Honestly, I don't understand Your hate on that bird ??
With a decent engine it could indeed be developed into a mature fifth-generation fighter operating alongside the "silver-bullet" J-20. It is smaller and as such more affordable and technically-wise there's nothing to thing at first glance to make it a piece of crap.
I have simply the feeling You don't like the F-35 and in return the FC-312 too, which is plain irrational and also unfair.
By the way, I think the PLAAF is its own way of acting and decision making completely irrelevant to what the internet-community thinks; and I'm convinced that is good that way.
Otherwise the Su-35 would not be purchased ... and so many other things too. There's simply too much ignorance and incompetence around in these forums and national defence is too important to depend on such fan-boy's opinions.
But now back to the topic.
Deino
You don't understand Chinese politics, Deino. CAC is the parent corporation of Shenyang Aviation and ChengDu Aviation. CAC's leadership is dominated by Shenyang people. Shenyang is mother of ChengDu and other smaller aviation company. In the 1960's, China decided to spread its heavy industries away from NorthEast or Manchuria into the mountainous region in preparation for war with USSR.
So how do you split up the company?
Those people who has
connections got to stay in Shenyang, and other folks got to pack up and move to those poor mountainous regions. When they got there, they have start everything by themselves. There was no buildings, no equipments, just their bare hands. They live like peasants, grow their own foods, raise their own pigs.
Those folks at ChengDu are tough and dedicated. They managed to create
J-7, FC-17, J-10, and F-20 under extreme conditions. And what did those people in Shenyang managed to create?
J-8. It was developed for export, but not one was sold to foreign customers. Whereas, J-7 and FC-17 was an export success. Through their better connections to higher Chinese leadership, the job of assemble Su-27 domestically was given to them. Later, they copy it and call it J-11B.
Those Shenyang people are extremely jealous of the ChengDu. They lose the J-20 design competition to ChengDu, so they come up with FC-31, supposedly for export. There is no need for PLAAF or PLAN for such plane. That's why both Services have not shown the least bit of interest toward it.
But there is little or no chance that foreign buyers will order, unless the Chinese PLAAF or PLAN will order some first. So those Shenyang people started this silly internet forums and TV shows campaign.
"By the way, I think the PLAAF is its own way of acting and decision making completely irrelevant to what the internet-community thinks; and I'm convinced that is good that way."
Don't under estimate their influences. Those people are very good at politics and are well connected. They are the second or third generations of the Chinese leaders.
They tried to get rid of Yang Wei, the Chief Designer of J-20, by promote him into a useless desk job. Typical Chinese politic to get rid a good competent person. The PLAAF fought back, saying, unless Yang Wei keep his duty with J-20, we will not pay.
F-35 has the most powerful production engine in the world, and has the State of the Art Avionics. FC-31 has nothing except the stealth shaping exterior. The internal weapon bay can severely limits the weapon load, fuel load, and range.
FC-31 is a straight, cheap, knock-off of F-22, not F-35. The lack of imagination and creativity by the Shenyang people is startling and plainly demonstrated in this crap. This junk makes me ashamed to be a Chinese. They are trying to sell it to our loyal brother and friend, the Pakinstanis. Run!
If an animal walks like duck, cracks like a duck, it is a duck. Deino.
it look like a giant sunglass for me bro
