Posted on 07/18/2011 9:11:23 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
More Russian Engines for China’s J-10 Fighter
By: David Donald
July 18, 2011
China has signed a fifth contract with Russia’s Rosoboronexport for the supply of Saturn AL-31FN military turbofan engines from the MMPP Salyut factory to power the Chengdu J-10 multi-role fighter, according to reports from Moscow.
The reports say the $500 million contract covers 123 engines for delivery by 2013, with the first 13 expected before the end of this year. This would take known Chinese procurement of the AL31FN to 399, plus an unspecified number provided in an initial batch for prototypes and pre-production aircraft. Such numbers are in line with analysis concerning expected Chinese procurement of the J-10.
Based on the standard AL-31F used to power versions of the Su-27 Flanker, the FN was redesigned by MMPP Salyut with its gearbox and accessories relocated to underneath the engine. Salyut has offered a number of more powerful versions to China, although it appears that the engines supplied to China so far have been to a common standard.
This new order for the AL-31FN has inevitably raised speculation concerning China’s indigenous Shenyang Liming WS-10A Taihang engine developed by the 606 Institute. That engine was originally intended for installation at some point in the J-10. It has been suggested that the WS-10A, while it has been flying for some time in the Shenyang J-11B and J-15 unlicensed Flanker derivatives, might not be deemed reliable enough for a single-engine application.
It is also plausible that the Shenyang aero engine works does not have the capacity to satisfy the demands of the J-10 line, which is in full-rate production, or simply that the Chinese are content with the Russian powerplant and have no desire to change.
What is the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me for about the 10th time, we are friggin morons.
Didn’t the Chinese steal Russian engine and aircraft designs in the past?
“Didn’t the Chinese steal Russian engine and aircraft designs in the past?”
They licensed various russian designs. The contracted values and payments have been in doubt by boith times on several of these license agreements.
Yep, they're a strategic threat all right.
A Danish F-16 manufactured in 1980...flown by a reserve pilot...could shoot down ANYTHING the Chinese have now...even those under development.
This is not the first time that you mentioned a danish confrontation with chinese air force, right? May I ask, why? These two nations are thousands of miles apart, with no ostensible hostility, why would they be at loggerhead with each other? But you are entitled to your own opinions, however nonsensical they are............
Anyway, the chinese is not intended on reverse engineering the AL-31 engines. The indigenously developed WS-10 is an entirely different specimen to AL-31.
For the record, WS-10 is installed on J11-B(chinese rip-off of Su-27, but 100% of its parts are made in China),J15(knock off of Su-33), and it’s believed that one variant of WS-10(WS-10B?) is used on the test flight of J20. It’s also said that later batches of J10-B will be equipped with WS-10 engines.
The latest import of AL-31 engines will be used to replace the worn-out ones on J10-A, Su-27 and Su-30 imported from Russia, and J11-A(Su-27 assembled in China with imported Russian parts).
Re: The latest import of AL-31 engines will be used to replace the worn-out ones on J10-A, Su-27 and Su-30 imported from Russia, and J11-A(Su-27 assembled in China with imported Russian parts).
Well... Like the JF-17/RD-93 controversy, China’s hands are likely also tied with the JF-20/AL-41 export restrictions. And, since China promised Islamabad a batch of J-10 (JF-20), the planes, my opinion, will likely be fitted with SD-10’s instead hence rendering a shortage of SD-10’s intended for Chinese uses.
I mean I can’t see any other reason for the purchase of these engines other than by reasons of shortage because, it was already full steams ahead for both the J-10 and J-11B that it is to be powered by Chinese SD-10 Taihungs.
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