I think it's safe to say, this is an AL-31 ... in case some still dream about a WS-10 or even -15 !
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I think we already have an agreement that 2016 is using AL-31? Now we just need a rear shot of 2017. A nice shot btw.
I think it's safe to say, this is an AL-31 ... in case some still dream about a WS-10 or even -15 !
View attachment 22188
I'm more interested to see the result of Su35 vs Turkish F16 or F4 if Russia is up to it.China ready to pit J20 against Su35 in 2016.
I am quite excited to find out the result.
I don't think j-20 program's pace is particularly fast when one considers the development environment appears to have been exceptionally benign for a post cold war fighter program:
1). There is no evidence that the operational requirements or the budgetary environment of the j-20 program underwent any major changes between the first prototype and now to slow things down, as was very much the case with the f-22.
2). There is no evidence the j-22 was required to simulataneously fill multiple muturally contradictory requirements right from the beginning, as was very much the case with f-35.
3). Chinese fighter development probably enjoys higher national priority, and less emphasis on compromises catering to cost sharing with perspective foreign participants, than is common in the post Cold War weapons development environment.
Given these exceptionally benign development environmental factors, I think the rate of progress of j-20 is perhaps par for the course. The original ATF/f-22 was perhaps the most recent large fighter program that, at least before the end of the Cold War, had been expected to enjoy similarly benign development environment. The original f-22 program schedule, from prototype through around 16 development aircraft to initial operational status of production squadron, was only 7 years, significantly faster than what the j-20 program had demonstrated.
It was only the end of the Cold War, a drastic review and revision both of the mission of USAF in general and the role of f-22 in particular, as well as a large budget cut that cut number of development airframes in half, that stretched the schedule to 12 years.
China ready to pit J20 against Su35 in 2016.
I am quite excited to find out the result.
I think it's safe to say, this is an AL-31 ... in case some still dream about a WS-10 or even -15 !
View attachment 22188
A nice image of '2011'. I believe this is new.
(1200x800)
It's quite hard to take this photo. Must be from a professional photographer, maybe an insider