24

The source your post mentions indicates it is a mock-up.

Cheers

Also, now that I look closer, the article is dated December 2018.

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

My source says thats a lie.

originally posted by: RickyD
a reply to: lakenheath24

Interesting that the military responded and called it a mock up...not like they wouldn't lie...but if they wanted to cover it up or not let it be public, then why fly it into Georgia for folks to see?

This is exactly what I was thinking ^^^.

I don't trust the top level brass as far as I can throw them.

I'm guessing that what might've happened is, if it was indeed a defection, a SNAFU occurred where it was allowed to be flown in to visibly accessible air strip, it was seen, and now the brass had to invent some cover story for why a Chinese jet fighter was sitting in Georgia.

I wonder if full scale replica/mock-ups like this are really done that often in modern combat aviation training? Maybe Zaphod knows if this is a thing. It just seems fishy, if most engagement now are OTH/long distance, then why bother building something that looks like the real thing, unless you're trying to assess what its radar signature looks like or something. Even then, why bother putting a red star on the vertical stabilizers? Also, as I saw at the installation in the hills outside my home town, if you want to get good cross-section testing, they way they used to do it was mount it on a pillar, upside down, and test it that way. So if it's a mock up for RCS testing, I would figure it would likely not be be flight operational, and get hauled around (under a big tarp) to test facilities by large tractor trailer.

Only way to really debunk or confirmation would be to find the alleged defecting pilot, and if he doesn't exist, then maybe the AF is really speaking honestly.

a reply to: RickyD

Thats not Georgia. Its Okinawa. Allegedly.

a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened


Where would they get the dimensions to mock it up? And why bother?

a reply to: lakenheath24

From 2018

a reply to: OccamsRazor04


So? Does this make it less true?

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened


Where would they get the dimensions to mock it up? And why bother?

For RCS testing, but as mentioned, and I have seen the way it's done or at least how it used to be done, is using a non-flight ready craft that gets moved around on a truck. The fact that this is seemingly flight worthy, sitting on a tarmac, kind of makes me question that story.

In other words, I'm not fully buying the "mockup for testing" story, but Zaphod or a similar SME would maybe know better than I.

a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened

RCS testing is about the coating as much as the angles.

This is a real jet man. Total score for the good guys. And payback for Chinas thievery.

What viruses were placed in the cockpit? I hope they disinfected it well before bringing it over.

a reply to: lakenheath24

If true this will be rather interesting.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened

RCS testing is about the coating as much as the angles.

This is a real jet man. Total score for the good guys. And payback for Chinas thievery.

Hey man, I hope you're right.

Maybe there's an easy way to settle it. I can try an image processing app and zoom in really close in the pic. Do you think the "Made in China" emblem gets imprinted even on military hardware over there?

Then again, knowing our dysfunction, maybe the "Made in China" is still there for a mockup, and General Miley just asked his Chinese contacts nicely for some special order parts, on the DL.

a reply to: lakenheath24

Makes it not news.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
a reply to: lakenheath24

Makes it not news.

Having seen the timestamp myself, I respectively disagree.

I would term it "old news", but still interesting point of discussion.

The PLAAF likely screens all pilots for political reliability.

I tend to believe the official explanation on this. It's a mock-up, probably for identification purposes.

A defecting Chinese pilot with their most advanced combat aircraft would be major news, since they would be unlikely to fly straight to the US. Would probably go to Taiwan or South Korea or somewhere like that.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Ahhh, so the Japanese attacking Pear Harbor isn't news cuz it happened 81 years ago?