Well Deino, she is a clean sheet design, I would be very surprized if they didn't find something bony on the first flight, its not unusual to have to go back to the drawing board. Now I like the J-31, in fact it is my favorite new airplane, and nobody will be more dissapointed than I if this bird doesn't go forward, so there will inevitably be issues. I like this chick because she is modeled on the same planform as the F-22, mid wing delta, twin engine, twin rudders.
So Hardware is likely right just by playing the odds, if we started to list the F-35s "issues", the J-31 has the potential to be a very fine airplane, and I believe Shenyang is up to the task, you have to remember there was a LOT more developement work completed when the J-20 took her first flight, so patience all. A new airplane is a lot more involved than cut and paste, it all has to work together, for example the F-35 has an issue with buffeting as the AoA is increased as well as tran-sonic rolloff or loss of directional control,,,,,, but they did fly her well past her design max AoA of 50 degrees AoA to 73 degress AoA, so even with concerns you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, and as long as the funding is there the J-31 is likely to make a very fine Naval Aircraft. Brat
