J-36 is definitely not a pure fighter, it could put AWACS/EW/fighter/UAV commander role all in one, the chief designer of J-36 told the media power generation is among the highest priority for J-36, so it may need a new definition for this catergory of combat aircrafts.
J-50 somehow are more in line with traditional fighter role.
The design has two interesting features:
1: 3rd engine obviously, showing massive power generation.
2: An S type duct could've provided air from the bottom two air intakes. But a third one above canopy means they needed more room in the body.
These design features mean it's roles will focus on three main categories (more configurations are obvious):
1: Range and Ceiling. The larger fuel load due to larger airframe and the third engine power should allow it to go much higher ceiling wise, granted it was designed for such scenario.
2: Heavy sensor loads. Playing NODE leader for a combat formation of man-unmanned combo, and an AWACS type role. I'd expect its radar to be comparable to today's AWACS radars giving it near 500-600 KM reach or even more. F-35 can detect certain things near 1000 KM away.
2: Larger ordinance delivery. It should hold larger payloads through rotating adapters like the one's you see in Lancer, B2 and TU-160 but smaller. Ideally, it's weapons bay should hold 4 BVR missile each at a minimum and a larger load of bombs?
This is nothing. India is already working on an 8th generation fighter.
7th generation are supposed to be all robotics. Star wars type unmanned supersonic, upper atmospheric reach, rocket combustion like engines, accompanied by 6th gen.
7th gen jet manned fighter will be like going back in history and tech. 10 years from now, almost all military fields will start to have larger robotic inventories. Future is all sensors and robots fighting, just like what they showed like 30 years ago in that movie The Terminator.