Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator

siegecrossbow said:

Way too small for a cannon.

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It is not full scale though, maybe 1:2.

no_name said:

What about that small hexagonal opening, for cannon?

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if there is one on each side, I think it could be boundary layer air bleed vents, similar to what's on the sides of J-20.

Franklin said:

I'm rather puzzled by the J-31 project. It has appeared on the Zhuhai Air Show so it will most likely not be cancelled. But at the same time we don't see a second prototype coming out of SAC either. The fact that they have shown the J-31 on Zhuhai means that this project has official approval and is geared towards the export market as a cheaper alternative to the F-35. But the project doesn't seems to be moving forward at this point.

The J-31 uses the Russian RD-93 engines. Does China have the ability to maintain the RD-93 like they do with the AL-31 ? China has been importing RD-93 engines for a long time but those are all being installed in the JF-17 Thunder which is a platform that only Pakistan uses. The only plane in China that is flying with the RD-93 is the J-31 prototype!

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I think the J-31 project was based on the idea of using as much off-the-shelf components as possible, e.g. the engine, while benefiting from the subcomponents (mostly of avionics) developed for the main 5-th gen fighter programme (a.k.a. J-20). It would be a project similar to the then Type-90 MBT programme, before its eventual adoption by the PLA as the Type-96A, as a cost-effective 4.5-gen fighter with what is essentially a 4-gen airframe incorporating some of the electronics and sensors characteristic to 5-gen plus stealth.

Since the J-31 has so far no Chinese military markings on its prototypes, it can be assumed that the programme, while has been approved, may have not received military funding, and is funded solely by SAC. Most likely SAC has produced a prototype/tech demonstrator to attract potential buyers first (and this may not exclude the PLAAF and PLAN), in order to continue the funding for the project. The lack of money so far could also explain the apparent lack of significant progress of the project.

no_name said:

What about that small hexagonal opening, for cannon?

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Since this is a mock up model it could be just an opening to hook into a loader.

no_name said:

It is not full scale though, maybe 1:2.

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Definitely not a gun port. It would be a huge design flaw to put a cannon on top. You need easy accessibility for maintenance and for ammo load. Cannons must be made accesable from the ground if possible.

kwaigonegin said:

Definitely not a gun port. It would be a huge design flaw to put a cannon on top. You need easy accessibility for maintenance and for ammo load. Cannons must be made accesable from the ground if possible.

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F-22 and F-35 have guns in similar positions I recall. Not to mention flankers, F-16s, F-15s...

Huitong posted on his blog that mock-up represents the "major improvements" he was talking about for the next prototype.

Some high-resolution photos from yesterday:

A black beauty! Very nice aircraft

Bltizo said:

F-22 and F-35 have guns in similar positions I recall. Not to mention flankers, F-16s, F-15s...

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Negative, the positions are more toward the side if you look carefully whereas the one on the j31 picture is closer to the spine.. Besides the opening is hexagon in shape which would make it unlikely to be for the gun in addition to the position.