Shenyang FC-31 / J-31 Fighter Demonstrator

FarkTypeSoldier said:

Why was the plane tilted sideway? I saw transportation of F-16C in Singapore is the whole aircraft being loaded uprightly onto the big heavy transport vehicle.

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Watch that video (taken by people who had to wait there for the convoy to pass in order for their side of the highway also to be cleared of the block), and you may find the aircraft appears much larger than you had thought after all.

As for why they chose to transport it this way instread of any other possible ways, I guess they did it so that people wouldn't have asked "Why did they air transport it? Wouldn't it be safer to do it on land?"

AssassinsMace said:

It takes up three lanes when it's tilted. I don't know about Chinese highways in general but I've seen a lot of pics of the new highways being built and most only have two lanes in each direction.

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Most G expressways (national trunk lines), especially sections between major cities are built with three lanes plus shoulder for emergency parking. The standard width for expressway lanes in China are 3.75m, shoulder is 2.5m.

Even better

AssassinsMace said:

It takes up three lanes when it's tilted. I don't know about Chinese highways in general but I've seen a lot of pics of the new highways being built and most only have two lanes in each direction.

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hmmwv said:

You can transport it in a large transport plane such as An-124, An-225, or C5A, but not in a IL-76. In this case there is not a single that plane can be used to transport it because apparently the wings are not detachable.


The plane has to be tilted to reduced overall width so it can be safely transported via highway, they have already demolished a number of highway toll booths to make it fit, but there are unmovable obstacles such ash overpass pillars that may restrict the maximum width of the package.

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Player99 said:

Watch that video (taken by people who had to wait there for the convoy to pass in order for their side of the highway also to be cleared of the block), and you may find the aircraft appears much larger than you had thought after all.

As for why they chose to transport it this way instread of any other possible ways, I guess they did it so that people wouldn't have asked "Why did they air transport it? Wouldn't it be safer to do it on land?"

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Ah I see... How easy this problem of width is solve but not catching the balls by me

Deino said:

Even better

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Lol landing on the carrier with the tail hook down.

Is there anything conclusive that this plane will be for carriers?

no_name said:

Lol landing on the carrier with the tail hook down.

Is there anything conclusive that this plane will be for carriers?

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Let's be fair here, there's nothing totally conclusive about this plane at all.

But the idea that it could be modified for carrier use is certainly one of the more logical ideas floating around.

no_name said:

Lol landing on the carrier with the tail hook down.

Is there anything conclusive that this plane will be for carriers?

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Nothing conclusive, but three military insiders (huzhigeng, pupu, liziyu) did mention that it will be for carriers, and the role of the J-20's multirole partner is given to another medium weight fifth generation fighter being built at Shenyang Aircraft Corporation rather than the J-21.

SinoSoldier said:

Nothing conclusive, but three military insiders (huzhigeng, pupu, liziyu) did mention that it will be for carriers, and the role of the J-20's multirole partner is given to another medium weight fifth generation fighter being built at Shenyang Aircraft Corporation rather than the J-21.

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It's also speculated that if it doesn't have naval applications in mind it would have been designed around a single WS15, instead of two WS13As.

Greg Waldron speculates possible VSTOL. Great reading reactions.





Chinese J-21 Emerges! (well, something emerges - sort of)

By

Greg Waldron
on June 28, 2012



The China Defense Blog and other Chinese defence sites have revealed photos of a mysterious airframe travelling aboard the back of a truck, apparently from the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation to Xian Aircraft Company.

This is no J-20 moment: there has yet to be a magical appearance on a runway, followed by obsessive tweeting and blogging about a first flight.

In the photos this new fighter airframe is draped by a camouflage covering and is riding unglamorously along a highway. It bears a morbid resemblance to those photos of retired RAAF F-111's being towed to museums or landfills. Either the tail has yet to be mounted or was remove to help the rig pass under bridges. In any case this isn't a real aircraft just yet, just a large portion of an aircraft to be.

Some bloggers have speculated that this new type is a supplement to the heavy weight, MiG-31-class Chengdu J-20, which continues flight tests at Chengdu. One blogger even said it could be an export type to compete with the F-35. This export idea is a bit farfetched: China (with Pakistan) needs to get JF-17 sales off the ground before even pondering something as ambitious as an F-35 alternative.

So what is it? Judging from the photos, the type will have two engines. Unlike the J-20, there does not seem to be an obvious place for canards. I am intrigued by the protrusion just above the intake. This is too far along the fuselage for the cockpit. Dare I suggest that this is a lift fan door, similar to that found on the F-35B? That would be cool.

Flightglobal will be at Zhuhai in force this November. With luck we will learn more there - or perhaps this aircraft will one day make a J-20 style appearance, surprising us all.

I honestly do not understand the logic of how he could come to the conclusion that it's VSTOL simply from the little "protrusion"... I mean jeez...