TheTechno Optimist.

J-36Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (AVIC)—Second J-36 prototype appears with thrust-vectoring nozzles, new intakes and new landing gearJ-36Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (AVIC)—PLA releases first official footage of the J-36, calling it the 'Little Six'J-36Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (AVIC)—Third J-36 prototype makes its first flight, a year after the first was spotted

Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (AVIC)

J-36 sixth-gen fighter, J-20, J-10

CNsubsidiaryest. 1958Checked 11 Oct

The brief

Analyst view
  • Its J-36, flown in public over Chengdu in December 2024, was the first sixth-generation-style fighter anyone had seen fly.
  • At least four, possibly five, J-36 prototypes have flown, with different nozzles, intakes and landing gear.
  • The PLA first showed the jet in an official video in June 2026, calling it the 'Little Six'.

Technical approach

As reported
Iterate in the air

Several prototypes with different designs

It flies multiple J-36 airframes with different nozzles, intakes and landing gear at once, as it did with the J-20, to settle the design faster.

Stealth

Tailless all-aspect stealth

The J-36 drops all tail fins, which reflect radar from the side, and relies on computer-controlled surfaces for stability.

Size

Big jet for long range

A large three-engine airframe holds more fuel and weapons internally, aimed at long patrols far over the western Pacific.

Primer