Liming WS10A Engine
The WS10, China's flagship jet fighter engine, remained seriously flawed after a quarter of century of development effort. The WS10 engine was intended to equip the new J-10 fighter, low-rate initial production of which was authorised in 2002. But at least the initial run of fifty J-10 aircraft were to be fitted with Russian AL-31F engines instead.
Taihang, for China's third generation J-10 fighter. In 1989, after almost a decade of preparation, the WS-10 core engine project started. On 12 June 1989,
The J-10 doesn't fly on WS-10A, it flies on AL-31FM imported engines from Russia. The WS-10 is expected to eventually be installed on the J-10 and, possibly, the Su-27s that China is coproducing at Shenyang. According to the 2004 U.S. Defense Department report on Chinese military capabilities, "Recent testing reportedly has attained the standard of the Russian AL-31F." In December 2004, however, a contract was finalized for Russia's Salyut to supply 250 AL-31FN engines for the J-10 (in addition to 54 previously supplied), suggesting that as of 2005 development of the WS-10 had not been satisfactory.
But as late as 2007 the Chinese Air Force was still unhappy with the WS-10 engine, with performance and manufacturing quality issues plaguing the project.
In August 2009 a Chinese AVIC official admitted there were many problems facing the Taihang but declined to elaborate. Other possible issues include incidents of shedding turbine blades, oil leakage issues, and even one unconfirmed rumor of a new J�11BS fighter disintegrating in flight due to a Taihang engine failure."
