Shenyang Completed Another "J-31" Prototype

It appears that Shenyang has produced another "J-31" prototype. There are some differences. I'll leave it to the members to highlight them. Many people here are better at that than I. I will state it looks like the inlets look different again.

It should be noted that the Chinese are officially calling this an R&D effort rather than, as we Americans would call it, a program of record. As such, the J-31 designation is unofficial. In a way, I'm pleased by that, for the sole stupid reason that at least the Chinese haven't thrown the whole designation thing out the window unlike the US and Russians.

It also means the Chinese will not be buying the aircraft in numbers any time soon.

china-defense.blogspot.com...

Nothing new, old pictures and the middle picture is very old of the old version with the larger vert stabs and 2-peice canopy.

Don't you hate those knock offs.

Looks like a slimmed down F-35. I wonder why they decided to go with 2 engines.

a reply to: grey580

Cause the don't have a single engine in that thrust rage that's reliable!! I could be wroung...also it could be the same reason cdn live twin engine because if the size if there lady mass !!

a reply to: grey580

I wonder why they decided to go with 2 engines.

Simply? Redundancy. In case one engine fails.

a reply to: grey580

It does look like a slimmed F35 but how do the Chinese get to this stage so quick? There must be some kind of spying going on or someone selling tech to them, it's too similar. You'd think there was a way of sueing the Chinese for blatant copy catting

Looks bigger than the F35 to me.
It also looks like equal parts F22 and F35.
Maybe they thought they’d be
“original “ by blending both?
The Chinese don’t make many as far as production
and who really knows how many are truly ready for flight much less
combat ?

From Chinese Promotional Information about the FC-31:

Source:

code.aerodb.cn...

Translated:

Product Description:

The Babbler Eagle fighter (FC-31, English name Gyrfalcon) is the fourth generation (international name fifth generation) multi-purpose export fighter which meets the future (2020-2030) battlefield environment needs. It has excellent comprehensive combat effectiveness and independent intellectual property rights. The aircraft adopts the normal layout of single seat, double launch, inclined double vertical tail and full moving flat tail, with large S-bend inlet on both sides and embedded weapon cabin.

1. main characteristics

1) Multitask: Aircraft has powerful ability of over-the-horizon multi-target and short-range large off-axis angle omni-directional attack, accurate attack ability to face targets, adaptability to complex meteorological conditions and wide-area use ability. In high-threat environment, stealth configuration is used to carry out air-to-air/surface combat with embedded weapons; in general, non-stealth configuration is used to carry out attack operations with external weapons.

2) High survivability: The aircraft is designed according to the requirements of multi-spectrum, broadband and high performance stealth, and has excellent stealth performance; the aircraft is designed with low vulnerability and excellent electronic countermeasures performance.

3) Strong situational awareness: Strong target detection and external information integration capabilities, strong situational awareness and information sharing capabilities.

4) High maneuverability: The aircraft has good aerodynamic characteristics, equipped with domestic advanced medium thrust engine, and its maneuverability is comparable to that of typical fourth generation aircraft.

5) Large combat radius: the maximum airplane oil carrying 7200 kg, the optimal cruise altitude, cruise M0.8 conditions, the aircraft oil operating radius 1200 km (H-H-H); can be attached to the auxiliary tank, with air fuel receiving capacity, a single air refueling operation radius can reach 1900 km.

6) Advanced comprehensive support: with the characteristics of long life, high reliability, fast maintenance, excellent combat readiness and high sortie rate. Configurable health management system. The two level maintenance system is adopted. Equipped with advanced ground and ground training system.

7) high cost performance: high operational efficiency, lower single price and life cycle cost.

2. main parameters and technical indicators

Captain 17.3m

Wingspan 11.5m

Machine height 4.8m

Maximum take-off weight 28000kg

Maximum flight Maher number 1.8

Maximum flat speed 1400km/h

Practical ceiling 16km

Maximum overload range +9/-3g

Aircraft oil battle radius 1200km

Maximum mount capacity 8t (buried 2T, plug-in 6T)

Take off distance 450m

Landing distance is 700M

The whole machine life is 6000fh /30y

3. major aircraft systems

1) Cockpit system: The main display is 20 *8 inches with a flat-down cockpit cover and a binocular helmet display. It adopts linear throttle control mechanism, integrated side control rod and integrated pedal.

2) Flight Pipe System: The three-redundancy distributed high-reliability digital control system based on dual-bus is used to realize the functions of flight/push integrated control, electromechanical integrated control and management, landing gear retractable/brake/front wheel turning integrated control and so on. It has the ability of fault reconfiguration.

3) Propulsion system: Two domestic advanced and high performance turbofan engines with small bypass ratio and a single bench thrust of 87.2 kN are used.

4) mission system: adopt comprehensive, lightweight, intelligent, open and low-cost task system. With all-optical network as the link and open system architecture, the system can be dynamically configured to support system expansion according to user's customized needs. Task planning, situational awareness, target detection, recognition and tracking, Tactical Attack and defense, weapon projection and guidance, electronic countermeasures, communications, navigation and other multiple tasks.

It can be equipped with export active phased array radar, advanced photoelectric detection system, integrated communication navigation identification system and electronic countermeasure system to support customization.

5) Weapon system: With the suspension management subsystem as the core of control and management, the functions of installation and suspension of weapons/suspensions, air-to-air/surface weapon attack and aerial gun attack are realized. There are 6 interior and 6 exterior hanging points, which can be equipped with various air-to-air and surface weapons provided by export type or users, and 1 gun.

4. environmental adaptability
Aircraft is designed for environmental adaptability based on global deployment and operational use. It has the ability to carry out operational tasks in complex environments such as day and night, high temperature, severe cold, low pressure, sand and dust, wind, rain, snow, fog, salt and so on. It can be deployed in plain area, desert area, coastal high salt fog area, low latitude high humidity and heat area, high latitude cold area and plateau low pressure area, etc. It has obvious advantages and high survivability in strong electromagnetic radiation environment and large maneuvering overload operation.

This was sent to me. The guilty party can confess is they like.

Now the J-31 has indeed become a government-funded project, apparently rescued by the shortcomings of the J-15, a naval Flanker derivative also built by Shenyang Aircraft. The navy needs the J-31, and the air force wants it, too.

...

The J-31 is being developed for domestic military service under government contract, an official source says. The type is now intended to serve with the navy, says the source, confirming rumors and speculative news reports that have appeared over the past few years. The air force also wants to put the J-31 into service, says the source, declining to provide more information.

aviationweek.com...

originally posted by: ufoorbhunter
a reply to: grey580

It does look like a slimmed F35 but how do the Chinese get to this stage so quick? There must be some kind of spying going on or someone selling tech to them, it's too similar. You'd think there was a way of sueing the Chinese for blatant copy catting

No such thing in the race between nations. The US is clearly ahead of the pack in terms of science and technology. It was and is to be expected that some nations, through strict policy can close the gap in some areas based off continued education, R&D and increasing economy. Yet, what the Chinese have achieved in this short amount of time is nothing more than industrial espionage.

To them, they don't care and perhaps that's an edge in this cutthroat world.

The US needs to do much better in the field of cyber security, considering we're the creators, we should, at the very least, have complete control of that domain, but we don't. Maybe Quantum, who knows.

Off topic, my bad.

The chinese are going to painful trial and error.

I'm a little skeptical on this one. Particularly on the naval variant. The F-35 is already underpowered (currently). I don't see them bridging the gap there soon. Then the whole navalization thing seems like a bridge too far also. That's a lot weight for that airframe. They also copied the planform of the F-35 which is only that way because they had to, not because they wanted to in regards to the A and C models.
But mostly, even if they throw lots of time and money at it and get it serviceable, they have to pump out big numbers to drive down the cost. Can they afford to run the J-20 line and this at the same time? The J-20 is a much more advanced design aerodynamically and seemingly more capable. You'd think they'd throw their money behind getting that going full-bore.

a reply to: RadioRobert

Some skepticism is warranted. There have been rumors about the J-31 for years and it hasn't really gone anywhere. Additionally, AW only has their anonymous source.

In support, there was a mockup of the J-31 on their land carrier to check for fitting years ago, but that was before this by some time and the second prototype J-31 is larger than the first.

All we can do is wait and see.

originally posted by: Arnie123

originally posted by: ufoorbhunter
a reply to: grey580

It does look like a slimmed F35 but how do the Chinese get to this stage so quick? There must be some kind of spying going on or someone selling tech to them, it's too similar. You'd think there was a way of sueing the Chinese for blatant copy catting

No such thing in the race between nations. The US is clearly ahead of the pack in terms of science and technology. It was and is to be expected that some nations, through strict policy can close the gap in some areas based off continued education, R&D and increasing economy. Yet, what the Chinese have achieved in this short amount of time is nothing more than industrial espionage.

Exactly and the only way to stop further gap closure is by shutting shop. The Chinese were just about able to grow a grain of rice a generation ago now look at them. If the gap is going to be preserved time to get serious or thye whole world is going to be taken out and Commified through their back doors

Here's what's being said by one of the Big Shrimps[1] in China wrt the J-31/FC-31 and J-XY.

The FC-31 technology demonstrators are used to verify its low-RCS design, weapons bay design, low-risk high-speed maintenance, and assembly line configuration for precision assembly

Potential customers for the FC-31 will be those looking for mid-to-high-end cost-effective solutions

The main purpose (of the tech demonstrators) will be for carrier adaptation, including takeoff & landing performance, low-vulnerability design (??), high maintainability, fast maintenance, high availability, deck configuration & fitting, as well as subsystems testing (Obviously a lot of help is needed in translating here)

[author is] 100% certain that the new carrier-borne fighter will be from Shenyang (as I've stated in 2017), that it will be of a conventional configuration, that it will have two engines, that its AESA radar will have 1500 T/R modules (each with XX watt power output), EOTS targeting device, and distributed aperture system (DAS)

It will have integrated EW and radio frequency management systems

70% probability that it will have flat tails and folding main wings

This is a translation I swiped.

1. Big Shrimps are people associated with various programs in China that are allowed or encouraged to throw bread crumbs out on their equivalent of twitter (weibo). There's a strong suspicion its done outright officially rather than merely blessed.

a reply to: anzha

www.flightglobal.com...

3rd prototype flew.



can we spot the changes?

a reply to: anzha

I am getting vibes here of this entire program being one big role of the dice much like the F-20 Tigershark, the Textron Scorpion, the Mirage 4000 and even the F-16/ F-18 (both spawned from the Lightweight Fighter Concept): a private company (well, as private as you can get in the Chinese defence sector) thinks it has identified an unmet gap in the market, and puts (mostly) its own money up a proof of concept, and then shops the idea around to the most likely buyers. Risky, but huge payoffs. I bet Shenyang is thinking of somewhat non-aligned middle powers in South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia who don't want the restrictions and potential risk of US or European equipment - and the high price. Also may have some reservations about tying in with Russia. But with the J-31, China won't ask too many questions as long as you have the cash and are keen to publicly let China get away with anything. It could be a good buy overall if they can get the total lifecycle support structures right.

a reply to: Borys

Possibly.

The J-31 may have been a failed bid for what became the J-20 program. Rather than sit idle and wait, they began building and improving the aircraft with the expectation the experience of doing so would allow Shengyan to keep up with Chengdu for future contracts. This is the third iteration of the design and we see nontrivial changes at least to the front end (inlets and canopy, frex).

The work may have paid off: there are reports the JH-XX may be derived from the J-31 (not likely, imo) and the carrier based follow-on to the J-15 would be based on the J-31 (more likely). The latter rumor has stated the PLAN will pay for the J-31 to be developed into a carrier aircraft and the PLAAF will buy them as their 'low end' fighter.

We will see.

a reply to: Borys

Free enterprise in China? With a project like this ? Even for the US that would be unusual.
Interesting thought, serious doubts though.

I think the original intent was to provide a "low" mix to the J-20.

I think AVIC quickly learned that copying some things (like the DSI, for example) isn't as simple as copying it. Inlets are designed for specific needs. It's unlikely the RD-93's and whatever the Chinese copy is called require or tolerate the same things as a F135 engine.
I also bet it's empty weight is near the F-35's despite being a bit smaller, and the thrust and tsfc for the RD-93 pair compares poorly. They're probably looking at about 85% of dry thrust available. Since the F-35 is already thrust-limited on performance, that doesn't bode well for operational performance of the J-31. A carrier variant would be even heavier. You get less-than-optimal influx from a copied DSI, and your engine performance and reliability suffers even more.

So I think there are some serious hurdles they are facing before having an effective combat aircraft. And while it would probably still provide some limited utility out-of-the-box, as-is, PLAAF clearly isn't interested at the current price. Probably cost almost as much as the J-20 and is much less capable. So, they've got plenty of work to do to make the ￥ make sense.