There’s a certain corner of Western commentary that insists China’s design philosophy boils down to: take a single‑engine fighter, make it twin‑engine, and call it a day. Yes, I’m looking at you, F‑35 vs. J‑35 discourse.
And now, judging from the latest photos circulating on the Chinese internet, it seems the same logic has been lovingly applied to the XP‑55 Ascender. Borrow the concept, double the engines, mission accomplished. I’m telling you…
The original XP‑55’s rear‑mounted pusher engine wasn’t just an eccentric flourish. Moving the propeller behind the pilot gave a clean, wide forward view, and freed up the entire nose for concentrated firepower therefore tighter shot grouping, simpler harmonization, the whole package. Strange design, sure, but hardly a foolish one.
So did China finally dig up something in the archives worth “borrowing”? Maybe. Or maybe it’s coincidence, inspiration, or just engineers entertaining themselves with unconventional layouts.
As always, there’s no way to know for sure right now but it’s definitely entertaining to watch as more details of this program surface.
Outside of this little oddity, it’s been a very quiet day for China‑watchers, the kind of quiet where everything else seems to have "quietly slipped under the water".
Source of the Curtiss‑Wright XP‑55 Ascender (wiki)
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