Firstly, the following was my initial thinking in January and October of 2021. Nothing official or concrete! All were based on: experience with operating a carrier aircraft the size of the J-15; developing an aircraft based on the FC-31; the assessed (at the time) size of Carrier 003's lifts;
Key features of the PLAN’s stealth fighter will likely include significant internal fuel capacity, large wing area, good wing folding reduction (note how well the J-15 “folds”), and internal weapons storage of at least 4 x AAM or 2 x AAM and 2 x land attack weapons. If based on the F/C-31, it is likely the new aircraft will have a larger wing area (and greater span) and possibly slightly longer fuselage. However, the PLAN will not want the aircraft to be too large due to the impact on hangar storage and deck operations, something they have learned from operating the J-15 and which will likely remain a key platform for the CATOBAR carriers. The new aircraft will likely have larger physical dimensions than the F-35C but smaller than the F-18E.
Recent photos suggest a bulkier fuselage aft of the cockpit, providing additional space for fuel or avionics. It is still difficult to determine the wingspan and folded wind area or internal weapons bay from the latest photos.
Based on an evolution from the FC-31, and a rough estimate of the aircraft elevator dimensions of carrier 003, it is possible that the new Navy Stealth Fight has broadly the following dimensions:
Length: 17.5M (previous version's assessed length of 17.3M)
Wingspan: 13M (unsupported assessment)
Folded: 9M (unsupported assessment)
Empty Weight: 16000kg (unsupported assessment)
Max Weight: 30000kg (unsupported assessment)
Powerplant: 2 x 95Kn (based on anecdotal evidence of WS-13E)
