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The Star
12-06-2025
- The Star
What do we know so far about China's advanced J-36 and J-50 fighter jets?
China's two next generation stealth fighter jets – known as the Chengdu J-36 and the Shenyang J-50 – stunned the world when they seemingly emerged out of nowhere on December 26 last year. Over the past six months, more sightings and the resulting images and witness reports have given us an increasing amount of detail about the two advanced and yet mysterious aircraft. Here is what we know about them so far – as well as some of what we do not. Chengdu J-36 Also nicknamed the 'Gingko leaf' because of its shape, the name of this aircraft, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC), has never been officially disclosed. It is known as the J-36 because of the serial number '36011' that was painted on the prototype jet in the first images – similar to the initial J-20, which bore the number '2001'. The J-36's distinctive diamond shape derives from its delta wing platform design, which could greatly reduce air drag when the plane is cruising at high speed. The aircraft is also distinctively tailless – essential for radar evasion. Other unique aerodynamic features include trailing edge control surfaces per wing and split flaps close to the wingtips. These configurations further streamline the airframe while making up for the loss of manoeuvrability. The J-36 is powered by an unorthodox three engines, which are believed to be the same WS-10C Taihang that is used in the J-20. They could also be upgraded to the WS-10 thrust-vectoring version or the more advanced and powerful WS-15 Emei. The engines also use different inlets, with the one on the dorsal featuring a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) air intake with a compression bump. The two ventral engines use Caret inlets that have adjustable ramps to ensure high-speed performance. The trio of engine exhausts is arranged in a petal design – similar to the United States' experimental YF-23 aircraft in the 1980s – which is said to provide better management of airflow temperature while reducing infrared observability. Most of the J-36's unusual design features are aimed at improving stealth, suggesting the aircraft has also been equipped with a considerable capability upgrade against radar and electro-optic detection in all directions compared to fifth-generation fighters. In its first appearance, the J-36 was accompanied by a J-20S chase plane, providing clues about its size. Based on the images from that day, the aircraft is at least as long as the 21-metre (65.6 feet) J-20, if not slightly longer, but almost double its 3-metre (9.84 feet) wingspan. The estimated size of the J-36 serves as a baseline for conjecture about its other specifications, such as its empty weight, take-off weight, speed, fuel capacity, combat range, armament capacity, and so on. The only thing we can say for sure is that this plane is significantly larger than the heavyweight fifth-gen J-20 fighter, which would allow abundant space for more armaments as well as radar and other advanced avionics. This has led to some speculation about whether the J-36 is more of a bomber. For the sake of its stealth profile, the aircraft's weapon bays are hidden, with one popular theory suggesting that its firepower could greatly exceed the J-20. According to this theory, the J-36 has one main bay in the fuselage belly that can carry up to six or eight long-range missiles, as well as two side bays, each capable of holding two smaller missiles. Another guess is that the J-36's cockpit might be twin-seated with a side-by-side seat arrangement. This has not been confirmed by clearer images, but if true, could be intended for better drone control. Shenyang J-50 There have been fewer close-up eyewitness reports about the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) fighter compared to its Chengdu counterpart. As another tailless stealth fighter, the smaller J-50 has a number of similar aerodynamic features, including movable wingtip control surfaces to enhance stability and manoeuvrability. The J-50 has a lambda wing platform design – a shape that has been compared to a brown needletail, a large swift that gets its name from the spined ends of its tail – a conventional structure in stealth fighters that stabilises flight while reducing the radar cross-section. It is powered by two engines – possibly thrust-vectoring WS-10B/C types that would provide stronger manoeuvrability – with sophisticated DSI inlets to increase the aircraft's stealth. The J-50's size can also be estimated, thanks to its appearance alongside a J-16 in the available images. These show that it is almost the same length as a J-16 but with a wider wingspan. Because it is not as big as the J-36, there has been speculation that the J-50 could be fitted for aircraft carriers. Two symmetrical weapon bays under the fuselage are believed to be large enough for the PL-17, China's most powerful long-range air-to-air missile. Neither the Chinese military nor the two developers CAIC and SAC have made any remarks about the two aircraft, so the timetable for their development and expected service time – as well as how many are planned – is absolutely unknown. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
South China Morning Post
10-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
What do we know so far about China's advanced J-36 and J-50 fighter jets?
China's two next generation stealth fighter jets – known as the Chengdu J-36 and the Shenyang J-50 – stunned the world when they seemingly emerged out of nowhere on December 26 last year. Advertisement Over the past six months, more sightings and the resulting images and witness reports have given us an increasing amount of detail about the two advanced and yet mysterious aircraft. Here is what we know about them so far – as well as some of what we do not. 01:09 New Chinese fighter jet seen over Chengdu tacitly confirmed by military New Chinese fighter jet seen over Chengdu tacitly confirmed by military Chengdu J-36 Also nicknamed the 'Gingko leaf' because of its shape, the name of this aircraft, developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC), has never been officially disclosed. It is known as the J-36 because of the serial number '36011' that was painted on the prototype jet in the first images – similar to the initial J-20 , which bore the number '2001'. The J-36's distinctive diamond shape derives from its delta wing platform design, which could greatly reduce air drag when the plane is cruising at high speed. The aircraft is also distinctively tailless – essential for radar evasion. Advertisement Other unique aerodynamic features include trailing edge control surfaces per wing and split flaps close to the wingtips. These configurations further streamline the airframe while making up for the loss of manoeuvrability.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
22 People Died In Avalanches This Year—Here's What Happened
According to Dullin, McQuinn & Young, an average of 22.5 Americans die from avalanche-related causes each the Winter of 24/25, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) recorded 22 avalanche-related fatalities. These accidents included backcountry skiers and snowboarders, snowmobilers, snowbikers, and a ski first fatality occurred on December 15, 2024 and the most recent occurred on March 22, 2025. Avalanche fatalities occurred in the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and reading for a short summary of each avalanche fatality in chronological order. was used as the primary resource for this to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates. Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowbikerTrigger: Unintentional releaseSize: D2Details: An avalanche broke under a hard wind slab that was triggered by the riders descending a steep slope. The avalanche broke 2-3 feet deep and 240 feet wide. It ran 120 vertical feet. Both riders were caught and carried. Rider 1 did not Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 4Fatalities: 1User Type: Snow bikersTrigger: Unintentional releaseSize: D2Details: An avalanche released above Riders 1 and 2 during a snow bike outing in the Ruby Mountains. The avalanche was "several feet deep" and approximately 90 feet wide. Confusion around proper avalanche beacon usage delayed the Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski TourerTrigger: UnknownSize: D2Details: A solo skier was found days after the accident when his dog was found by fellow backcountry skiers. Avalanche danger was HIGH across the state of Utah and the skier was recreating alone. Since the incident wasn't observed, little is known about its cause. The Utah Avalanche Center believes a soft slab failed on a persistent weak layer. The debris was 1-2 feet deep and 70 feet Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: SplitboarderTrigger: UnknownSize: D2Details: A solo splitboarder was buried 20 feet deep by a large avalanche. The victim was recreating alone and details related to the trigger cause are scarce. The avalanche was 300 feet wide and ran for 400 vertical feet down the slope. Full Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 4Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski TourerTrigger: RemoteSize: D2Details: A group of four triggered a large avalanche that carried two skiers and killed one. The avalanche was remotely triggered from below due to a persistent weak layer. The avalanche crown propagated 350 feet uphill and spread 400 feet across. Debris ranged from one to four feet thick. One skier did not survive his Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski TourerTrigger: UnintentionalSize: D2Details: Skier 1 was recreating by himself and missed a check-in with his spouse on the day of the accident. The spouse notified the Ouray County Sheriff and snowshoed to the slope the skier intended to ski. After spotting avalanche debris, the spouse initiated a transceiver search and located a signal. Skier 1 was caught, buried, and killed by an avalanche that was 45 feet wide and ran for 122 vertical Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowmobilersTrigger: SnowmobileSize: D2Details: Two snowmobilers were recreating near Powder Mountain, Utah when a large avalanche was released on a wind slab. One of the two riders was caught, buried, and killed by the slide. Neither snowmobiler was carrying an avalanche beacon. An avalanche rescue dog from Power Mountain assisted in locating the victim's Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourersTrigger: UnintentionalSize: N/ADetails: A ski guide and his client were caught in a large avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The client is believed to have triggered the avalanche after following the guide's instructions to follow him down a 35-40 degree slope. The client was badly injured in the slide but survived. The guide was caught, buried, and killed by the slide. The avalanche was a soft slab that was roughly 2 feet Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski patrolTrigger: N/ASize: N/ADetails: Two ski patrollers were conducting avalanche mitigation at Mammoth Mountain following a storm that dumped six feet of snow in 36 hours. Both patrollers were buried by the slide. One was uninjured. The other passed away from her Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 2User Type: Ski tourersTrigger: UnknownSize: D2Details: Two skiers were buried and killed by a Size 2 storm slab. There were no witnesses to the slide, but experts believe the pair triggered the avalanche while skinning uphill. Authorities were alerted by friends and neighbors to conduct a search and rescue effort after the pair did not return Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourerTrigger: UnknownSize: N/ADetails: A solo skier was caught, buried, and killed by a persistent slab avalanche that he triggered near South Lake Tahoe. The skier was carrying all of the recommend avalanche safety gear, but did not manage to deploy his airbag. He was found buried under 4.5 feet of avalanche debris by friends. The slide ran for 650 vertical feet and had two crowns. Slope angles ranged from 38 to 40 Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 2Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourersTrigger: UnintentionalSize: 2.5Details: Two skiers were staying at a backcountry hut near Ophir Pass. Skier 1 was a 40-year-old male. Rider 2 was a 41-year-old female. The pair elected to ascend and ski a steeper slope after taking safer laps on lower terrain. Skier 1 triggered an avalanche almost immediately after descending the slope. He was able to escape to the skier's right but Rider 2 was caught, buried, and killed. The avalanche was a soft slab with a crown that was 2-3 feet deep and spread up to 1,300 feet wide. It ran 1,400 vertical Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Pow SurferTrigger: UnintentionalSize: 2.5Details: A lone pow surfer (snowboarding without bindings) was recreating by himself bear Berthoud Pass. The rider is believed to have triggered a large avalanche above trees and rocks. It carried him 400 vertical feet and was approximately 550 feet wide. Debris were measured to be over seven feet Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 3Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowmobilersTrigger: SnowmobileSize: 2.5Details: Three riders triggered a large slab avalanche while riding the same slope. Two riders were caught and carried. One rider was full buried and killed. The final rider was partially buried and injured. Details are sparse at this time about the full Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 3Fatalities: 3User Type: Heli-SkiersTrigger: N/ASize: N/ADetails: Three clients from a Girdwood, Alaska based heli ski operation were caught, buried, and killed by a massive avalanche during a guided tour. The skiers were buried by 40-100 feet of avalanche debris. Their bodies were unable to be recovered due to the depth of the Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: Ski tourerTrigger: UnintentionalSize: N/ADetails: A solo skier was reported missing after not returning home from his planned ski tour route. The overdue skier was found the day following the incident due to hazardous weather conditions that prevented Search & Rescue teams from reaching the area. The avalanche was 150 feet wide and ran 1,000 vertical Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 13Fatalities: 1User Type: Backcountry guided cat skiingTrigger: SkierSize: D2Details: A commercially-guided cat skiing operation of three guides and 10 guests were involved in a D2 storm slab on a steep slope. It is believed that the 7th rider to descend the slope triggered the slide. The avalanche was two feet deep, 200 feet wide, and ran for 700 vertical feet. Five of the six riders who had previously descended the slope were caught by the slide. One was completely buried and killed. Full Accident Summary: Here Number of Persons Involved: 1Fatalities: 1User Type: SnowmobilerTrigger: Snowmobile/UnintentionalSize: D3Details: A lone snowmobiler triggered an avalanche in a popular zone. The rider was caught, buried, and killed by the avalanche. Other snowmobilers responded quickly, but the rider was deceased. The avalanche crown was two to three feet deep and 500 feet wide. The rider was buried by more than 10 feet of debris. The avalanche failed on layer of deep surface Accident Summary: Here Avalanche deaths happen every season. Learning from them is a valuable practice for backcountry skiers, snowboarder, and snowmobilers to decrease their likelihood of being involved in a similar the 22 avalanche deaths that occurred in the United States this year, seven of the victims were recreating alone. Please consider always traveling in the backcountry with a friend, knowing before you go, and pack the gear— beacon, shovel, probe.22 People Died In Avalanches This Year—Here's What Happened first appeared on Powder on Jun 6, 2025
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
After Avalanche, Forecasters Urge Caution in Colorado Backcountry
Spring has arrived and the backcountry beckons, but the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), after an accident north of Ophir, still wants skiers to think about avalanche May 29, a skier was caught by an avalanche in Gold King Basin, Colorado, according to an accident report. They and their partner, a snowboarder, had begun descending an east-oriented face. First, the snowboarder rode downhill. Then, the skier followed, triggering a wet loose avalanche. Thankfully, the incident ended without injury. The skier quickly freed themself from the avalanche's path, avoiding being dragged through rocks. But the avalanche did carry a timely reminder.'Just because it's nearly June doesn't mean avalanche season is over,' the CAIC wrote in a recent social media update. 'We refer to avalanche years—not seasons—because avalanches can happen any time of year where there's snow on steep slopes.'Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates. The CAIC recommended that backcountry travelers begin and end their days early. As the sun melts the snow, the risk of wet loose avalanches can CAIC also wrote that skiers and snowboarders should move off steep slopes whenever there's a rain-on-snow event, track overnight temperatures, and favor areas with deeper across the CAIC's forecast regions throughout Colorado, the avalanche danger is to the CAIC's forecast discussion, a significant number of the recently reported avalanches across Colorado have been small, wet slides. The avalanches mostly haven't been large enough to bury a skier or snowboarder, but they could sweep someone off their feet, which could be a problem, depending on the terrain hazards. As the lift-accessed ski season winds down in Colorado and elsewhere, the backcountry is becoming the only place skiers and snowboarders can continue chasing those who'd prefer to ski while avoiding the risk of slides, though, a few options still remain. Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, plans to remain open until June 8, making it the state's latest open ski area. In California, Mammoth Mountain intends to spin the lifts through June 15. Timberline Lodge, Oregon, as is tradition, will stay open deep into the warmer months. And, in Wyoming, near the Montana border, North America's only ski area that exclusively operates in the summer, Beartooth Basin, is just starting its Avalanche, Forecasters Urge Caution in Colorado Backcountry first appeared on Powder on May 30, 2025
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Business Standard
21-04-2025
- Business Standard
China steps up testing of sixth-gen stealth fighters amid tensions with US
China appears to be accelerating test flights of its next-generation stealth aircraft, with new videos and images of two advanced fighter jets emerging on Chinese social media platforms in recent weeks, as reported by The South China Morning Post. The increased activity coincides with rising geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington. Unofficially referred to as the J-36 and J-50, the aircraft were spotted near the headquarters of their respective developers — Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC) in Sichuan and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) in Liaoning. The visuals were widely shared on platforms such as Weibo and Douyin. Footage reportedly filmed in early April shows the CAIC-developed J-36 conducting sharp aerial manoeuvres over Chengdu. The aircraft's distinctive ginkgo leaf-like wing shape, small trailing edge flaps, and delta configuration suggest a focus on extreme agility and advanced flight control. One video, allegedly shot by a motorist near the CAIC airfield, showed the jet flying at low altitude over a highway as it prepared to land, with its unique dorsal inlet and three exhaust nozzles clearly visible. Meanwhile, the SAC-developed J-50 reappeared in clearer detail in early April. A photo taken on April 4, followed by flight videos dated April 8 and 16, were posted online by aviation enthusiasts. These visuals captured the J-50's lambda wing platform, articulated wingtips, and side weapon bays. Observers also noted its refined diverterless supersonic inlet design, which blends smoothly with the aircraft's fuselage and enhances stealth. J-36, J-50 features Both jets feature tailless airframes, which are considered a hallmark of sixth-generation stealth fighters and contribute to radar evasion. The two aircraft were first seen in December 2023, but these recent visuals offer the clearest look yet at China's most advanced combat aircraft in development. While Chinese authorities have not officially confirmed the existence of either fighter, the repeated sightings and analysis by open-source intelligence communities suggest that China is making significant strides in military aviation. US pushes forward with sixth-gen fighter programme The developments come as the United States moves forward with its own sixth-generation fighter programmes, including the F-47 for the Air Force, which US President Donald Trump said has been undergoing secret testing for several years. On March 21, US President Trump awarded Boeing a contract to build what is expected to be the Air Force's most advanced fighter to date, an announcement that surprised many. However, details regarding its specifications, capabilities, and operational role remain under wraps, leaving many in the defence community speculating about its design and potential impact on modern warfare. The unveiling of the F-47 project is part of the broader US strategy to maintain a technological edge in the ongoing military aviation arms race.
