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[quote]The exact origin of the photographs is unclear, although they appear to have been taken by Chinese enthusiasts from the grounds of or around the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute in western China,

where the J-20 is in development. A few experts have suggested that the pictured aircraft is a mock-up, rather than a functioning prototype of a stealth fighter

[quote]Chinese J-20 Stealth Fighter In Taxi Tests

Jan 3, 2011 
By Bill Sweetman
Washington

China

Was just about to post http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12125566

If the "F-22 stop production" thread was not locked this is were you could quote Mr Gates on 2 things: Russia would not have a new flying plane before 2015(proven wrong), and China would not have a plane before 2020(so far proven wrong).

Boeing did a few months of Taxi test with the 787 before it flew. And seeing how China's Air Force is not asking for a large people carrier, this should be in flight test pretty soon, if they manged to keep it secret this long.

If the "F-22 stop production" thread was not locked this is were you could quote Mr Gates on 2 things: Russia would not have a new flying plane before 2015(proven wrong), and China would not have a plane before 2020(so far proven wrong).

Boeing did a few months of Taxi test with the 787 before it flew. And seeing how China's Air Force is not asking for a large people carrier, this should be in flight test pretty soon, if they manged to keep it secret this long.

To be fair, the russian equivilent is not expected for delivery till 2013/14 at the earliest, and thats been in the works for a while.
It takes a surprisingly long time for a plane to go from airbourne testbed to fully functional fighter. This one appears to be a clone of the new russian stealth fighter with a little bigger engines.

Yeah but he said we would not see one flying until 2015 at the earliest, and was predicting much latter then that before we actually saw what we know now as the T-50.

And with this new PLAAF fighter on the Horizon, you can see why Japan was insistent on buying the F-22 to patrol their waters, and was willing to pay twice the going price to get it ASAP.

But back to the J-20, I can't wait for footage to leak out of it flying, since they say it is about the size of an F-111. It must be impressive looking when it does fly, and since they opted for 3D Thrust Vectoring over rear stealth, it must turn like the Su-35S does.

I'm interested in how stealthy it actually is. Having something shaped to be stealthy is all well and good, but it's the RAM coating that actually makes something stealthy, and that requires very specific and very secret formulas, not to mention the difficult manufacturing. This plane might not have RAM paint.

With a number of Chinese espionage cases happening in the States in the last couple of years it wouldn't surprise me if they've "acquired" the receipes

Months away from a test flight... yeah right
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12159571

Well it has been months since the taxi tests....at least on planet Mercury.

Months away from a test flight... yeah right
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12159571

I just read and was both amazed and laughed a little. It shows once again what happens when you underestimate the determined.

This kinda reminds me of how during WWII Allied Intelligences was lacking on the Axis:
-They failed to noticed the Bismark being built until it was put to sea.
-They failed to noticed the Yamato being built until it was caught doing sea trills.
-And they had no idea Russia had the IS-3 Tank until the Allied Victory Parade in Berlin in September 1945   

But a Top Admiral has the same concerns also:
[quote] What China's Stealth Fighter Means
By David Fulghum, Bill Sweetman, Robert Wall
Washington, Washington, London

With the surprise rollout and high-speed taxi tests of China

[quote]Stealthy Chinese J-20 Vulnerable

By David A. Fulghum, Bill Sweetman, Bradley Perrett, Robert Wall Washington, Washington, Beijing, London

China

You couldn't make it up, not even Craig Thomas could have come up with this as a storyline!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12266973

That's funny that that happened, for any other plane downed behind enemy lines, it is blown up as soon as possible be friendly forces, but for some reason they chose not to blow up the F-117A that day....kinda makes you wonder?

But all this talk of how RAM is hard to make, just recently I was watching the History Channel, and they had story about the flying wing, and stealth on, and it turns out that the German"s were the first to have a crude RAM on top of their flying wing back in 1942, called the H-O9, then the H-0229 built out of wood, and coated with the first ram.

excerpt from the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPU8dxUhkus
*this video has the part about the RAM cut out**