Exciting Times for Chinese Aircraft Engines!

[SexyChineseLady]

Animated gif of the Y-20/CJ1000 test!!!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Full video of the Y-20 testbed and CJ1000!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

These flying testbed are priceless for engine development! Only a few countries have them. In the early 1990s, China needed to go to Russia to have engines flight tested. China later bought a converted Il-76MD (#76456) for the China Flight Test Establishment (CFTE.) This was instrumental in testjng the WS-10 and WS-20.

Now with the Y-20 conversion, China can expand its fleet of testbeds domestically.

 

[SexyChineseLady]

The WS-15 may have entered mass production!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

The CFTE IL-76MD flying testbed is still active and testing a brand new engine! It doesn't look like a high-bypass engine like the WS-20 or CJ-1000A so it is probably a fighter/bomber engine in its testing sleeve -- maybe WS-19!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

The Y-20 flying testbed might have this white colored Y-20 in a satellite photo of XAC's factory grounds taken in November 28, 2021:

It was one of 17 new Y-20s in the photos from that date!

Having two FTBs with different engines undergoing flight testing is so exciting!!!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

The CFTE IL-76 could be testing a new engine for the H-20!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

This chart shows the reason why China is re-engining every older plane -- J-10A/S/B, J-15 and J-11B -- with the WS-10 series even as the mass production of J-10C, J-16 and J-20 require WS-10C (and other later variants) in the hundreds if not thousands!

TWR and maintenance is far better. WS-10X corresponds to current WS-10 version (WS-10C and up):

 

[SexyChineseLady]

A lot of excitement in the coming years! 5th gen (US 6th gen) supercruising engine in development after WS-15!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

WS-19 is said to be way ahead of schedule:

 

[Blademaster]

This chart shows the reason why China is re-engining every older plane -- J-10A/S/B, J-15 and J-11B -- with the WS-10 series even as the mass production of J-10C, J-16 and J-20 require WS-10C (and other later variants) in the hundreds if not thousands!

TWR and maintenance is far better. WS-10X corresponds to current WS-10 version (WS-10C and up):View attachment 198507
View attachment 198508

Thank you for the translation.

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Re-engining an old J-15 with WS-10!

J-15s are among the most beat up airframes in China inventory. Not only are they subjected to all those jarring land-and-traps on ships but they also have do the same thing on land for training even when off tour because China has nothing else to train with for trap landings! (Current JL-9s and JL-10s in PLANAF college do not have tail hooks )

So for old J-15s to get WS-10s, it means that WS-10 production has matured and grown to the point that not only all new builds are supplied but can output a significant surplus to equip even old air frames. This is a bigger story than the WS-15 flying because this means a high volume manufacturing infrastructure that the WS-15 or WS-19 can hook into at a later stage!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

CJ1000 might be install in three years!?! This is very rapid development.

CJ-1000AX TD was completed only in 2017.
A prototype was fired up and ran successfully in 2018.

Flight tested in 2023 by a new Y-20 flying testbed. Probably not first time and likely was tested earlier on the IL-76 flying testbed.

 

[SexyChineseLady]

All pictures of the suspected WS-15 -- 13 petals!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Still a lot of discussion on whether this is actually a new TVC variant of the WS-10 instead but the petals counts are different.

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Rumor on why the WS-21 has a different type name from the WS-13 that was supposed to be its originator:

WS-21 is supposedly developed from the WS-12 program with 3-stage compressors instead of the WS-13's 4-stages. It has higher TWR compared to WS-13 but make big use of WS-13 components.

WS-12 Tianshan	85.3 kN (19,200 lbf)	Not in use.	Cancelled
WS-13 Taishan	86.37 kN (19,420 lbf)	CAC/PAC JF-17, Hongdu GJ-11, CASC CH-7	9 ton thrust. Indigenous Thrust/Weight: 7.8 upgrade

So many engine programs -- with multiple projects in the same weight class! The idea is to ensure there is always a back up but seems a lot of extra resources are expended. Maybe the engine industry has a lot of excess capacity.

 

[SexyChineseLady]

The unveiling of the WS-20 in PLAAF use -- an airdrop exercise!

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Deputy Chief Designer of J-20 explains how the WS-10C improved the J-20 across the board! (And why China is putting the WS-10 in every frontline fighter -- J-10, J-11BG, J-15, J-16 and J-20!)

 

[SexyChineseLady]

According to this well-regarded post in Chinese SM, the WS-10B on the J-10C is at 144kN while the WS-10C for the J-20 would be over 150kN (WS-15 is cited at 180kN.)

勇攀高峰————中国国产小涵道比大推力发动机涡扇－10“太行”性能推测

老规矩，不扯历史，直接研判性能： 首先，目前我们了解到的WS10研制历程路线有不同的两条： 1.涡扇10（低空大表速喘振无法装机）→涡扇10A（改进问题后装机部分歼11B）→涡扇10B（增推延寿，装机部分歼11B，部分歼…

zhuanlan.zhihu.com

This would make the WS-10C the most powerful engine currently in mass production after the F-35's F135 (191kN.) J-20 gets two WS-10Cs for a total of over 300kN

Interesting rumors and speculation on the WS-10 series as a possible choice for Turkey's MMU (TFX) if the F-110 (131kN) were embargoed:

MMU is so BIG! I never knew! So not a lot of choices outside US, Russia (AL-31/41) and China:

 

[SexyChineseLady]

Saw-toothed petals -- is it the WS-10C, WS-21 or WS-19? Concensus is it is the WS-10C on a J-20