China should draw a lesson from downing of US drone, expert says
- ‘Flying wing’ design could make aircraft more stealthy and improve manoeuvrability, according to aeronautics expert
- An American spy drone is said to have collided with a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea in March
China’s next-generation drones could adopt a “flying wing design” to make them stealthier, a Chinese aeronautics expert said after a US drone collided with a Russian fighter and crashed into the Black Sea.
Wang Zhengping, a professor with the aeronautics department at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xian, told Chinese military magazine Ordnance Industry Science Technology last month that the flying wing would help reduce the risk of collisions by increasing its speed and manoeuvrability significantly.
This design also makes it easier to add stealth capacity, which may also help avoid accidents.
The fixed wing design, which is seen as more efficient than conventional layouts, had no definite fuselage and no tail – instead the wings and fuselage are combined together in one structure.
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Pentagon releases footage showing Russian fighter jet intercepting US drone
“From the perspective of aerodynamics, a flying wing layout could give the aircraft the highest flight efficiency, which would then bring a high level of manoeuvrability,” Wang told the magazine.
