Chengdu J-20 5th Generation Aircraft News & Discussions

[Figaro]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1310943927722274816

 

[siegecrossbow]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1310943927722274816

Looks like WS-15 is much shorter than current engines and that they won’t get rid of the ventral strakes even after engine change.

 

[Figaro]

Looks like WS-15 is much shorter than current engines and that they won’t get rid of the ventral strakes even after engine change.

How do we know that is the WS-15 though? It's nozzles look more or less like AL-31Fs to me ... I don't think the model maker was paying too much attention to the engine here tbh.

 

[siegecrossbow]

How do we know that is the WS-15 though? It's nozzles look more or less like AL-31Fs to me ... I don't think the model maker was paying too much attention to the engine here tbh.

WS-15 was the target engine when the project and as Deion stated, the model was from 2004 or earlier. The engine is set farther into the body of the plane compared to both WS-10 and Al-31.

 

[LKJ86]

Via @酒色财气吕洞宾 from Weibo

 

[Daniel808]

View attachment 674880View attachment 674882
Via @酒色财气吕洞宾 from Weibo

WS-10 Engine

 

[LKJ86]

View attachment 674880View attachment 674882
Via @酒色财气吕洞宾 from Weibo

Via @探索月球 from Weibo

For comparison:

 

[LKJ86]

Video:https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:4555740103507992?from=old_pc_videoshow

 

[Deino]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1312467985160794112

 

[Figaro]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1312467985160794112

It could also be the WS-10 TVC version J-20s ... given that the standard WS-10 J-20s entered production in late 2018, they must have been transferred to CFTE much longer ago. We know for sure there was a J-20 TVC demo in front of CMC Vice Chairmen back in July so most likely these are the TVC version, not the standard.

 

[S10]

Every batch of J-20 receives minor refinements and incremental upgrades. Once WS-15 is installed, I believe there will be major overhaul in its sensor and avionics systems to reflect improvements made in the last 10 years.

Remember, most of J-20's sub-systems were based around designs from 2010 to 2015.

 

[CIA Mole]

Any chance China does limited production of J20 like F22, and skip to 6th gen when ws-15/ws-19 is complete?

 

[Figaro]

Any chance China does limited production of J20 like F22, and skip to 6th gen when ws-15/ws-19 is complete?

No ... the J-20 numbers will probably match the F-35 numbers in all of East Asia. Also, the WS-15 was always meant for the J-20, not the sixth generation fighter. You could probably power the sixth generation fighter using a heavily modified/upgraded WS-15, but the base WS-15 and its variants will be intended for the J-20. The only reason why the F-22 was cancelled was because its numerous operational shortcomings that the JSF could better serve. Unfortunately, the Chinese Air Force will continue to rely on the J-20 as probably its only fifth generation fighter due to the FC-31s limited prospects (all resources have been diverted towards the naval variant, which is significantly different than the base FC-31).

 

[CIA Mole]

No ... the J-20 numbers will probably match the F-35 numbers in all of East Asia.

But say they come up with a better design, and they have the engines, why shouldn't they move on?

 

[Figaro]

But say they come up with a better design, and they have the engines, why shouldn't they move on?

The sixth generation fighter is not coming anytime soon though. At the earliest, it will be operational by 2030, which is already an extremely tense timetable. It is only 2020 right now, so for the next 10 years, the primary objective for the Chinese would be to match F-35 deployment as there is no operational sixth generation fighter.