Supersonic Delta

This photograph of a new Chinese fighter scares me and reminds me of happy days of my childhood spent climbing on an actual decommissioned fighter in Wheaton Regional Park. I promise you there is a serious connection.

The new Chinese 6th generation fighter is supersonic, has a delta wing and has no tail. The last point is very important because planes with tails can’t be really stealthy – the tail reflects relatively long wavelength radar of the type used during world war II. This shows the approximate location of the plane (if it is say an F35).

However, a delta winged supersonic planes are extremely unstable. I think it is not possible for a human being to control it. This did not prevent the US defence department from building one in the 60s. I think they even planned to fly it from aircraft carriers (just kill me now said the pilots).

The planes were worthless and were decommissioned. One had the engines removed (leaving cool pods with smooth tunnels through which one could crawl) and was sent to Wheton regional park. A slide was added. I could climb up stairs, get in the cockpit (with joystick) and then slide down. It is military spending which I really liked with no ambivilance.

The new equipment at the park is just not up to the same level.

I remember a strange thing about the plane – the fuselage became very very thin as the delta wing got wider and wider – the area of the cross section of the plane remained constant as the fuselarge became basically just a solid spine. That is supersonic design.

Now, it is assumed, that the Chinese pilots are not all about to crash and that the plane has a electronic digital control system which reacts faster than any human and keeps the plane from crashing (as an aside I will *not* call everything which has anything to do with computers “artifricial intelligence”).

I fear that the new plane will actually be stealthy (like a B2) and will make a difference. I also fondly remember the delta winged supersonic white elephant.