PLA next/6th generation fighter thread
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
I am not sure how your statement conflicts from my.
Cute Orca on Weibo hinted that the Sino-NGAD concept/technology demonstrator/prototype will be powered by some kind of WS-10 variant.
Well, China isn't stuck with Russian engines from the get-go for their newest warplanes anymore, so that's something.
Well, China isn't stuck with Russian engines from the get-go for their newest warplanes anymore, so that's something.
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The importance of risk reduction remains well and true for the PLA.
Al-31 had been in service for decades by the time that J-10 and then J-20 prototype/tech demo first flew -- with WS-10 still in development at the time of J-10's maiden flight and only in service for a couple of years at the time of J-20's maiden flight.
If J-XD first flies in the next year or so, having a WS-10 variant would at least be an engine that's been in service for over a decade and a half. Meanwhile WS-15 has yet to enter service and accumulate the flight hours that it needs, and we don't even know what the intended engine for J-XD is meant to be or how far it is actually along in development.
So being powered by WS-10 in some form was really the most likely option (unless they wanted to be even more conservative and give J-XDs Al-31s to begin with lol)
IMO, some of the big questions for J-XD's powerplant in coming years to be answered will be:
- what are the characteristics of the WS-10s to be used on J-XD, including internal/output characteristics, but also how it is integrated to the fuselage which may indicate how the subsequent engines (including final intended engine) for it will be configured
- what will be the engine be on J-XD in its initial production runs/service -- i.e.: keeping the same WS-10 variant, or will they be confident enough to roll over to WS-15 or even a WS-15 variant partway through prototyping, and what would the testing for that require
- what will be the final intended engine for J-XD and learning its designation, as well as the timeline and characteristics
If the first airframe is to validate airframe aerodynamics interim engine details really may not be that important. So long as the engine provides enough thrust they can get the data they need.
All very true, in theory.
Whether they stick with WS-10 for initial prototyping and to early production, will probably depend much on how they view the maturity of WS-15 and their confidence in it. Also relevant is how much of a modification the WS-10 they first use will be (in theory a significant derivative of it could also carry J-XD through prototyping and early production)
Edit: given historical PLAAF conservativeness wrt powerplants, I would err on the side of the less interesting option
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In this case WS-10 is for prototype testflight only. The J-XD will enter service with WS-15 as interim while they wait on variable cycle engine, which purportedly is coming along smoothly.
by the time J-XD will enter in service, WS-15 will be in full scale production most probably with improved variant. so yeah
That doesn't make sense. If the WS-15 is mature enough for the PLAAF to have the confidence to switch all new J-20s over to it, it's mature enough for early production J-XD.