J-21/J-31 Chinese 5th Generation Stealth Fighter

[DaTang]

either you dont understand English or you have not read the comment properly, i said that China will make further downgrade version for small fighter like JF-17.

Nah, China won't make any further downgrade version for small fighters, no need and technically impossible, provided China may, quite possibly, upgrade in service 3rd gen fighters with more stealth feature, such as coating J10, 11, 15, 16s with RWA and make them "Scilenter"

 

[farhan_9909]

Wishful thinking at best... The PLAAF and PLANAF have a huge demand for 5th gen fighters, but even they cant support 4 individual 5th generation designs at once... J20 and J31 are all the 5th gen fighters China will see for a while. The only other prospect is the anticipated bomber project from Xian, and even that probably wont fly before 2016...

much better

5th generation fighter and single engine are nt good unless you have a powerplant with atleast 200kn thrust

 

[J20!]

Stealthkenstein...

The more I look at this plane, the more convinced I am that the F35's design data really was compromised. It looks like SAC was given the F35's design work and they modified it to suit PLA requirements.

Two circa 20000lbf thrust engines instead of 1 almighty 45000lbf thrust P&W.

LERX, large trapezoidal vertical fins and bigger wings for better lift and maneuverability than the bomb truck F35.

A bigger more traditional centerline weapons bay ala J20, because of the space freed up by the lack of a STOVL requirement.

A much smoother, better shaped stealth profile and voila! a much improved F35.

Question remains though, which design can carry more fuel? Two engines will consume more than one, and the J31's larger wings may provide more room for fuel, but we'll see...

 

[DaTang]

much better

5th generation fighter and single engine are nt good unless you have a powerplant with atleast 200kn thrust

Not necessarily true. F35 can offer you tons of anti-hypothesis. Powerplant on the platform is becoming less and less important as long as stealthy striker's theatrical purpose is concerned.

 

[J20!]

The more I look at this plane, the more convinced I am that the F35's design data really was compromised. It looks like SAC was given the F35's design work and they modified it to suit PLA requirements.

Two circa 20000lbf thrust engines instead of 1 almighty 45000lbf thrust P&W.

LERX, large trapezoidal vertical fins and bigger wings for better lift and maneuverability than the bomb truck F35.

A bigger more traditional centerline weapons bay ala J20, because of the space freed up by the lack of a STOVL requirement.

A much smoother, better shaped stealth profile and voila! a much improved F35.

Question remains though, which design can carry more fuel? Two engines will consume more than one, and the J31's larger wings may provide more room for fuel, but we'll see...

China's New Stealth Fighter. Not a repeat from December 2010.

China's New Stealth Fighter. Not a repeat from December 2010.

Posted by Bill Sweetman 6:38 AM on Sep 16, 2012

The U.S. defense secretary is on his way to Beijing. Time to unveil a new stealth fighter...

Short take-off and vertical landing has been one of the two driving requirements behind the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter design, the other being stealth.

STOVL dictated the single engine, and the STOVL solution chosen for the F-35 demands a big vertical bay behind the cockpit, and a main engine located unusually far forward, to keep the driveshaft length within reason and to put the lift-cruise nozzle in the right longitudinal location for balance.

This constrains the weapon-bay volume and shape, and effectively subdivides the bays into four zones -- two AAM bays and two heavy store sections. As Amy Butler reports in Aviation Week & Space Technology this week, too, the weapon bays, wrapped around the engine, get hot and noisy.

If you ever wondered what a JSF might look without those constraints, we now have a live, physical example.

Unfortunately ...

... it's Chinese.

One of the photos of the new Shenyang stealth fighter, apparently designated J-31, that appeared on Chinese defense websites over the weekend is such a colossal gimme that it has to have been deliberate. Direct head-on shot? Check. Commercially available aircraft tug? Check. Extreme telephoto, so that perspective effects are lost in the noise? Check.

Sheesh, guys, can't you make it a challenge?

The J-31's wingspan is an F-35-like 37.5 feet, unless my Soviet-watching skills have deserted me. This makes it smaller than the Lockheed F-22 and considerably smaller than the Chengdu J-20. A good early guess is that the engines are Klimov RD-93s -- imported in large numbers for the JF-17 -- with a Chinese-built engine to follow.

Turning to the side view of the jet, it looks as if the engines are installed to the rear of the bulkhead that carries the main landing gear. And with no lift fan bay to worry about, the designers have been able to install long weapon bays on the centerline: what will be interesting is how the inlet ducts are routed to optimize internal space.

Overall, the most important point is that the J-31 does not look like a competitor for the J-20 -- but as a complement to it. Which, again, might point to the new fighter being a JSF to the J-20's F-22.

And if you wonder about the detail similarities of the shape to the F-22 and F-35, remember this quote from 2010:

In the past year (2009) alone, Lockheed Martin found "six to eight companies" among its subcontractors "had been totally compromised – emails, their networks, everything" according to Lockheed Martin chief information security officer Anne Mullins.

 

[GromHellscream]

well many chinese forums claims so

2 fighter from CAC(heavy and light)
2 fighter from SAC(again heavy and light)

and the CAC light fighter rumours were that would be single engine

CAC:

J20: Air Superiority, Heavy, with two seats variant;

Candidate A for Navy: Heavy Multirole Navy Fighter, possibly with two seats, might be variant of J20 (I hope not);

Stealth JF17 or J10: Stealth Defend Role, for export, UNCONFIRMED;

SAC:

J31: Medium Multirole, for export;

Candidate B for Navy: Heavy Multirole Navy Fighter, possibly with two seats, might be enlarged version of J31 (I wish);

XAC:

Red B2: Bomber, might be a little smaller than B2.

The winner for Navy Competetion will be figured out at prototype stage, not so much money cost.
Stealth JF17 or J10 might get cash abroad for research stage.
J31 has got its money mainly from AVIC group by far.

 

[J20!]

Detailed photos of the chase J-11BS

 

[DaTang]

CAC:

J20: Air Superiority, Heavy, with two seats variant;

Candidate A for Navy: Heavy Multirole Navy Fighter, possibly with two seats, might be variant of J20 (I hope not);

Stealth JF17 or J10: Stealth Defend Role, for export, UNCONFIRMED;

SAC:

J31: Medium Multirole, for export;

Candidate B for Navy: Heavy Multirole Navy Fighter, possibly with two seats, might be enlarged version of J31 (I wish);

XAC:

Red B2: Bomber, might be a little smaller than B2.

The winner for Navy Competetion will be figured out at prototype stage, not so much money cost.
Stealth JF17 or J10 might get cash abroad for research stage.
J31 has got its money mainly from AVIC group by far.

I don't see any feasibility to turn JF17 into a stealthy one. it is just too small, which rules out bayed ammunition.
I

 

[DaTang]

Detailed photos of the chase J-11BS

Mr. Sukoi can now rest in peae, his talent and spirit are survived by his Chinese disciples.

 

[J20!]

Mr. Sukoi can now rest in peae, his talent and spirit are survived by his Chinese disciples.

Hahaha! He'd probably be happy enough with his Russian Sukhoi "Disciples"... I doubt he'd even be amused by Shengyang's Sukhoi derivatives... I wouldn't if I were him...

 

[DaTang]

Hahaha! He'd probably be happy enough with his Russian Sukhoi "Disciples"... I doubt he'd even be amused by Shengyang's Sukhoi derivatives... I wouldn't if I were him...

Well, his russian disciples are purchasing boats from the Frogs as Indians do now.
I agree with your latter part of statement. heihei .

 

[p2prada]

well many chinese forums claims so

2 fighter from CAC(heavy and light)
2 fighter from SAC(again heavy and light)

and the CAC light fighter rumours were that would be single engine

That is impossible. The heavy component is done with the selection of the J-20.

The light component, we don't know unless they reveal it. If possible both CAC and SAC may make one each and PLAAF will select one. There won't be two of those.

J-31 seems to be for the Navy and also export, so not meant for PLAAF. But a variant may be used for PLAAF's light component competition.

There was earlier news about a 4.5th gen single engine aircraft for export, maybe the JF-17 Block 3 or a J-10 variant. There could also be a single engine 5th gen aircraft for export. These may not see PLA service.

Just like YF-23 and X-32, any other aircraft from SAC and CAC will be given an experimental or demonstrator status and the program will be closed.

 

[p2prada]

How appropriate, a J-10BS chase plane for J-20. And a J-11BS chase plane for J-31....

A CAC aircraft, J-10, will be used for the CAC made J-20 and a SAC aircraft, J-11, will be used for the SAC made J-31. Nothing surprising about it.

 

[LurkerBaba]

So there is no such thing as the J21 then ? Has the Chinese media given an official name to this fighter ?

 

[p2prada]

I don't think there is an official designation yet.

 

[Sridhar]

Another Picture of the J-31

 

[LurkerBaba]

Another Picture of the J-31

IIRC this is an older pic. Computer generated

 

[Sridhar]

IIRC this is an older pic. Computer generated

May be , Just got that from Nosint Blog . Thought It is not posted here . If it is posted already please delete it.

Edit : The image seems to be taken from here , and yes they Computer generated http://chinesemilitaryreview.blogspot.in/2012/09/cgi-of-chinese-j-31-f-60-fifth.html

 

[mikhail]

Well, his russian disciples are purchasing boats from the Frogs as Indians do now.
I agree with your latter part of statement. heihei .

at least we are not purchasing those junk fighters made by china.come on mate you guys can't even make a proper jet engine for your junk fighter-17 and you think that anyone would believe that you are making two parallel fifth generation fighters!you people can't even lie properly:taunt1:!

 

[shiphone]

some comments are really funny and pathetic

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more pix released...by CDer

3 in 1, the three generations of fighters made by SAC:
J8F , J11BS and Project AMF(or 310?)

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more updates... by CDer 人傻