F-35 Lightning II vs Chengdu J-10
F-35 Lightning II vs Chengdu J-10
Flight Cost Per Hour
Overall and BVR ratings
| CATEGORY | F-35 LIGHTNING 2 | CHENGDU J-10 |
| BVR Rating | 94% | 75% |
| Armament | 8.6/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Technology | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Avionics | 9.0/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Maneuverability | 8.5/10 | 8.6/10 |
| Rate of Climb | max. 230 m/s – 45k ft/min | max. 300 m/s – 60k ft/min |
| Thrust/Weight | 1.07 | 1.08 |
| Service Ceiling | 20 km – 65k ft | 18 km – 59k ft |
| Speed | 1.60 Mach | 2.00 Mach |
| Fuel Economy | 0.80 km/l – 1.68 NM/gallon | 0.76 km/l – 1.79 NM/gallon |
| Unit Cost | 180.000.000 USD | 35.000.000 USD |
| Overall Rating | excellent | very good |
BVR (Beyond Visual Range) Ratings
| CATEGORY | F-35 LIGHTNING 2 | CHENGDU J-10 |
| BVR AAM missile | MBDA Meteor | PL-12 AAM |
| AAM origin | NATO | China |
| Year | in 2013 | in 2002 |
| Range (mile) | 62 | 62 |
| Range (km) | 100 | 100 |
| Speed (mph) | 2640 | 2640 |
| Speed (km/h) | 4248 | 4248 |
| Radar | AN/APG-81 AESA | T 1473 H |
| Radar overall rating | excellent | very good |
| BVR Technology | 92% | 75% |
| BVR Def. Tech. | 95% | 75% |
| RCS – Radar Cross Section | 0.005-0.3 | 0.5-1.5 |
Dogfight (close to medium range) Ratings
| CATEGORY | F-35 LIGHTNING 2 | CHENGDU J-10 |
| Cannon | GAU-22/A | GSh-23 |
| Caliber (mm) | 20 mm | 23 mm |
| Rate of Fire (rpm) | 4200 rpm | 3600 rpm |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1000 m/s | 715 m/s |
| Size Point 10%-30% | 20% | 30% |
| Maneuverability | 8,5 | 8,6 |
| Thrust/Weight Ratio | 1,07 | 1,08 |
| AAM (first) | AIM-9X | PL-9 |
| Operational range | 0.2 – 50 km | 0.2 – 25 km |
| AAM (second) | IRIS-T | PL-8 |
| Operational range | 0.5 – 30 km | 0.2 – 20 km |
| Dogfight Rating | 70% | 58% |
Size Comparison
| CATEGORY | F-35 LIGHTNING 2 | CHENGDU J-10 |
| Length | 15.6 m – 50.0 ft | 15.49 m (50.82 ft) |
| Wingspan | 10.7 m – 35 ft 0 in | 9.75 m (31.99 ft) |
| Wing area | 42.0 m² – 460 sq ft | 39.1 m² (355 sq ft) |
| Height | 4.33 m – 14.2 ft | 5.43 m – 17 ft 7 in |
| Weight | 13,200 kg – 30,2k lb | 9,750 kg – 21k lb |
| Power | 1 x 190 kN – 43k lbf | 1 x 130 kN – 29,0k lbf |