SAC FC-31 Stealth Fighter: News & Discussions

[LKJ86]

From weibo, screen capture of a program in CCTV military channel.

It looks like this one:

 

[LKJ86]

@wanglaokan

 

[LKJ86]

 

[Deino]

Guys ... PLEASE add a translation!!!

 

[LKJ86]

Guys ... PLEASE add a translation!!!

There is some conflicting information from two important sources. So, no translation.
Wait a few more months.

 

[Deino]

There is some conflicting information from two important sources. So, no translation.
Wait a few more months.

Thanks ... but as usual, patience is really not MY virtue.

 

[ozranger]

Guys ... PLEASE add a translation!!!

Hi Deino,

From my point of view you can just ignore the guy called "pb****". He is a well known SAC affiliate. So the more credible information comes from "gongke". He is known working in the aircraft engine industry, although no one can confirm that. Some of his past posted information was validated by later development anyway.

What he tried to say includes the following key points,

1. The Chief (or Deputy Chief) of PLAN visited SAC. SAC flew both versions of FC-31 to make up a demo for him, for which I believe you watched that video before.

2. The Chief of PLAN praised FC-31 highly, so SAC staff were very excited and almost planned a celebration. However, The Chief of Navy couldn't promise the adoption. So the SAC people had to visit the Navy's Warfare R&D Institute for further information, therefore were cooled down by the peer feedback.

3. The land based naval fighter selection seems to be J-20.

In another post, he mentioned that CAC has announced to attend the competition for carrier based fighter aircraft.

It sounds quite weird to me that SAC staff could be excited just because they received some praise. For the past 2 generations of fighters for PLAAF, ie. J-10 and J-20, all competing aircraft developers needed to go through official bidding processes. Although they couldn't afford to make real aircraft for the competition, they were required to produce massive amount of test and calculated data to indicate strength and weakness of their designs. I think there will be no exception for this new generation of carrier based fighters and SAC cannot rely on personal praise to win as they will have to go through the bidding.

BTW I don't really believe personal praise is a thing important in the Chinese culture. Chinese people are quite used to praising others in the public just for making interpersonal relationship smooth, which is not necessarily a sign of liking.

One thing which could intrigue many outsiders is whether SAC and CAC will be required to make real aircraft to attend the bidding processes. That will be quite interesting.

Cheers

 

[Akasa]

Hi Deino,

From my point of view you can just ignore the guy called "pb****". He is a well known SAC affiliate. So the more credible information comes from "gongke". He is known working in the aircraft engine industry, although no one can confirm that. Some of his past posted information was validated by later development anyway.

What he tried to say includes the following key points,

1. The Chief (or Deputy Chief) of PLAN visited SAC. SAC flew both versions of FC-31 to make up a demo for him, for which I believe you watched that video before.

2. The Chief of PLAN praised FC-31 highly, so SAC staff were very excited and almost planned a celebration. However, The Chief of Navy couldn't promise the adoption. So the SAC people had to visit the Navy's Warfare R&D Institute for further information, therefore were cooled down by the peer feedback.

3. The land based naval fighter selection seems to be J-20.

In another post, he mentioned that CAC has announced to attend the competition for carrier based fighter aircraft.

It sounds quite weird to me that SAC staff could be excited just because they received some praise. For the past 2 generations of fighters for PLAAF, ie. J-10 and J-20, all competing aircraft developers needed to go through official bidding processes. Although they couldn't afford to make real aircraft for the competition, they were required to produce massive amount of test and calculated data to indicate strength and weakness of their designs. I think there will be no exception for this new generation of carrier based fighters and SAC cannot rely on personal praise to win as they will have to go through the bidding.

BTW I don't really believe personal praise is a thing important in the Chinese culture. Chinese people are quite used to praising others in the public just for making interpersonal relationship smooth, which is not necessarily a sign of liking.

One thing which could intrigue many outsiders is whether SAC and CAC will be required to make real aircraft to attend the bidding processes. That will be quite interesting.

Cheers

The "pb" guy was saying that SAC was building a physical prototype of its bidding entry.

 

[Deino]

There is some conflicting information from two important sources. So, no translation.
Wait a few more months.

Hi Deino,

From my point of view you can just ignore the guy called "pb****". He is a well known SAC affiliate. So the more credible information comes from "gongke". He is known working in the aircraft engine industry, although no one can confirm that. Some of his past posted information was validated by later development anyway.

What he tried to say includes the following key points,

1. The Chief (or Deputy Chief) of PLAN visited SAC. SAC flew both versions of FC-31 to make up a demo for him, for which I believe you watched that video before.

2. The Chief of PLAN praised FC-31 highly, so SAC staff were very excited and almost planned a celebration. However, The Chief of Navy couldn't promise the adoption. So the SAC people had to visit the Navy's Warfare R&D Institute for further information, therefore were cooled down by the peer feedback.

3. The land based naval fighter selection seems to be J-20.

In another post, he mentioned that CAC has announced to attend the competition for carrier based fighter aircraft.

It sounds quite weird to me that SAC staff could be excited just because they received some praise. For the past 2 generations of fighters for PLAAF, ie. J-10 and J-20, all competing aircraft developers needed to go through official bidding processes. Although they couldn't afford to make real aircraft for the competition, they were required to produce massive amount of test and calculated data to indicate strength and weakness of their designs. I think there will be no exception for this new generation of carrier based fighters and SAC cannot rely on personal praise to win as they will have to go through the bidding.

BTW I don't really believe personal praise is a thing important in the Chinese culture. Chinese people are quite used to praising others in the public just for making interpersonal relationship smooth, which is not necessarily a sign of liking.

One thing which could intrigue many outsiders is whether SAC and CAC will be required to make real aircraft to attend the bidding processes. That will be quite interesting.

Cheers

Thanks both, so any educated guess when - You said "a few more months" - we get some sort of confirmation or even when the first navalised prototype could be unveiled? Would be Zhuhai an appropriate event or will we no confirmation at all and only some day we will spot a new prototype at SAC?

Deino

 

[monitor]

PLA Navy Ditches J-15 Carrier-Based H-MRCA, Opts For FC-31 ‘Gryfalcon’ M-MRCA





An industrial consortium led by China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corp (SAC) has been formally entrusted with the task of developing and series-producing the definitive new-generation aircraft carrier-based medium-weight multi-role combat aircraft (M-MRCA) for the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy (PLAN). Nicknamed the ‘Gryfalcon’, this MMRCA will be a navalised derivative of the FC-31 stealthy technology demonstrator (TD) that was unveilled at China's Zhuhai Airshow in November 2014.


A land-based M-MRCA variant is being developed for its launch customer--the Pakistan Air Force—which presently does not possess any twin-engined deep-strike interdictor platforms (its entire fleet of combat aircraft presently comprises single-engined aircraft) and therefore remains deeply interested in procuring about 80 such M-MRCAs.


The SAC-led industrial consortium includes its No.112 Factory, the 601 Research Institute (Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute), 603 Aircraft Design Institute (later named the First Aircraft Institute of AVIC-I) and the 606 Institute (Shenyang Aero-engine Research Institute). The FC-31 TD’s (No.31001) maiden flight took place on October 31, 2012. It has been designed to carry an eight-tonne weapons payload (including four precision-guided munitions totalling two tonnes internally, and 6 tonnes being carried on six external hardpoints). It has a combat radius of 648 nautical miles (1,200km) and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 25 tonnes. The fuselage length is 16.8 metres, while the wingspan is 11.5 metres, and the height is 4.8 metres. The maximum attainable speed is Mach 1.8, and thepowerplant comprises two 85kN thrust-rated Klimov RD-93 turbofans imported off-the-shelf from Russia’s Moscow-based Chernyshev Machine-Building Plant, a division of the United Engines Corp (UEC).

First flight of the FC-31’s definitive prototype took place on December 23, 2016, which revealed that the length of the ‘Gryfalcon’ had been increased from 16.8 metres to 17.5 metres, while the MTOW now stands at 28 tonnes. In addition, the wheel-wells were significantly smaller, allowing for a larger internal weapons bay capable of accommodating up to eight tonnes of armaments.


In addition, a twin nose gear and cropped vertical stabilizers were incorporated, as was a chin-mounted electro-optic targetting sensor (EOTS-86) under the nose. The powerplant comprised twin Klimov RD-93MA turbofans that incorporated full authority digital engine controls (FADEC) and a gearbox locdated at the bottom front-end of the engine casing. The RD-93MA has a service-life of 4,000 hours, and a total thrust rating at 94kN.

The ‘Gryfalcon’ will feature a glass cockpit containing panoramic active-matrix liquid crystal displays, hands-on-throttle-and-stick controls, and a helmet-mounted display system. The principal on-board beyond-the-horizon sensor will be the KLJ-7A multi-mode radar with an active electronically-steered antenna array that is now undergoing developmental flight-tests. The airframe will also accommodate an internally-mounted self-defence suite comprising a self-protection wideband jammer, radar warning receivers and missile-approach warning sensors in a distributed aperture configuration.

Primary armament for air combat will include two types of new-generations beyond-visual range air-to-air missiles—a medium-range variant and a long-range variant now undergoing development, plus PL-10E short-range air-to-air missiles. For maritime strike, a smaller and lighter variant of the YJ-12 warship-/land-launched supersonic anti-ship cruise missile (whose export designation is CM-302 and has a 290km-range) is now being developed, which will have a range of 180km.

The PLAN’s decision to switch to the ‘Gryfalcon’ follows its insurmountable difficulties with operationalising the carrier-based J-15H ‘Flying Shark’ heavy-MRCA, along with the difficulties that continue to be experienced by the state-owned Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) in developing new-generation durable turbofans and their thrust-vectoring nozzles. Therefore, to play safe, the PLAN decided in favour of procuring RD-93MA turbofans that are derived from the RD-33MK ‘Morskaya Osa’ (Sea Wasp) turbofan now powering the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB M-MRCAs of both the navies of Russia and India.

The J-15, with a MTOW of 33 tonnes, is the heaviest active carrier-based MRCA in the world, while its empty weight is 17.5 tonnes. Until 2016, China was confident about its homegrown electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) technology capable of launching the J-15 from ski ramp-equipped aircraft carriers like the PLAN’s Liaoning CV-16, since it was able to produce its own insulated-gate bipolar transistor chips, a key component of the high-efficiency electrical energy conversion systems used in variable-speed drives, railway trains, electric and hybrid electric vehicles, power grids and renewable energy plants. The technology was developed by China’s first semiconductor manufacturer, Hunan-based Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric, and British subsidiary Dynex Semiconductor after the former acquired 75 per cent of Dynex’s shares in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis.



Prasun K. Sengupta at 12:26 AM
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24 comments:

 

[Akasa]

There is no evidence that the FC-31 has been selected for the PLA Navy tender.

 

[BHarwana]

There is no evidence that the FC-31 has been selected for the PLA Navy tender.

FC-31 is not selected they are developing a New Plane based on FC-31. This means China is developing a 3rd stealth fighter jet.

China To Develop New Carrier-Based Fighters To Replace J-15 Aircraft

http://www.defenseworld.net/news/22845#.Wz2_0dVKjIU

One thing to keep in mind this news has been circulated by SCMP which is anti-China so the whole story about J-15 causing accidents is wrong. The actual story is China is getting 5th gen for Navy.

New Chinese 5th gen stealth fighter Jet is coming soon. World should get ready for it.

 

[pzfz]

False. That guy is a moron. Actually all indian "experts" are. The closest one to being sane and rational is Pravin Sawhney. Even he has his delusions.

 

[BHarwana]

The New Chinese stealth fighter will sever on the new Chinese carrier group which is three catapults design.

 

[ALi Rizwan]

There is no evidence that the FC-31 has been selected for the PLA Navy tender.

No matter what china select but it will be 5th Gen. Any 4th Gen will be stopgap