The new aircraft's design looks more akin to an armed helicopter, with three ion thrusters installed on both its tail and wings, providing powerful propulsion capable of reaching up to Mach 3.
Due to such strong thrust, pilots flying the new aircraft must wear special anti-G suits similar to space suits to withstand the forces. Otherwise, the instantaneous overload acceleration during maneuvers could put the pilots' lives at risk.
This tri-engine design is rare on fighter jets, appearing for the first time outside of some imaginative prototype aircraft or models from science fiction works.
Thanks to the powerful propulsion, Chen Xin did not overly focus on aerodynamic configuration. However, with systematic optimization, the aircraft, though somewhat square in appearance, still maintains good aerodynamic shape and does not literally end up being a brick in flight.
