AVIC official sounds upbeat note about FC-31
09 July, 2019
Development of the AVIC FC-31 fighter is going well, and the aircraft is destined to enter service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA), according to its chief designer.
A report the official China Daily newspaper quotes Sun Cong, a chief researcher at AVIC's Shenyang Aircraft Corporation unit, as saying that observers can expect news about the project at some point.
"You will see its latest developments in due course, in the near future," Sun is quoted as saying.
The report goes on to add that the FC-31 will at some point enter the Peoples' Liberation Army, though it does not specify the Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) or Peoples' Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
AVIC displayed a model of the FC-31 at the 2019 Paris air show
It contends that Sun's comments should scorch the view that the FC-31 programme is stalled, with Beijing focused on building up its fleet of Chengdu J-20 fighters.
While some observers have speculated the FC-31 will never enter Chinese service, there has also been speculation that the FC-31 will replace the J-15 as China's carrier-borne fighter.
The FC-31 is based on the J-31, a prototype aircraft that appeared in the 2014 Air Show China in Zhuhai, but which did not make an appearance in 2016 or 2018.
Like the J-31, the FC-31 is believed to be powered by a pair of Klimov RD-93 engines, although AVIC officials have never confirmed this. It is believed that eventually the aircraft will get a Chinese engine, the developmental AVIC Guizhou WS-13 Taishan.
The FC-31, which first flew in 2016, features a cropped tail, whereas the J-31 had a nearly triangular tails with a horizontal top.
AVIC had a rare public discussion about the FC-31 at the Dubai air show in 2015, when it appeared to be seeking an international partner for the type.
In the Dubai press briefing, Gyrfalcon designer Lin Peng said the FC-31 is envisaged as a low-observable jet with “multi-spectrum, low-observability characteristics.”
The J-31 performing at Air Show China 2014
The fighter will be capable of a range of missions, including offensive/defence counter air, deep strike, suppression of enemy air defences, interdiction, close air support, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
In its 2019 report to Congress about Chinese military developments, the US Department of Defense noted that China was making progress with the FC-31.
While it said the J-20 had likely entered service, it said FC-31 production could begin in 2019. For both types, however, the report noted that China is having difficulties with engines and radars.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...-sounds-upbeat-note-about-fc-31-repor-459530/
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The New Chinese Stealth Fighter Plane is Undergoing Incredible Advancements
10 July, 2019
The development of
FC-31, the second stealth fighter aircraft created by China, is advancing at a good pace and on time, said its chief designer.
Sun Cong, chairman of the Chinese Aviation Establishment of the China Aviation Industry Corporation, said on Thursday during a press conference held in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, that one must be patient and expect good news from the project.
“In due course we will present the latest developments,” said Sun, who is also a senior researcher at the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute of
AVIC.
Sun also indicated that
China has never wavered in its attempts to develop and build a second series of stealth fighters after the J-20 entered the Air Force of the People’s Liberation Army two years ago.
Due to his disappearance from public view in the last two years, Sun’s comments reassure about the fate of
FC-31.
The twin-engine radar fighter aircraft was unveiled in October 2012 when a prototype made its first flight, becoming, after the J-20, the second Chinese fifth generation fighter aircraft.
The
FC-31 has a high survival rate, a low radar signature, advanced electronic countermeasures, strong information gathering and handling capabilities, excellent situational awareness and combat capability beyond visual range.
In addition to air combat, it can also carry out attacks against land and sea targets. And this plane has a large deposit for weapons and can carry multiple external missiles.
According to the specifications of the
AVIC, the
FC-31 has a
maximum takeoff weight of 25 metric tons, a
combat range of 1,200 kilometers and a
maximum speed between 1.8 and 2,205 kilometers per hour. It can carry
8 tons of weapons and has a lifespan of 30 years.
The FC-31 will enter service in the
People’s Liberation Army. This aircraft is the most recent success of the Shenyang Aviation Corporation, after the aircraft carrier-based fighter plane J-15 and the J-8 series fighter aircraft of half a century.
Source: PeopleDaily / Wings Hearld
http://www.wingsherald.com/the-new-...-plane-is-undergoing-incredible-advancements/
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