Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator

Bltizo said:

We know the airframe must at least be diffrerent from FC-31 v1 and v2 because it's a navalized/carrierborne variant.

But we've never had any indication that WS-19 would be ready for the prototype, so I dont' think there's any reason to entertain the question of whether WS-19 is installed in the prototype... because that idea was never a possibility to begin with.

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What do you think about the supposed existence of a WS-13E?

New photo just got posted:



However, whether this is a Photoshopped image, the repainted FC-31 2.0, or indeed a new prototype remains to be seen. There is no evidence of a tailhook.

URL:

Looks like it should be the repainted FC-31 V2 to me.

The paint scheme is consistent with the paint scheme that we know FC-31 V2 had been repainted with last year.



I would suspect these pictures to be newly released pictures taken some time ago, potentially released now due to the rumoured activity relating to FC-31V3/J-XY

Bltizo said:

Looks like it should be the repainted FC-31 V2 to me.

The paint scheme is consistent with the paint scheme that we know FC-31 V2 had been repainted with last year.



I would suspect these pictures to be newly released pictures taken some time ago, potentially released now due to the rumoured activity relating to FC-31V3/J-XY

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Supposedly taken in 2018-2019. Maybe they're being released as some sort of a striptease related to the J-35 rumors?

Or maybe the guy who supposedly saw the J-35 mistook the 2.0 for a new prototype. Who knows.

Would be interesting to know if these latest rumors concerning the allefged V3 prototype are based on these ones.

Via @钢铁机机 from Weibo

Deino said:

Via @钢铁机机 from Weibo

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Honest question -- why do you say that it is J-35?

To me it just looks like FC-31 V2???

Bltizo said:

Honest question -- why do you say that it is J-35?

To me it just looks like FC-31 V2???

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Agreed no tail hook to be seen.

siegecrossbow said:

Agreed no tail hook to be seen.

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More than that -- I literally can't see any difference between FC-31 V2 and that drawing.
E.g.: no folding wing creases, the wing length and fuselage geometry all looks identical to normal FC-31 V2 -- which are some structural changes we should have expected.

Not to mention the colour of the aircraft here depicted seems to be the same as FC-31 V2 originally when it emerged in primer colours years ago.


I feel like this is just an old drawing??

The chassis above is just the black one repainted right? or is it a version 2 and we're really waiting for a Version 3 naval variant?

Just want to be clear about it.