Some early available renderings of “images” of Boeing’s new stealth fighter show two semi-circular “canards”
By Kris Osborn, President Warrior
The emerging and still somewhat mysterious 6th-gen Next-Generation Air Dominance jet will continue to evolve over the course of coming years, and there are still many more questions than there are answers. Some early available renderings of “images” of Boeing’s new stealth fighter show two semi-circular “canards” placed on each side of the fuselage, small forward wings placed in front of the aircraft’s larger wings. It is not surprising that the apparent existence of such canards is generating endless speculation and analysis, as they introduce impactful aerodynamic questions. What are they intended to accomplish? Do they limit performance in any way? Some photos show slightly protruding mini forward "wings," yet others show shaped or rounded inlets more of a single-wing formation. Tough to know the exact design given the understandable secrecy surrounding the aircraft. Some of the front on views appears as though the aircraft may have small, rounded frontal "canards."
Essentially, canards can add stability to flight trajectory by introducing more “lift” toward upper parts of the fuselage by directing airflow and, scientists explain, enabling greater maneuverability at slower speeds. However, by themselves, small protruding canard structures do not necessarily limit speed and can increase agility. The F-35 and F-22 do not have canards, and neither do Russia’s Su-57 or China’s J-35, but the People’s Liberation Army J-20 5th-gen stealth fighter does have canards.
J-20 Canards
Interestingly, the J-20s canards are much larger than those seen on the Boeing image, something of great significance given that protruding structures can increase radar signature and increase drag. While canards can increase drag, the extent to which this happens largely depends upon their placement and size. This seems quite significant, as the canards on the PLA AF’s J-20 are much larger than the small canards visible on the available image of the F-47. It might make sense that the canards are added to the F-47 to support its air-to-air combat maneuverability, particularly given that the frame of the NGAD does not appear to have any fins or vertical structures typically used to better enable high-speed vectoring.
With small canards increasing stability and agility, the F-47 might be engineered for air-to-air combat dominance and high-speed maneuverability. The intent here would make much sense, because although the absence of fins and tails might greatly increase “stealth,” it could potentially limit maneuverability. This speaks to the very essence of the kind of breakthrough the F-47 seems to present, as it appears engineers may have uncovered a way to bring stealth to the next-level without compromising agility and the ability to vector and dogfight at top speeds. The canards can help the aircraft maintain stability while maneuvering at high-speeds.
Canards & Stealth
What about canards and stealth? It might seem that angular protruding structures of any kind would likely increase the radar signature of an aircraft and therefore decrease its stealth effectiveness. This would certainly seem to be the situation in the case of the J-20 wherein forward cards are large and angular. The canards visible on the F-47, however, appear smaller, rounded and circular in a way that appears to “blend” into the fuselage more seamlessly. The smooth configuration of the F-47s canards could be designed to bring the stabilizing advantage of canards without compromising stealth.
An interesting essay in Bulgarianmilitary.com suggests that perhaps the canard signals an effort to prioritize speed over stealth? Clearly the question involves difficult balancing among different variables and “tradeoffs” in some cases, yet it appears the canards visible on the F-47 appear “blended” and may not necessarily decrease stealth effectiveness or increase its radar signature. Large canards, such as those on the J-20, seem much more likely to decrease stealth effectiveness.
Boeing’s vice president of advanced aircraft programs, Linda Harrow, is quoted in the Bulgarianmilitary.com addressing this question of balance. “We’re building an aircraft that will meet the Air Force’s needs for decades, blending cutting-edge stealth with unmatched performance,” she said.
Kris Osborn is Military Technology Editor of 1945 and the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University