J-20 5th Generation Fighter VII

Status
Not open for further replies.

james smith esq

Senior Member
Registered Member
Also, notice that, unlike in the other test-bed photo, these exhaust nozzles appear to be roughly equal in length. Is it possible that two separate engine tests are going on simultaneously?
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Also, notice that, unlike in the other test-bed photo, these exhaust nozzles appear to be roughly equal in length. Is it possible that two separate engine tests are going on simultaneously?

The left engine is an Al-31, the right engine is the new engine.
The nozzle lengths appear very different to me, which is very apparent when looking at other recent pictures of the aircraft such as this one.

qFzDAwS.jpeg
 

james smith esq

Senior Member
Registered Member
The left engine is an Al-31, the right engine is the new engine.
The nozzle lengths appear very different to me, which is very apparent when looking at other recent pictures of the aircraft such as this one.

qFzDAwS.jpeg
So, your take is that these photos are of the same test-bed? Okay!
And, btw, I know which engine is which!
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Just did a count. This engine seems to have fewer nozzle petals than the WS-10B-3 13 vs 15?

Yeah.

Petal count isn't decisive of course, and it's possible this could still be a WS-10 variant with a new nozzle, but at the same time the last year or so's rumours about J-20 test flying with WS-15 cannot be ignored either.

I'm 50/50 to say that we might be seeing WS-15 here, which is about the highest rating I've ever given to a "possible WS-15 emergence" episode.


What have the usual suspects in the grapevine been saying about these pictures?


ws15 petals possible.jpgws10 petal count.jpg
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
So, our take is that these photos are of the same test-bed? Okay!

Honestly, I didn't even entertain the idea that they would be different airframes.
Do we have a reason to believe there are two different airframes flying, which both happen to have their right engine nozzle (or engine entirely) be visually different from the left?

I would think the most common sense logic, given the multiple pictures over the last half year or so -- see this compilation below made by Deino -- means that this new clearer picture just depicts the same aircraft as taken in all of these images...

occHrlD.png
 

james smith esq

Senior Member
Registered Member
Honestly, I didn't even entertain the idea that they would be different airframes.
Do we have a reason to believe there are two different airframes flying, which both happen to have their right engine nozzle (or engine entirely) be visually different from the left?

I would think the most common sense logic, given the multiple pictures over the last half year or so -- see this compilation below made by Deino -- means that this new clearer picture just depicts the same aircraft as taken in all of these images...

occHrlD.png
Well, I guess it’s a matter of whether I believe you, or my lying eyes! Lol I’m just not seeing the drastic length difference in the latest pic that’s shown in the earlier one. Then again, who knows what adjustments might have been made in the interim.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top