PLA Air Force news, pics and videos

iBBz

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Here's the
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. The system is designed to power multiple direct energy weapons without affecting the operation of the main turbofans.
Thank you for posting that. So according to the patent, there is a compressor stage (number 14 on the drawing) that is connected to the compressor shaft via a clutch (number 15 on the drawing) and while the clutch is disengaged, it works as a variable guide vane. When an energy weapon is set to be activated, the controller determines how much power the specific weapon requires, engages the clutch and fires up number 14 and actuates its blade pitch in order to supercharge bypass the airflow and maintain bypass ratio, opens up the throttle body of the turbine duct to a specified position based on how much power is required by the energy weapon, then adjusts the combustor fuel injection and actuates other guide vane angles based on the changes in the turbofan state caused by the previous steps as well as the speed of the aircraft. The patent also states that should the turbine need an S-shape exhaust (I guess for LO applications), it can be done without problems. The patent also states that the exhaust of the turbine (number 12 on the drawing) can be designed to provide a bit of thrust and reduce waste.

It is a nice design. I guess what they mean by it not affecting the operation of the turbofan, is that the turbine doesn't have any direct mechanical links to the turbofan, and this system is designed to turn on and off frequently on demand, which means if it were to be an IDG with a clutch, it would shock the engine every time it is activated, as opposed to this design, which produces significantly less shock.

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ACuriousPLAFan

Brigadier
Registered Member
Previously discussed in the J-35 thread of the Navy forum, with the discussion moved here, judging on recent developments.

Shenyang Aircraft Corp to start the construction of a new manufacturing/assembly hall. Length ~750 meters x Width ~290 meters x Height ~16 meters. Total build-up area is ~280 thousand m2.

Slated to start construction on the 19th this month, expected completion by the late-June 2025. Serial production inside the hall can be expected to begin sometime in 2026 or 2027.

Posted by @伏尔戈星图 on Weibo.

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It is said that this new Shenyang hall is comparable in size to the USAF Plant 4 building (responsible for manufacturing F-35s) in Forth Worth, Texas.
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According to him, the mass production of the J-35/31 can be expected in the future once the new hall enters operation.

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Personal comment (in Italic):
Perhaps this could also be hinting towards PLAAF operating land-based variant of the J-35/31 in the future?


PS: Addition
Note that I cannot vouch for the veracity of this (merely based on viewing other people's comments and my own gut feeling), so please reserve your judgement until official confirmation is available.

Latest satellite photo update (January 2025) on the new Shenyang AC production site located north of Shenyang, posted by @HMS_Astute in the comment section underneath Shenhua's post about the expected annual production rate of China's 5th-gen fighters in the coming years on Weibo.

The site looks less likely to be ready by the middle of this year, although the main assembly hall has already topped-out and the runway has started construction.

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Approximate location of the new Shenyang AC production site on Google Maps:
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Location of the current Shenyang AC production site (for reference):
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Deino

Lieutenant General
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Previously discussed in the J-35 thread of the Navy forum, discussion moved here judging on recent developments.



Latest satellite photo update (photographed just days ago at the earliest) on the new Shenyang AC production site located north of Shenyang, posted by @HMS_Astute in the comment section underneath Shenhua's post about the expected annual production rate of China's 5th-gen fighters in the coming years on Weibo.

The site looks less likely to be ready by the middle of this year, although the main assembly hall has already topped-out and the runway has started construction.

View attachment 142895

Approximate location of the new Shenyang AC production site on Google Maps:
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Location of the current Shenyang AC production site (for reference):
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Could you post a link to this "post about the expected annual production rate of China's 5th-gen fighters in the coming years on Weibo" please!?
 

ACuriousPLAFan

Brigadier
Registered Member
Could you post a link to this "post about the expected annual production rate of China's 5th-gen fighters in the coming years on Weibo" please!?

Link:
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Cute Orca (quote-post replying to the news of the LockMart's announcement on delivering 110x F-35s in 2024: Yes, we (China) should be close to that number (in terms of 5th-gen fighter's production/delivery rate).
Shenhua (replying to Cute Orca): The (production speed of) J-20 is actually about right at this rate, and future increments will depend largely on how much capacity can be expanded from that massive assembly hall at the Shenyang (AC's) plant.
The combined annual production rates (of 5th-gen fighters) in the north (Shenyang AC) and south (Chengdu AC) consituting more than half of the world's annual production rate (in the future/coming years) shouldn't be a problem at all.
 
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lcloo

Captain
China definitely need more than 1,000 5th gen fighter jets if a war with US is inevitable. China has to prepared for battles with almost all F-35 available to US and its allies.

History of US ganged up with its allies against an opponent has been modus operandi for more than 100 years, examples Boxer rebellion, Korean war, Vietnam war, Gulf war, Balkan war, Afghan war to current Ukraine war (NATO proxy war against Russians). In Ukraine war, US and the West keep on supplying war materials from NATO and non-NATO countries. The same could happen if F-35 stocks in USAF and USN Air Wing get depleted in air battles against China, they will need to "loan" whatever number of F-35 available from its allies and friendly nations.

Also adding 200 F-22 to 1,000 F-35 manufactured so far, China may face a posibility of of 1,200 5 gen fighter from opponent camps.

Therefore 1,200 J20 and J35/A should be the minimum. And to keep PLAAF and PLAN Aviation functioning after heavy attrition losses, a few hundred more 5th gen are needed, and also 6th gen when they started serial production in the next decades.
 
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