Photos from the side of a jet surface on social media – with one big difference
Clear side-view photos, which emerged on Chinese social media on September 25, show a tailless fighter on a runway.
Chinese authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of the images.
One notable difference from earlier sightings is the absence of a nose-mounted air data boom, which had been visible in multiple test flights since the jet was first spotted flying in December.
The removal of the boom – a sensor used to collect precise information such as airspeed during test flights – could indicate an advancement in the programme, Chinese observers said.
