Chinese Trainer Aircraft (JL-8, JL-9, JL-10 (L-15), etc.)

ACuriousPLAFan said:

No. "WS-15 on JL-10" is just some ignoramous stuff coming out of those authors of CMPR 2024. There is absolutely neither plan nor possibility for WS-15 to be installed onboard any JL-10 without significant changes to the aircraft itself, such that Hongdu AC might as well design a brand new trainer aircraft from scratch.

Also, the WS-15 is sorely needed by new J-20As that will be rolling off the production line starting in 2025. There is also the consideration where some kind of WS-15-variant will be used onboard China's J-XD, H-20 and high-end loyal wingman UCAV too. Therefore, there will be no spare production capacity for the WS-15 to be used on anything else for the foreseeable period of time.

As for the WS-17 - Perhaps the engine just isn't that high on the PLAAF priority list compared to other, more critical engines (WS-15, WS-19, ACE WS-XX etc), given its relatively limited applications - And that perhaps Russia is still deemed capable of fulfilling China's orders for the Al-222-25 engines such that a domestic replacement isn't as urgently demanded.

However, given that Yankee in 2022 said that they “recently” restarted investigation into domestic engine development for JL-10, I believe we may actually see WS-17-equipped JL-10 in the future. Just don't expect it to happen anytime soon.

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sunnymaxi said:

WS-17 is a very interesting case..

since the Ukraine-Russian War, China didn't receive any Engine shipment from Ukraine. and Russia itself just indigenized the parts of Al-222 for their trainer aircraft. and right now there is no such a news that, Russia will supply those engines to JL-10..

so we have two options left. China still have old stock of Al-222 or they have started to produce Al-222 by themselves. China now has very large supply chain of Gas turbine industry so manufacturing of such a low thrust engine components is not a problem..

JL-10 is under production and China is even exporting those aircrafts it means there is no issue of Engine supply. so don't be surprised if they are producing Al-222 engine in-house just like Russia.

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Semi-Lobster said:

Haha, yes I know the amount of work to convert a double engine aircraft to a single engine aircraft is basically not worth it.

But the whole thing mainly reminded me about how little information on the WS-17 there has been lately, especially given the international situation that Ivchenko-Progress is in right now. While it was never the most glamorous project, but there is a place for small low-bypass turbofan engines, especially on the export market for military trainers and drones.

Click to expand...

Semi-Lobster said:

Haha, yes I know the amount of work to convert a double engine aircraft to a single engine aircraft is basically not worth it.

But the whole thing mainly reminded me about how little information on the WS-17 there has been lately, especially given the international situation that Ivchenko-Progress is in right now. While it was never the most glamorous project, but there is a place for small low-bypass turbofan engines, especially on the export market for military trainers and drones.

Click to expand...