shit seems like my memory meshed the two reports together...sorry for the misinformation =(
Shenyang / SAC - newly announced 5th generation fighter
- Thread starter Deino
- Start date
That’s because “detailed design” and “prototyping” are essentially the stage where they do the physical integration of component systems and concept designs that are developed in earlier steps. This sort of project staging makes the most sense when your component and design development are mature enough that you’re essentially putting to work design concepts and component systems that have already gone through their own sets of validation and can be put together in a product design intended for production pretty confidently. At the S stage you’re trying to make sure everything works well together, not trying to develop the technologies themselves. I imagine this was very different for earlier projects when China’s technological base was much lower. In that condition you have to develop the component systems and design concepts with integration testing and prototyping in tandem, which ends up being a much messier process. This in turn reflects on your project timeline. This is one reason I’ve been saying we should begin to see compression of timelines as China’s technological base continues to improve and mature. We’re going to need to make adjustments of our projections built around historical data. We’re not looking at the same conditions we started with.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Boy, I sure hope you don't become the defense minister of any country's air force.
Jokes aside, although I was initially skeptical that the recent project was of a FC-31-derived J-XY fighter, its timeline is becoming increasingly correspondent with what we've heard of the actual J-XY program, including the approximate date of selection, subcomponents contracting, etc.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Agreed that the availability of existing subsystems make the timeline a lot more compressed compared to that of legacy projects (such as J-10A, J-20, etc.). If this project is indeed the naval J-XY, then it would need to enter service (or at least operational in a training capacity) by ~2023, when the Type 003 enters service, which doesn't give it a lot of time for the "S" stage.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Seems like the "S" stage is essentially when everything comes together, all the components are fitted and measured to the exact millimeter, and prototype assembly can finally begin. It'll likely be shorter for the navalized FC-31 variant compared to other aircraft due to the availability of an existing design & subcomponents, no?
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Seems like AVIC itself is semi-confirming that a FC-31 variant will become a navalized fighter platform: https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/j-...rrier-borne-fighter.t8173/page-39#post-581872
saw that just now, the Chinese forums are starting to bicker (as usual when concerning the FC-31...... I really hope they stop doing that for once)
So I can move it again back to the Naval section?
@Bltizo and @siegecrossbow
@Bltizo and @siegecrossbow
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I think this thread is meant to discuss the "new fighter/combat aircraft" from SAC from the announcement of a new project last week. But I don't know if that announcement is the same as the navalized FC-31 project (which we've known about for ages).
I suggest we keep all three threads separate for now:
- this thread (in air force forum)
- general FC-31 thread (in air force forum)
- J-XY thread (in naval forum)
The general FC-31 and J-XY threads could be merged later on, or the general FC-31 thread could be locked and J-XY thread remained open later if need be.
But as far as I can see we don't know yet if the "new project" from SAC is specifically about the navalized/carrier based FC-31.