China’s 
second stealthy looking fighter design took off on its maiden flight from an airfield in northeastern China last week, according to international press reports. The black-painted Shenyang J-31 prototype flew for 11 minutes, during which its undercarriage remained in the landing configuration before touching down during the Oct. 31 sortie, reported AFP. The aircraft, alternately referred to as the F-60 or J-21, first appeared in photos leaked in June. It bears a strong external resemblance to the F-22. “The layout is similar, but the material and quality are inferior,” said Chinese military expert Andrei Chang in AFP’s report. The first flight came weeks ahead of current Chinese President Hu Jintao’s planned handover of power to his successor. “I think the regime is trying to show off . . . that the Hu Jintao regime achieved a lot for China,” added Chang.
With upgrades, F-16s can serve as a numbers-builder in the combat air forces until the 2040s, and it’s not necessary to launch its successor yet, program officials said at an industry conference. “We anticipate hundreds of F-16s in active service for decades to come,” meaning into the 2040s, Col. Tim…