Chinese military buffs build replica J-20 stealth fighter

Three military enthusiasts from central China have built a replica of a J-20 stealth fighter.

The men in their 20s from a village near Wuhan in Hubei province spent 200,000 yuan (US$36,000) and 14 months building the model, news website Cnhubei.com reported.

The replica was 20 metres long and four metres high, but could not fly because it did not have an engine and other electronics, the report said.

Pictures show the gleaming model standing next to a row of makeshift sheds and workshops.

Five tonnes of steel was used the build the replica, with the men basing the design on images released on the internet and military enthusiast websites.