Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator

i.e.

Senior Member
From the wrapped pictures... This thing is about size of super hornet. looks like. glad to see 601 and avic has the sense of leaving the high side to J-20.
 

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Agreed, I'm actually glad and surprised how "huge" - in comparison to the first impression - this thing is !
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
Holy Smoke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I totaly missed this page!!!!!!!!!!

what is this, another new stealth fighter under development, it looks totaly real and no CG, cant believe someone actually caught pictures of this while it was under transport

sharing information is so easy these days, this is just a amazing development almost too good to be true, again its amazing that someone caught it in numerious occasions on their cell phones
 

i.e.

Senior Member
Love how people are still calling this L-15 and in denial of the whole thing on other forums. The airframe is so un-L15 like that it isn't even funny.

L-15 is already done its round of static loads tests. I am not sure about fatique cycle loads but definitly the static loads.

btw also in Yanliang.

---------- Post added at 11:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 AM ----------

Don't be so sure even if it's only for export which I doubt. When this thing is ready, it'll be at least about 2018 which will be a very different world in terms of perception and reality of Chinese products, not to mention global geopolitics.
Some potential buyers are like PAF who will need stealth if/when IAF gets T50s. If the Arabs don't share some of their huge defence budgets with China, don't whine if China sells to Iran/Iraq. I can see some South Americans being interested in stealth where the F35 may not be viable in terms of price/politics.


South America, Periferal Middle east and Richer African countries. would prob be the customer base.
some one wants something better than a Su-27/F-16/18 but can not afford F-35.
at least that would be the justification avic and 601 put forth.
by the time this thing matures (2020?) PLA would wants a follow on low-end fighter for their high-low mix. amd PLAN's new catobar carrier fighter competition would begin. If them people in 601 play the cards right this could be the F-4 Phantom II of china and enjoy a big long production run with both naval aviation and airforce. like what they intended for F-35 to be, except with out the absurd VTOL requirement.

Lockmart executives prob is sweating a bit right now. but not too much I guess since I guess they still think Dod is a captive customer.
 
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plawolf

Lieutenant General
If and CAC develops their medium weight 5th gen, things will get really interesting.

I would expect CAC's medium weight to be single engined so that it would share the same powerplant as the J20 for logistical savings as well as because of CAC's experience with single engined types like the J10 and JF17.

I can see the PLAN preferring the twin engined approach for added safety, while the air force might prefer the logistics savings from having a common engine.

That is, of course assuming that CAC does come up with a medium weight 5th gen. CAC is very capable, but just looking at the sheer number of projects they have running, and it might be a case of project overload for them.

In addition, I have long held reservations about whether it is necessary or even wise at all for the PLAAF to follow the American model and go all fifth gen.

I think it would be much better for the PLAAF to just have the J20 as it's only fifth gen fighter, and buy them in decent number as opposed to what happened to the poor F22.

For the strike role, I think a J20 sub-variant with twin seats, larger and deeper weapons bays for heavy ground attack munitions like what the FB22 was to the F22 would be perfect.

For the PLAAF's future lo-end fighter, a J10C with WS15 engines and redesigned fuselage should be a step up from the likes of the Typhoon and Rafale and be more than enough to meet the PLAAF's needs.

This SAC design would serve as the PLANAF's future carrier fighter to serve alongside the J15, and also act as China's export fifth gen while the J20 is kept strictly off limits.

If this is how it works out, it would be quite amusing actually. Because I think it is almost a certainty that this SAC 5th gen will use the WS13 engine as it's powerplant, thus the arch rivals at SAC and CAC would actually present a high-lo mix of the J21 and JF17 that would actually work extremely well as a pair.
 

SUPARCO

Just Hatched
Registered Member
Hello everyone,

Just out of curiosity, does China have a big enough transport aircraft to transport thingy?

Could it be transported in an Ilyushin Il-76 if China wanted to?

---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:10 PM ----------

Holy Smoke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I totaly missed this page!!!!!!!!!!

what is this, another new stealth fighter under development, it looks totaly real and no CG, cant believe someone actually caught pictures of this while it was under transport

sharing information is so easy these days, this is just a amazing development almost too good to be true, again its amazing that someone caught it in numerious occasions on their cell phones

Salaam,

Refer to post #641 for video of the aircraft being transported.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Two more and slightly clearer shots from that video .... + a nice whif in PAF-service !!

And finally the last one wasn't posted here before ???

Deino

That's a really good picture of J-21 and F-16C/D+ in PAF colours.

I think this plane really has the potential to be a nice looking aircraft and look sort of like what a sleeker F-35 would.

---

super hornet has wingspan of some 13.6 m, I think most estimates for this plane are some 10-11 m.
 

FarkTypeSoldier

Junior Member
It takes up three lanes when it's tilted. I don't know about Chinese highways in general but I've seen a lot of pics of the new highways being built and most only have two lanes in each direction.

f6002.jpg

Two more and slightly clearer shots from that video .... + a nice whif in PAF-service !!

And finally the last one wasn't posted here before ???

Deino

Why was the plane tilted sideway? I saw transportation of F-16C in Singapore is the whole aircraft being loaded uprightly onto the big heavy transport vehicle.
 

hmmwv

Junior Member
Hello everyone,

Just out of curiosity, does China have a big enough transport aircraft to transport thingy?

Could it be transported in an Ilyushin Il-76 if China wanted to?

You can transport it in a large transport plane such as An-124, An-225, or C5A, but not in a IL-76. In this case there is not a single that plane can be used to transport it because apparently the wings are not detachable.

Why was the plane tilted sideway? I saw transportation of F-16C in Singapore is the whole aircraft being loaded uprightly onto the big heavy transport vehicle.
The plane has to be tilted to reduced overall width so it can be safely transported via highway, they have already demolished a number of highway toll booths to make it fit, but there are unmovable obstacles such ash overpass pillars that may restrict the maximum width of the package.
 
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