J-15 carrier fighter thread

[Alfa_Particle]

B/c evidently crappy 30-year old engine is still better enough for the specific application, despite not being domestic.

Which is risk, but also money going elsewhere and political backlash.
Given that Al-31 is old and is clearly weak for this aircraft, it should give you an idea or two on how "suitable" WS-10 is for the job to this very day.

It's absolutely not as simple as that lol, I'm sorry but this black-and-white logic is just laughable. Just because they're currently opting for AL-31Fs DOES NOT mean that performance-wise the WS-10 is worse.

It could be due to a variety of other reasons, costs, logistics, other political pressures, etc. They are way more likely as actual reasons and I can't stress enough how ridiculous your thoughts train is.

 

[Gloire_bb]

It's absolutely not as simple as that lol, I'm sorry but this black-and-white logic is just laughable. Just because they're currently opting for AL-31Fs DOES NOT mean that performance-wise the WS-10 is worse.

It means exactly that. Because, again, old and outdated engine is preferred no matter what - for J-15T (same generation of electronics as J-20a btw) and J-15TD(Dian of all things).

The only reason to explain it is that WS-10 just doesn't work for practical deck ops. And note, we're talking about carrier air. It's a program where people are working themselves to death on spot - if something can be resolved. This is no forum argument.

It could be due to a variety of other reasons, costs, logistics, other political pressures, etc. They are way more likely as actual reasons and I can't stress enough how ridiculous your thoughts train is.

Thought train is simple - given than China changes engines to national ones at first opportunity, you're at this point likely calling for a killing blow on entire carrier arm. Which isn't exactly rich when it comes to their unique pilots.

There's no good reason to sit on AL-31FN if there's any suitable alternative whatsoever, and the obvious answer is there's none. You aren't going to be widowed for forum messages, ultimately, nor you're going be the representative guy at funeral. Or explaining to CMC, why one of largest national projects period ran into a wall.

When WS-10(or not 10) will produce a viable marine fighter engine, we'll see it.

 

[...........]

AL31 needs to die now it did enough any delay is risking J15t pilots lives and the aircraft no excuses

 

[latenlazy]

It means exactly that. Because, again, old and outdated engine is preferred no matter what - for J-15T (same generation of electronics as J-20a btw) and J-15TD(Dian of all things).

The only reason to explain it is that WS-10 just doesn't work for practical deck ops. And note, we're talking about carrier air. It's a program where people are working themselves to death on spot - if something can be resolved. This is no forum argument.

Thought train is simple - given than China changes engines to national ones at first opportunity, you're at this point likely calling for a killing blow on entire carrier arm. Which isn't exactly rich when it comes to their unique pilots.

There's no good reason to sit on AL-31FN if there's any suitable alternative whatsoever, and the obvious answer is there's none. You aren't going to be widowed for forum messages, ultimately, nor you're going be the representative guy at funeral. Or explaining to CMC, why one of largest national projects period ran into a wall.

When WS-10(or not 10) will produce a viable marine fighter engine, we'll see it.

Old J-15s aren’t likely to be reworked to fly with WS-10s in any near term window anymore than old J-11Bs, J-10s, and J-20s will be. This is not about the relative quality and capability of each engine design, but is simply a matter of logistical practicalities. It takes some significant work to re-equip old J-15s with a different family of engines, and given other more high value and pressing priorities that level of commitment is simply not worth the effort, especially for airframes that are far more likely to see early retirement or relegation to training equipment more than a MLU.

AL31 needs to die now it did enough any delay is risking J15t pilots lives and the aircraft no excuses

The J-15T is already flying with Taihang.

 

[Blitzo]

The J-15T is already flying with Taihang.

All production J-15T to date are still using Al-31s.

There's no good reason to sit on AL-31FN if there's any suitable alternative whatsoever, and the obvious answer is there's none. You aren't going to be widowed for forum messages, ultimately, nor you're going be the representative guy at funeral. Or explaining to CMC, why one of largest national projects period ran into a wall.

I'm pretty sure this topic was already discussed like a year or so ago with some opinions from the usual trio, I'm not sure why it's being relitigated.

 

[latenlazy]

All production J-15T to date are still using Al-31s.

Last Zhuhai had a J-15T with Taihang no?

 

[Lethe]

Years back the speculation was that WS-10 had poor throttle response time, relevant for carrier landing scenarios that involve transitioning from low throttle approach to max throttle on touchdown so that, in the event that the aircraft misses all arrestor wires, it can subsequently recover and go around rather than running off the deck and into the sea. Perhaps this shortfall has yet to be resolved.

It is interesting to contemplate what other technical characteristics might impinge on suitability for carrier applications but be of lesser importance for land-based applications. Resistant to saltwater corrosion? Stability and granularity of response at low throttle settings? Resistance to foreign object damage and associated ease of maintainability and repair given limited onboard facilities? Mechanical durability characteristics associated with high dynamic loads experienced in both catapult take-off and arrested recovery?

 

[Blitzo]

Last Zhuhai had a J-15T with Taihang no?

That, to date, was the only J-15T airframe powered by WS-10 that we've seen definitively confirmed, from memory. It was 1518 serial I believe, a test airframe.

All other J-15T airframes (including all in service/production airframes) are Al-31 powered.

 

[Neurosmith]

Leg day (J-15DH vs J-15DT)

 

[Clango]

B/c evidently crappy 30-year old engine is still better enough for the specific application, despite not being domestic.

Which is risk, but also money going elsewhere and political backlash.
Given that Al-31 is old and is clearly weak for this aircraft, it should give you an idea or two on how "suitable" WS-10 is for the job to this very day.

Maybe naval ops is just that much rougher, at least recent rumours seem to indicate that the WS19 has no such problem