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Foreign media note changes on what appears to be 2nd prototype of China's alleged sixth-gen fighter jet; Chinese expert infers development progress

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Liang Rui Published: Oct 29, 2025 01:06 AM

After images showing what appears to be the second prototype of China's alleged sixth-generation fighter jet, dubbed the "ginkgo leaf," started to circulate online, foreign media noted several structural changes to the aircraft design compared with the one that was first spotted in December 2024. A Chinese aviation expert said on Tuesday that the alleged second prototype, if authentic, indicates good progress in the aircraft development.

Citing the images, the authenticity of which remains unverified, Italy-based specialist media outlet the Aviationist identified the aircraft potentially as the second prototype of the J-36 heavy fighter. The J-36 is an unconfirmed designation that military enthusiasts have given to the aircraft, which is also dubbed by some others as the "ginkgo leaf" sixth-generation fighter jet.

The Aviationist said in a report on Tuesday that the photos of the second prototype come just over 10 months after the first, whose images started circulating on December 26, 2024.

The second airframe seems to retain the core configuration of its predecessor, such as the extensive control surfaces on the aft of its fuselage and its signature three engines, while introducing several notable refinements ranging from intake geometry to landing gear configuration, according to the Aviationist report.

Another foreign aviation news outlet, Air Data News, claimed in a report on Tuesday that the evolution seen in the second aircraft may indicate that its manufacturer is close to the final production design.

Reiterating that the current information remains unconfirmed speculation, Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Tuesday that in advanced aircraft development, it is normal for rapid iterations and improvements to occur before the aircraft enters service.

Changes could be made to the prototypes based on previous test data before reaching a final version that meets all requirements, Wang said, noting that some analysts also believe that there could be multiple versions with different designs, potentially forming a family of aircraft.

China has not announced the development of the alleged new aircraft, but there have been some hints.

As early as 2022, during that year's Airshow China held in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China displayed a concept model of a next-generation fighter jet, which had a tailless design similar to the "ginkgo leaf" aircraft.

On January 1, a music video released by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command featured a scene showing a ginkgo leaf and a bird. This triggered netizens' associations to the alleged debuts of China's sixth-generation fighter jets that had been circulating on social media at the time.

If the alleged second prototype proves to be authentic, it could be an indication that the development of the aircraft is making good and stable progress, Wang said.