Can the FC-31 benefit from the development of the WS-15 engine in any way? Even if it can't use it directly (although I don't see why it couldn't), surely the expertise gained from designing the WS-15 can be used to develop an equivalent engine for the FC-31.
J-35 carrier fighter (PLAN) thread
- Thread starter Deino
- Start date
lcloo
Captain
Knowlege gained from development of WS15 can benefit WS-13 egine delopment of FC-31/J35. However, the size of WS-15 is too large and not suitable for FC-31/J35, it would be like trying to put a huge V6 engine into a Toyota Corolla.
Yes, WS-19 is the intended engine for the J-XY/35 in the same way WS-15 is the intended engine for J-20, and we've known for a long time now that WS-19's development has greatly benefitted from WS-15 related R&D and overall aeroengine industry advancements.
(Here I'll use J-31/35 instead of FC-31.)
Just to respond to the bolded sentence:
Due to WS-15 being tailor-made for the J-20 (which is a large-sized, heavy-weight fighter), it has to be large in order to power that beast of a jet. The J-31/35, in contrast, is a medium-sized, medium-weight fighter. Hence, there is only so much space onboard the J-31/35 to fit one WS-15 (seen below).
Speaking of having only one WS-15 versus having two WS-19s - Here are their respective estimated max thrusts, based on what we know so far:
WS-15: ~18-18.5 tons
WS-19: ~10-11 tons
We can see that having two WS-19s onboard actually provides much more powerful thrust to the J-31/35, compared to just having one WS-15 onboard.
Then, there are all sorts of computer systems onboard the J-31/35, which requires sufficient amount of power that can only be generated by the engines onboard as soon as they left their parking space. Having two WS-19s provides much more power to power those systems onboard the J-31/35 than having just one WS-15.
Furthermore, the demand for power will only increase further, as the J-31/35 is expected to receive further hardware and software upgrades in the coming years. Needless to say, those two WS-19s can definitely provide a larger amount of spare/reserve power for the J-31/35 to receive future, more power-hungry upgrades - While the opposite is true for having only one WS-15.
TL; DR: Having only WS-15 per J-31/35 is going to be handicapping - Perhaps even outright crippling - The J-31/35, thus causing the fighter jet to underperform and rendered incapable of fighting in the skies of today and tomorrow.
Just to respond to the bolded sentence:
Mainly because you would be copying the , and pasting them right onto the J-31/35.
Due to WS-15 being tailor-made for the J-20 (which is a large-sized, heavy-weight fighter), it has to be large in order to power that beast of a jet. The J-31/35, in contrast, is a medium-sized, medium-weight fighter. Hence, there is only so much space onboard the J-31/35 to fit one WS-15 (seen below).
Speaking of having only one WS-15 versus having two WS-19s - Here are their respective estimated max thrusts, based on what we know so far:
WS-15: ~18-18.5 tons
WS-19: ~10-11 tons
We can see that having two WS-19s onboard actually provides much more powerful thrust to the J-31/35, compared to just having one WS-15 onboard.
Then, there are all sorts of computer systems onboard the J-31/35, which requires sufficient amount of power that can only be generated by the engines onboard as soon as they left their parking space. Having two WS-19s provides much more power to power those systems onboard the J-31/35 than having just one WS-15.
Furthermore, the demand for power will only increase further, as the J-31/35 is expected to receive further hardware and software upgrades in the coming years. Needless to say, those two WS-19s can definitely provide a larger amount of spare/reserve power for the J-31/35 to receive future, more power-hungry upgrades - While the opposite is true for having only one WS-15.
TL; DR: Having only WS-15 per J-31/35 is going to be handicapping - Perhaps even outright crippling - The J-31/35, thus causing the fighter jet to underperform and rendered incapable of fighting in the skies of today and tomorrow.
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Uh the primary reason why WS-15 could not be used on J-XY/35 is because the WS-15 and the WS-13/21/19 are on different size and thrust categories, and the fact that J-XY/35 is designed from the outset as a twin engine aircraft with its fuselage and cross section all being sized for two WS-13/21/19 engines.
Everything else apart from those two factors is basically irrelevant.
In fact even the thrust difference isn't that important in terms of being the true reason why it won't work -- one only needs to look at the difference in size, i.e. the difference in engine diameter between the two.
Hypothetically replacing the two WS-13/21/19s with a single WS-15 means you are designing a whole new aircraft -- that is the biggest primary reason why J-XY/35 cannot be powered by a single WS-15.
It's like the idea of a single F135 replacing the two F414 on a Super Hornet -- it just wouldn't work, it would be a brand new aircraft.
All the rest of it, about engine cooling, growth potential etc, are all debatable and frankly irrelevant in context of the fact that J-XY/35 as an aircraft just isn't able to physically have a single WS-15 in the place of two WS-13/21/19 engines.
And if he meant having two WS-15s in the place of two WS-13/21/19 engines, it would be even more ludicrous.
In my reply I decided to deliberately pretend I didn't read that part of his post because it's so strange and explaining it would somehow lower everyone's collective comprehension of the subject.
But if we have to address it, the basest and most obvious reason why J-XY/35 cannot accommodate WS-15 (whether it is as a single engine replacing its current two engines, or as two engines replacing its current two engines) is because it physically cannot do so, and to do so would require a redesign to such a point that you would essentially be designing a brand new airframe.
Yes, I think your explanation is much more accurate and throughout. Much thanks!
Your points about cooling and growth capacity are also very much relevant and good top point out, to credit those.
But in this case the most direct explanation to a question that amounts as "why can't this engine be used in this fighter," is best given as "that engine literally doesn't fit at all".
Really? ... IMO highly unlikely, both such a WS-15 variant and a single engined fighter
Due to the following discussion on this will derail this thread, the continuation on the discussion has been continued in the Ask Anything Thread (Air Force).