Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator
- Thread starter RedSky
- Start date
manqiangrexue
Brigadier
Ah, maybe it is the design for the enlarged naval tender. Looks like they're getting some ideas from Changdu!Some screen grabs from a video. Since I don't have access to it, I don't know what it's about, beyond that it shows some footage from Shenyang.
Will J-31 come with side weapons bays? Or does this footage belong to J-20?
A model showing off external hardpoints...
Maybe SAC is a subcontractor for the J-20's side bay.Some screen grabs from a video. Since I don't have access to it, I don't know what it's about, beyond that it shows some footage from Shenyang.
Will J-31 come with side weapons bays? Or does this footage belong to J-20?
A model showing off external hardpoints...
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
Looking at J-20 pics, the side weapons bay aren't located under the wings.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Some screen grabs from a video. Since I don't have access to it, I don't know what it's about, beyond that it shows some footage from Shenyang.
Will J-31 come with side weapons bays? Or does this footage belong to J-20?
A model showing off external hardpoints...
The first photo clearly shows a J-20 weapons bay model, nothing to do with FC-31 program. PB19980515 has already confirmed that the FC-31 & J-XY does not and will not have a side weapons bay.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
What makes you think the model represented a wing instead of a canard?
Because the J-20 canard is shorter than its side bay, while this photo shows the surface above the bay is much longer, more like a wing than canard. Also, the J-20 canard covers front half of the bay only, this photo shows the surface covers the whole side bay and beyond.
It is interesting to see why there is such a mockup that does not match what we have seen from either FC-31 or J-20. If the mockup is not supposed to be accurate, why bother to put a surface above the bay at all?
Could this video reflects an earlier configuration of FC-31 which was later dropped? Due to the structure constraint of the air duct?
SinoSoldier
Colonel
We're overthinking this. We don't even know if the top "flat" portion is even supposed to represent an accurate wing or simply something to make the model "complete". What we do know is that the FC-31 is too small to add a weapons bay on the side, and that the timeline given for the J-XY program leaves no room for such a radical redesign.
BTW there is no proof that the video is from SAC.
I think that the model is that of the J-20's side bay, and that the other portions of the model are not and need not be accurate for the purpose of testing the weapons bay.