Blackstone
Brigadier
If WS13 is ready, then we'd see them on Pakistan's Block II build- with much fanfare and chest pounding. The fact we don't see or even hear rumors of it tells us WS13 isn't ready for prime time.
JF-17/FC-1 Fighter Aircraft thread
- Thread starter johnqh
- Start date
thunderchief
Senior Member
IMHO, when WS-13 gets ready for serial production, China would use them first - either on J-31 , UAVs or even on JF-17s destined to replace some of the still lingering J-7s in PLAAF . At that point of time (if it doesn't come too late) there will be much more serious effort to export JF-17 from Chinese side, as it would be an all-around Chinese aircraft .
thunderchief
Senior Member
plawolf
Lieutenant General
I think the WS13 is a low priority project right now, with the lion share of talent and resources going to the WS10A,WS15 and WS20. Which is actually quite a few programmes if you think about it.
janjak desalin
Junior Member
and, of these, which is THE priority? i've resigned myself to lowered expectations for the pace of state-of-practice turbofan development -to the point of mass production- at AVIC.
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How are all these turbofan engine programs suppose to share the same talent pool ? The WS-10 and WS-20 is made in Shenyang, the WS-15 is made in Xi'an and the WS-13 is made in Guizhou. They may all share their experience and knowledge with each other but I doubt that they shift people around back and forth. They should all have their own development teams. The only thing being shifted would be funding. It will most likely be the case that the WS-10, WS-20 and the WS-15 will recieve a lot more funding than the WS-13. The WS-13 program is said to have been started in 2000. that's 15 years ago. Its a smaller and less powerful engine than the WS-10 and with the apparent success of the WS-10 there should have been hand me down experience and expertise from Shenyang to Guizhou. So its not strange to see the WS-13 being tested at the moment unless really all funding have been cut to the WS-13 program. But on the other hand we have the agreement for the uprated RD-93MA that suppose to come in 2019. So I have my doubts about it as well.
lcloo
Captain
Since WS-13 project is said to be started 15 years ago, it should not be a surprise that it has not reached the final stage of development. China's technical knowhow on new generation of jet engine lag behind others by decades, and a given time line of 20 years for the engine to appear on serial production line is more reasonable.
So you are expecting Mass Produced WS-15's to come around 2020????
Would they be worth it?? I mean what will the other players field in the 2020s???