J-35 carrier fighter (PLAN) thread

[pakje]

Some comments from Shilao podcast today about J-35.
- Saying that there are more than 1 real prototype of J-35s in test (so not counting models)
- Development is proceeding well
- Size was larger than the original FC-31 as we discussed here.
- Sounds like WS-19 will be ready for production variant, or at lest soon after its starts production (rather than the long wait for WS-15)
- They also talked about super cruise on J-35. Sounds like it's a real requirement for it.
- Sounds like PLAN wants this in service asap. J-15 has complex folding mechanism requiring both wing and stabilizer to be folded. Not desirable for deck operation.

So is the J-35 name going to stick?

 

[Michaelsinodef]

Some comments from Shilao podcast today about J-35.
- Saying that there are more than 1 real prototype of J-35s in test (so not counting models)
- Development is proceeding well
- Size was larger than the original FC-31 as we discussed here.
- Sounds like WS-19 will be ready for production variant, or at lest soon after its starts production (rather than the long wait for WS-15)
- They also talked about super cruise on J-35. Sounds like it's a real requirement for it.
- Sounds like PLAN wants this in service asap. J-15 has complex folding mechanism requiring both wing and stabilizer to be folded. Not desirable for deck operation.

Where do you listen to shilao podcast, not up on bilibili yet.

 

[siegecrossbow]

Where do you listen to shilao podcast, not up on bilibili yet.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

 

[Awwkus]

Some comments from Shilao podcast today about J-35.
- Saying that there are more than 1 real prototype of J-35s in test (so not counting models)
- Development is proceeding well
- Size was larger than the original FC-31 as we discussed here.
- Sounds like WS-19 will be ready for production variant, or at lest soon after its starts production (rather than the long wait for WS-15)
- They also talked about super cruise on J-35. Sounds like it's a real requirement for it.
- Sounds like PLAN wants this in service asap. J-15 has complex folding mechanism requiring both wing and stabilizer to be folded. Not desirable for deck operation.

What is the Shilao podcast? I couldn’t find an episode for today on Dragonfly FM

 

[Michaelsinodef]

What is the Shilao podcast? I couldn’t find an episode for today on Dragonfly FM

I think they live stream/live podcast and then sometime after (like a day or a few days) it comes onto sites like qingting.fm and bilibili.

(And @siegecrossbow must have been on for the live podcast I think).

 

[Jason_]

They also said the length of the J-35 is ~17m.

 

[Temstar]

if the size of J35 is almost as big as F22 according to this guy, I won't be surprised if this beauty is flying with 2 WS-10 or WS-15

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1510219952543997954

17m according to Shilao and Yankee.

But it's a good point and Shilao and Yankee went into depth about this. The aircraft has grown so much since the initial FC-31 that people indeed are asking the same question you are asking here: why not just two WS-10?


After the huge Snow Owl (left, which was indeed two high thrust engine heavy fighter) lost to the J-20 in the 5th gen fighter contest SAC thought about what to do next and decided on a 5th gen medium fighter with two medium thrust engines. There's nothing in that segment of the ecosystem so they figured by targeting this size their project is more likely to be accepted by someone since it has no competition.

But once PLAN took interest the size of the aircraft grew and grew, hence why they spent so much effort on the aerodynamics to compensate for the growing size.

 

[SinoSoldier]

Update from Huitong:

A recent rumor (March 2021) suggested that a dedicated variant (J-31?) is being developed for PLAAF without arresting hook and folded wings. An airframe was rumored to have been transported to the 623 Institute for static tests in March 2022. First flight may be possible in late 2022.

If this is accurate, and assuming that such a project exists, then its development is faster than that of the J-35. The J-35 static test frame was delivered in September 2020, IIRC, but didn't make its first flight until well over a year thereafter.

 

[Blitzo]

17m according to Shilao and Yankee.

But it's a good point and Shilao and Yankee went into depth about this. The aircraft has grown so much since the initial FC-31 that people indeed are asking the same question you are asking here: why not just two WS-10?

View attachment 86463
After the huge Snow Owl (left, which was indeed two high thrust engine heavy fighter) lost to the J-20 in the 5th gen fighter contest SAC thought about what to do next and decided on a 5th gen medium fighter with two medium thrust engines. There's nothing in that segment of the ecosystem so they figured by targeting this size their project is more likely to be accepted by someone since it has no competition.

But once PLAN took interest the size of the aircraft grew and grew, hence why they spent so much effort on the aerodynamics to compensate for the growing size.

I'm surprised that people are saying that the size of the aircraft grew.

We already had specifications of the original FC-31 V2 from AVIC, and it wasn't small (already 17.3m long).

J-XY/35 may be slightly larger and slightly heavier than FC-31 V2, but not by much (of course, we already know that it has a larger wingspan, we are unsure if it will be longer).
At any rate, it isn't intended to be a heavyweight fighter, and is expected to have a MTOW just slightly above 30t, which is perfectly reasonable when powered by two of the intended WS-19s.

Update from Huitong:


If this is accurate, and assuming that such a project exists, then its development is faster than that of the J-35. The J-35 static test frame was delivered in September 2020, IIRC, but didn't make its first flight until well over a year thereafter.

We've had rumours of a land based variant of J-XY/35 for a while now, it's pretty much expected, and I would say right now it is as guaranteed to emerge as the J-XY/35 (carrier variant) was expected to emerge between 2019-2021.

Given the land based variant, is well, a variant/derivative of the more complex J-XY/35 which has not only already flown but is arguably a more complex and heavily engineered aircraft, it would not surprise me that the land based variant may proceed through its initial stages slightly brisker.

 

[SinoSoldier]

We've had rumours of a land based variant of J-XY/35 for a while now, it's pretty much expected, and I would say right now it is as guaranteed to emerge as the J-XY/35 (carrier variant) was expected to emerge between 2019-2021.

Given the land based variant, is well, a variant/derivative of the more complex J-XY/35 which has not only already flown but is arguably a more complex and heavily engineered aircraft, it would not surprise me that the land based variant may proceed through its initial stages slightly brisker.

It will be interesting to see if the J-35 and J-31 will be offshoots of the baseline FC-31 or if the 31 will be developed from the 35. I'm suspecting the former, but won't be surprised to see the latter.