Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator
- Thread starter RedSky
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Before The First Flight (A.Man In Shanghai)
Detailed Photos For Chase J-11BS
This is the best evidence to support that those photo were not leaked, they are rather released on purpose. Why do we have detail photo of the chase plane, while blurry photo of J-31?
Shenyang are getting good at playing this game, this will definitely going to viral in the next few days, and yes, expect a crap load of butthurt "Chinese copy" comments as well.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
Weird photo unveiling.
Before The First Flight (A.Man In Shanghai)
Detailed Photos For Chase J-11BS
the third picture showing J-11bs carrying a pod.look like some sort of large aperture camera.
Well, on the question of which foreign countries might get the Shenyang 31001, I'm not informed enough about other countries with so many factors in the play, but it should be safe to bet that: Pakistan will have it when India gets the T-50 or any 5th Gen. aircraft and IF by that time the 31001 is ready to sell.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
Unless Jimmy Hoffa, Bruce Lee, and Elvis are in the picture, why bother covering things up now?
MwRYum
Major
Weird photo unveiling.
To counter censorship that is, still the level of attention is pale in comparison with Project 718 is getting.
Calling it the next carrier-borne fighter for the PLAN is immature, for the simple ground that China have yet log enough hours of deck operations, there's just not enough operational hours with the J-15 - itself still in the prototype stage - to garner enough feedback to realize them on this new plane.
Besides, it'll take a few more months before more empirical evidence to prove that it really flies, and more importantly, with what engines - China's export market is nailed by the fact that it doesn't produce engines in the same weight-performance category as US / Russia / Europe.
More pictures please!
I think we can be quite confident that it can and has flown. We're talking days if not hours of waiting to get high res pictures I think.
It is somewhat early to call it the next carrier-borne fighter I agree, but that's the direction the rumours are heading in.
If we remember a few years back there was a line drawing/cutaway of a plane that looks an awfully lot like J-31 now which at the time was rumoured to be the first carrier fighter, developed by SAC (if anyone can dig up the photo, much appreciated). This was before J-15's emergence.
Personally I think, looking at this plane, it looks very well sized to be used (or at least modified for use) aboard a carrier.
And I don't see why PLAN must have operated J-15 for a long time to have put in requirements for a 5th generation carrier fighter. And there definitely is no reason why SAC's technical competency to develop a new generation of carrier fighter is dependent upon PLAN's J-15 operating experience; certainly not the fundamentals to navalising a carrier fighter.
It's sort of like arguing PLAAF must have had to operate an F-117 like aircraft before developing a stealthy air superiority fighter.
As for export, wS-13 or the new 9.5 ton engine will be what will power this plane. How far it is along... who knows.
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