We dont know if it is going to be short legged. V2 did seem as if it doesnt have much room for fuel, but a naval v3 may indeed be quite redesigned. A bit beefier fuselage and larger wings may accomodate extra few tons of fuel, approaching f35 fuel numbers (and thus j15 range numbers)
Shenyang / SAC - newly announced 5th generation fighter
- Thread starter Deino
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May not be that short legged. More powerful engine means greater potential volume.
6th... may be the case, but somehow I think that for a 6th jet development info on research teams won't come out this easily
I'd say the chances the fighter is based on existing programs are 99%. Much more so for FC31 based program.
I don't believe that to go from prototype to serial production would take 3 to 5 years. And, besides, serial production is but one milestone required. First airframes of J20 were handed over to PLAAF in early 2017/late 2016. But operational capability with a first front line squadron happened probably only in 2019. Before that the program needed some time to test the planes, develop tactics and use procedures and train enough people to both maintain the initial units and to fly them. So 5/6 years from prototype to first serial airframes handed over to PLAAF, 8 years from prototype to service readiness. Another example may be Superhornet. Based partially on the F18 (even though parts wise it's a new plane) it took 4 years from prototype flight to first production planes handed over to USN and 6 years from prototype to service readiness.
I'd expect the FC-31 based program to be closer to superhornet timetable than to J-20 one, as some work has already been done, in the way of V1 and V2 prototypes.
Still, if the first flight of final V3 prototype configuration happens in early 2020 - i really don't think we'd see first airframes handed over to PLANAF before 2024 and first combat unit ready for first carrier deployment before 2026.
So... the currently in building 003 (002) carrier is, in my opinion, very likely to start its service with some J-15s. Providing it launches in 2020, starts trials in 2022, gets commissioned in 2024. First it may train with a J-15 unit in the 2024-2025 period, perhaps even getting to 24 or so planes by 2026, by which time the first unit of 12 next gen planes may complete the air wing. (ECM planes and other planes not accounted for) The carrier timetable is actually quite pessimistic, and it may very well be we'll see commissioning by 2023 and maiden operational deployment in 2025.
I mean, if this project is to design a jet from scratch, then most likely we won't see a prototype for a few years, but again *big IF here* IF this is somehow a collaborative effort by both 601 and 611, and they are working on a project that is not completely from scratch, then maybe we will see a prototype sooner. One of the many guesses is that 1. this is indeed the carrier-borne 4th gen fighter; 2. as suggested by some people on Chinese network, the tendering of the carrier-borne 4th gen fighter was completed sometime in 2017 or 2018 (there are several versions of this); and 3. This new fighter is loosly based on either the J-20 or the FC-31 or some other
Adding some info here: I read thru the article again and here's what I initially missed:
The line in the red circle says "New Fighter Jet Joint Tackling Team" so unless the guys who wrote this article are messing about, this team is definately working on some kind of fighter... I still cant believe I didn't notice this right away =(
Fighter aircraft is included in combat aircraft but not vice versa.
yep, but as my latest post suggests, the phrase "Fighter Aircraft" is right next to the logo of the team
we just don't know at the moment sadly, but if the time between starting the project and “试验件发图” (dunno how to translate, IMO it roughly means "revealing pics of prototype parts (to inside personal?)" is something like 15 months, then this project is going pretty fast and I wont be surprised if data and designs from the FC-31 are used to aid in the process