The Chengdu J-36 is a speculative designation given by military analysts to a trijet tailless diamond-double-delta winged aircraft under development by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC). As part of China's sixth-generation aircraft development program, the heavy stealth aircraft is envisioned for multiple mission set, including air superiority, strike, interception and command and control of aircraft teaming operations.

On December 26th, 2024, an aircraft believed to be a J-36 was spotted conducting test flights in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Since the aircraft's serial number (36011) begins with '36,' following the People's Liberation Army Air Force convention, this model was presumably designated as J-36.

The prototype is a trijet tailless flying wing aircraft with a voluminous, blended, diamond-like double delta wing configuration, optimized for transonic and supersonic flight. The wings have a leading-edge kink, resulting in two sweep angles. The fighter is large in size, with a thin and wide nose area, cockpit with side-by-side seating and chine lines extending to the wing section. Behind the nose radome are the electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) windows, tinted canopy, possible side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) arrays, dual-wheel nose landing gear, two under-wing caret inlets, one dorsal intake with diverterless supersonic inlet, double delta wings with one leading-edge extension (LRX) and five trailing edge control surfaces on each wing (including two split flap rudders at outboard wing edges), multiple ventral weapons bays, two sets of tandem-wheel aft landing gear, absence of vertical stabilizer, and trijet engine bays with exhaust troughs and segmented articulation surfaces.

The aircraft's shape emphasizes stealth and supersonic flight. The stretched diamond double-delta wing provides reduced transonic and supersonic drag. The dorsal intake allows increased internal volume and shields its infrared signature. The engine exhaust petals are recessed in trenches, sitting inward of a deck structure located atop the upper trailing edge. This arrangement helps to block radar and infrared (IR) signature. The aircraft control hinge lines appear to be covered in flexible skins. Compartment doors are serrated and aligned. All sensors are flush with the fuselage, including the EOTS sit between the radome and canopy, a departure from existing stealth designs. The chine line and cranked wings are connected and continuous, without any tails surfaces, canards, and strakes present, thus providing the foundation for the all-aspect broadband stealth capabilities.

The aircraft's powerplants were unknown, including the identities, arrangement, and possible differences of the three engines mounted. The wing sweep angles indicate aerodynamic optimization toward supercruise. The primary weapons bay has an approximate length of 7.6 m (25 ft), apparently capable of housing PL-17 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles or large air-to-surface munitions, flanked by two smaller bays.

The overall aircraft design is speculated to emphasize all-aspect broadband stealth, high speed, long endurance, high payload capacity, large power generation, and multispectral situational awareness.

Pictured here is a 1:100 scale replica of a Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-36 deep strike aircraft then undergoing testing at the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, located at Chengdu, Sichuan, China, during December 2024. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 8-inches
Wingspan: 8-inches

Release Date: December 2025

Historical Account: "March Madness" - On March 17th, 2025, images and videos emerged on Chinese social media of the second public test flight of the J-36 prototype, without the chase aircraft. The new imagery provided additional details, confirming earlier observations on the prototype's trijet configuration with afterburners, dorsal intake with the diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI), streamlined cockpit canopy, and split ruddervons on the outer trailing edges of each wing.

On April 7th, 2025, the aircraft was captured in close-up imagery. Geolocation showed the aircraft was landing at the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation test facility, featuring a dedicated aircraft shelter for the J-36. On April 21st, 2025, the aircraft was seen performing maneuvers. On April 23rd, 2025, the aircraft was captured in a rear aspect view, displaying details such as engine exhausts sit inside of the trailing edge, and a cockpit that possibly features side-by-side seating for two pilots.

Multiple flight testing continued in May and June 2025, with more detailed photographs emerging. The aircraft was confirmed to have a broad nose with large electro-optical aperture windows on the side, trapezoidal dorsal and lower air intakes, a raised access panel (or air brake) behind the dorsal intake, three weapons bays with a larger one in the middle and two smaller ones flanked on each side, and a cockpit with a side-by-side seating arrangement, with each pilot featuring their own head-up display (HUD).