Hi Russian have anything in their inventory to power j31 with 100kn if china couldn't make it at the initial stage and that can be fit in j31?
Thx
Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator
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Thx
There's no reason the PLAN can't support both J-31 and navalized J-20s. In near-seas defense, anyways, the J-31s will almost always be supported by J-20s.
Regarding the J-31, the biggest hole in its capability arsenal is the lack of EODAS. Have we seen any signs of EODAS on the latest prototypes? Or can they come later, since high-thrust WS-13s will be delayed?
Regarding the J-31, the biggest hole in its capability arsenal is the lack of EODAS. Have we seen any signs of EODAS on the latest prototypes? Or can they come later, since high-thrust WS-13s will be delayed?
Come on ... to install the EODAS on a later prototype similar as we've seen it on that model is surely not an issue; at least not one in comparison to an engine that is either still dated or lacks thrust.
I don't think I've seen it on the models either. EOTS yes, but not EODAS.
One of the reasons the F-22 isn't being updated is because the airframe lacks the apertures needed for EODAS systems: we are not seeing an external IRST as on the initial designs, but IIRC, these electronics need cooling and need to be designed in at the start.
It is possible that the J-31 could be capable using IRST only, but the lack of upgradability will be a future challenge.
It is possible that the J-31 could be capable using IRST only, but the lack of upgradability will be a future challenge.
The F-22 hasn't been upgraded with EODAS because they haven't chosen to. If the USAF really wanted to they could upgrade the airframe with it if they really wanted to if they put up the money. The F-22 also has the MLD an/aar-56 which is in many ways the ancestor of the F-35's EODAS.
And the FC-31 v2 at this stage still remains a prototype. if the navy or air force or anyone really does decide they want the FC-31 or a variant of it in service they will start to list their subsystem requirements, and if the J-20's 360 degree EOPDS is on their list it will be relatively easy to make it happen.
Like Deino said, the EOPDS is hardly an issue, and speculating about "lack of upgradability" when we do not even know whether FC-31 has definitely been chosen, nor do we know what a production variant may look like, is overly premature at this stage.
Not the same thing; adding EODAS after the prototype stage means you'd have to dig out subsystems. Every EODAS we've seen is not just conformal, but integrated into the airframe; recall the diamond holes in the J-20's skin and the F-35's skin. If the aircraft is not designed for EODAS at the start, it becomes very hard to add it afterwards since you're now going to have to dig out a piece of the airframe, potentially compromising the aircraft's integrity / stealth.
You are assuming that the aircraft we are seeing right now (FC-31 v2) is in any way meant to be reflective of what the air force or navy's requirement may actually be.
We call the FC-31 as a prototype, but I think that term might not even be accurate. Instead, I think it is better to view the FC-31 v2 as a flying demonstrator without any intended subsystems as part of the aircraft, but rather offering the airframe as the basis for whatever subsystems and modifications that the air force or navy may want to put in.
So in reflection, I think I see the FC-31 v2 as not even a prototype, and is in some ways even less developed for air force or navy's requirements than the original J-20 s/n 2001 was for the air force, as the original J-20 prototype was at least developed with provisions for the air force's own requirements to guide them whereas FC-31 v1 and v2 were both done on SAC's own dime, without any meaningful input from the air force or navy.
OTOH, now that the navy has supposedly chosen the FC-31 or a variant of it for its naval fighter, if that is in fact the case then we should be seeing an actual programme standard prototype for FC-31 (or J-31 or J-35 or whatever it's called) emerge some time in the foreseeable future which should be equipped with the provisions for the subsystems that the Navy may be interested in.
SinoSoldier
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The FC-31 v2 could very well be a "prototype" of the air force variant, albeit without much of the subsystems installed (but the J-20 2011 prototype didn't have electronics either).
The navy variant would have to be enlarged, and according to Internet chatter, the soon-upcoming v3 airframe would fulfill just that.
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