>> Stealth Fighter Soon to be Powered by Indigenous Engines . . .
A domestically developed engine will soon power the nation's latest stealth fighter jet, according to a senior scientist working for Aero Engine Corp of China.
Referring to the J-20, "It will not take a long time for our fifth-generation combat fighter to have indigenous engines." said Chen Xiangbao, vice-president of the AECC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials.
"The engine's development is proceeding well. We have also started to design a next-generation turbofan engine with thrust-to-weight ratio that is much higher than that of current projects," he said.
Chen, who is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, spoke to China Daily on the sidelines of the political advisory body's annual session. This follows shortly after the confirmation that J-20 have entered service.
It is assumed by Chinese aviation analysts that China's stealth fighter J-20 is currently using Russian AL-31FM2 turbofan engines.
Chen said Chinese scientists and engineers are striving to catch up to the world's top players in terms of research and development into cutting-edge aviation engines, but the country still has a long way to go before it can develop and produce world-class engines.
"For instance, we are able to develop the two most important components in an advanced engine — the single crystal superalloy turbine blades and powder metallurgy superalloy turbine disks — but when in mass production, the product quality still waits to past satisfactory. However, it is a matter of time and persistence to make reliable engines." he claimed.
"The road to success is filled with setbacks and failures. Each of the world's engine powers has walked this road," Chen added.
Yin Zeyong, head of AECC's science and technology commission, previously said that a good engine is the result of not only good design but also time-consuming experiments and tests.
Despite China's tremendous achievements in science, technology and manufacturing industries over the past several decades, aircraft engine-making remains one of the few fields in which the country still lags behind top players like the United States and Russia. Because of the sophistication of advanced aircraft engines, only a handful of nations Security Council have technical ability to develop and produce them.
Meanwhile, Tang Changhong, chief designer of China's Y-20 strategic transport plane and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, told West China City Daily that the Y-20 will be equipped with indigenously developed engines around 2018 or 2019.
Courtesy: People's Liberation Army Defence Update - PLADU
