Chinese Engine Development

taxiya

Brigadier
Registered Member
The source article for the image:
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. It says the article was released on the 15th of April (coincidence?), around the same time as the WS-19 picture. It might have been a coordinated release. The official in the "Xi windbreaker" is Cao Jianguo, the chairman of AECC, who was on an inspection tour that included a visit to a test flight centre (presumably where this was taken).
That is Xi'an. He visited three places, CFTE, XAC and AVIC 1st Institute.
The tile of the article is "曹建国到阎良调研 慰问中国航发外场服务保障团队" and is about Cao Jianguo visiting the "AECC engine field maintenance and support team".
 

ZeEa5KPul

Colonel
Registered Member
The tile of the article is "曹建国到阎良调研 慰问中国航发外场服务保障团队" and is about Cao Jianguo visiting the "AECC engine field maintenance and support team".
One of those rare times I got burned by reading the article and not the headline. Usually it works the other way.:confused:
Oh, well, that title makes it crystal-clear that that's not the WS-15 if he's visiting maintenance personnel. *Sigh*, how did this spread to begin with. Oh well, I learned something from this: the next time anyone - even someone here - says "they said that ____", I'll ask who's "they"?
 

latenlazy

Brigadier
One of those rare times I got burned by reading the article and not the headline. Usually it works the other way.:confused:
Oh, well, that title makes it crystal-clear that that's not the WS-15 if he's visiting maintenance personnel. *Sigh*, how did this spread to begin with. But I learned something from this: the next time anyone says "they said that ____", I'll ask who's "they"?
This stuff spreads because people post stuff they hear on Chinese BBSes without vetting them first. If you can’t tie a picture or a credible name to a new piece of information make sure you source your information first.
 

taxiya

Brigadier
Registered Member
One of those rare times I got burned by reading the article and not the headline. Usually it works the other way.:confused:
Oh, well, that title makes it crystal-clear that that's not the WS-15 if he's visiting maintenance personnel. *Sigh*, how did this spread to begin with. Oh well, I learned something from this: the next time anyone - even someone here - says "they said that ____", I'll ask who's "they"?
Although this time we know it is not about WS-15 because someone (I read at CJDBY) pointed out the covered engine has the gearbox at the underside like WS-10, it is not guaranteed to exclude the possibility of WS-15 just because the visit was to a maintenance team. What I want to say is that "if the engine is fully covered, it can be anything including WS-15".

The visit this time is around CFTE. CFTE test all kinds of aircraft with all kinds of engines. AECC Xi'an plant is rumoured to have taken over WS-15's (development) production from Shenyang. WS-10 was first mounted on a flanker shown in CFTE. If WS-15 is to be tested on a real fighter jet like WS-10 before, the most likely place and first ever exposure will be Xi'an. It will certainly be this maintenance team putting WS-15 on to the fuselage. That is why the over-speculation of WS-15 this time, a reasonable guess but turned out to be wrong.

Note, this team is not the ordinary maintenance team doing the routine repair work, they are part of the test team of R&D, think of them as the field workers of CFTE.
 

ZeEa5KPul

Colonel
Registered Member
Although this time we know it is not about WS-15 because someone (I read at CJDBY) pointed out the covered engine has the gearbox at the underside like WS-10, it is not guaranteed to exclude the possibility of WS-15 just because the visit was to a maintenance team
Do we know for sure that the WS-15 doesn't have an underside gearbox? The AL-31s have both top and bottom gearboxes - the ones of the J-10 use the top and I believe the ones on J-11s the bottom. Do we know which one the J-20 uses?
 

taxiya

Brigadier
Registered Member
Do we know for sure that the WS-15 doesn't have an underside gearbox? The AL-31s have both top and bottom gearboxes - the ones of the J-10 use the top and I believe the ones on J-11s the bottom. Do we know which one the J-20 uses?
No we don't. And I won't agree to use the position of gearbox as the sole quality for judgement. To me WS-10 is a more likely bet, and I won't argue against WS-15 either.;) That's the fun part of PLA watching.:D
 

Phead128

Captain
Staff member
Moderator - World Affairs
Does anyone know how well WS-15 engine is progressing?

I know it's just a matter of time and investment until China's hardwork pays off.
 

Xizor

Captain
Registered Member
It is 5th May, 2019. I make routine visits to this thread with the utmost hopes for THE good news. Something along the lines of " WS-15 has been tested in a j-20 and this video shows it brandishing it's much awaited powerplant as it supercruises.."
Has the problems that ws-15 faced been mitigated? What is the latest thrust generation ? Reliability ? Any failures during the past two years? Has a production facility for low scale production been set up ? A heck lot of questions.
 
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