Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator

Status
Not open for further replies.
Blitzo

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
no_name said:
Maybe it's a full scale wind tunnel model. Is there any large wind tunnel facility in tianjin?

btw if it was a wind tunnel model they could still be early on in their project.

Looks like all control surface is absent on the thing covered, as well as the canopy, therefore the wing shape looks incomplete. Right now it could simply be the main body shell yet to be assembled somewhere else. Btw maybe this indicates that it will have all moving tail and horizontal stabilizers.

This is just one of those special days when you have something exciting and mysterious to look at.
Click to expand...

It could be a wind tunnel model... but huitong mentioned this thing is due to fly in september some time, so we could be seeing parts for it getting all delivered together for reassembly at a different test facility to that which SAC usually use.

And the fact that the tails and stabilizers aren't attached to the fuselage is no indication of whether they will be all moving or not.
 
SteelBird

SteelBird

Colonel
Look like the "thing" has no engine installed and is around 40" in length. They should have the main wings removed when traveling on roads but since it was escorted by police cars, that might be no problem. This could be real or just mock up. Wait to see more details...
 
K

kyanges

Junior Member
SteelBird said:
Look like the "thing" has no engine installed and is around 40" in length. They should have the main wings removed when traveling on roads but since it was escorted by police cars, that might be no problem. This could be real or just mock up. Wait to see more details...
Click to expand...

40 inches. 3.333 feet?
 
siegecrossbow

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Certainly an interesting development. The basic contours match closely with the F-60 model that we saw earlier.
 
K

kyanges

Junior Member
SteelBird said:
Sorry guy, my mistake. I'm not used to with the English system. I meant "about 40 feet". That's the length of the truck.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see.

(I also want to say that I should have worded my post differently. It looks sort of like I'm laughing at your mistake, and I didn't mean to.)

Anyways, at 40', wouldn't that be super short? The F-35 is just over 50 feet/15 meters.
 
SteelBird

SteelBird

Colonel
kyanges said:
Ah, I see.

(I also want to say that I should have worded my post differently. It looks sort of like I'm laughing at your mistake, and I didn't mean to.)

Anyways, at 40', wouldn't that be super short? The F-35 is just over 50 feet/15 meters.
Click to expand...

That's alright! People make mistake.

Judging from the photo, there's something I feel strange whether it's a serious thing or simply a theme park mockup.
1st - There is no canopy. As someone mention earlier, a mockup should have no problem to install the canopy
2nd - No engine. Similar as above. If it is a mockup, there should only be nozzles but not engines. So there should be nothing that can be removed at that part
3rd - Main wings are installed. Real aircraft when transport in that manner usually have their main wings removed so that they wouldn't be too wide.
4th - The "thing" was installed on the truck in a slant position which mean it has no landing gear / retracted. I even doubt it has full weight of an aircraft.

1st and 2nd points support that it is a serious "thing" while the 3rd and 4th points reject that. My conclusion, wait and see.
 
N

no_name

Colonel
SteelBird said:
That's alright! People make mistake.

Judging from the photo, there's something I feel strange whether it's a serious thing or simply a theme park mockup.
1st - There is no canopy. As someone mention earlier, a mockup should have no problem to install the canopy
2nd - No engine. Similar as above. If it is a mockup, there should only be nozzles but not engines. So there should be nothing that can be removed at that part
3rd - Main wings are installed. Real aircraft when transport in that manner usually have their main wings removed so that they wouldn't be too wide.
4th - The "thing" was installed on the truck in a slant position which mean it has no landing gear / retracted. I even doubt it has full weight of an aircraft.

1st and 2nd points support that it is a serious "thing" while the 3rd and 4th points reject that. My conclusion, wait and see.
Click to expand...

It could be an empty shell. Maybe it is for static test?

Also it seems that this is transported to another place for more than just assembly, since it would be easier to transport the smaller components to be assembled to the plane rather than the other way round.

Also the plane is not tilted very much, the reduction in width won't be that great. Perhaps the other remove-able components are actually stowed underneath the raised side?
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top