J-20 5th Gen Fighter Thread VI

[Deino]

Six BVRAAM is for new AAMs. Considering the fact that the PL-15 has much farther range than any other current BVRAAMs I think the capacity is an ok trade off.

On an unrelated note, another WS-10 equipped J-20 circled Chengdu three times today, according to eye witnesses.

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Here a bit better ...

 

[siegecrossbow]

Here a bit better ...

View attachment 55562

It is much more obvious in your image that the nozzles are black with jagged edges. However, you can tell even in the original that the engines had a larger diameter than that of the AL-31.

 

[Deino]

It is much more obvious in your image that the nozzles are black with jagged edges. However, you can tell even in the original that the engines had a larger diameter than that of the AL-31.

Do you really think the diameter is larger? So far I wasn't able to find any hard or concrete details to confirm this and I think - since both WS-10 and AL-31 are interchangeable on Flankers - also here both have the same diameter. It only looks to be wider, maybe since it is shorter?

 

[siegecrossbow]

Do you really think the diameter is larger? So far I wasn't able to find any hard or concrete details to confirm this and I think - since both WS-10 and AL-31 are interchangeable on Flankers - also here both have the same diameter. It only looks to be wider, maybe since it is shorter?

View attachment 55563

It is because the nozzle can’t contract as far as the one on AL-31.

 

[Bhurki]

Here a bit better ...

View attachment 55562

I might not be seeing right, but why is the afterburner looking red? Different fuel mix compared to al31?

 

[xyqq]

I might not be seeing right, but why is the afterburner looking red? Different fuel mix compared to al31?

Al31 afterburners may look purple or orange depending on the contrast and angle. In the picture below, the left one looks half purple and half orange while the right one is mostly orange.

 

[Inst]

Old pictures of the J-20's weapons bays shows mounting for a total of 6 rails. In theory, the J-20 should be able to mount at least 6 AAMs (future micromissiles can easily raise this number to 12 or more), but in practice the PL-15's dimensions make it impossible to mount more than 4 of them.

 

[Air Force Brat]

It is much more obvious in your image that the nozzles are black with jagged edges. However, you can tell even in the original that the engines had a larger diameter than that of the AL-31.

Actually the engines are inter changeable, the WS-15 does have a significantly larger hot section diameter, but the WS-10/AL-31 are basically twins. The nozzles are somewhat different....

Nozzles first compress down to increase thrust in dry power region, then open up as you push the throttles forward to ignite the burner! whoooeee! that's a lot of fun! (check out Top Gun)

As some have commented, the flame appearance depends on many variables starting with mixture, (hence the reason twin engine fighters sometimes have two different hues to the visible afterburner flame).

As well as fuel and atmospheric and lighting conditions, so I wouldn't get to specific as to origins by flame appearance.....

 

[Air Force Brat]

I might not be seeing right, but why is the afterburner looking red? Different fuel mix compared to al31?

Yes, mixture is the most significant factor, if you've ever operated an acetylene torch, you know what I'm talking about. A yellowish to orange flame is fuel rich, as you cut back the fuel and increase the o2, the flame cleans up and goes to bright blue, sound changes as well, same as burner.....

I would that temperature and atmospheric conditions affect mixture as well.

 

[Inst]

Shame it's not good enough a resolution to get a petal count. WS-10 is 18, AL-31 is 16, WS-15 is supposedly 15.

As far as flame color, more energetic flames (higher energy) tend to have colors verging toward purple or at least blue.

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