On another note it does show how times are changing in the PRC. I would think a decade or two ago if you got that close to the airfield testing a secret new jet with a camera you would be shot no questions asked! Now you can walk up with your camera/camera phone sit in a hedge and take some pictures then go home to post them on the Chinese blogosphere!

If that is the case, I would highly suggest you book the next flight and join the army of speculators mobilized there, the texiway run may still last for a while, and upload to this board LIVE via your Iphone. 😀

…I have seen all of the recent photos. J-11B projects are finally equipping with WS-10, but they still have a lot of problems. We have all been guilty of overly optimistic about the progress of Taihang over the years. Let’s wait and see that this is consistent first. Clearly, Shenyang Liming is entirely abysmal in its production and that situation is not improving anytime soon.

I don’t doubt that they learnt a lot from studying AL-31F, but WS-10A is a different engine.

Well, official China aviation news reported recently, SAC has handed over historically RECORD number of fighters to PLA.

http://www.cannews.com.cn/zghkb/html/2010-12/18/content_11409.htm

We know there are a large number of J11Bs manufactured in past 2years couldn’t be handed over because of the WS-10 issues. now, with the massive hand-over of J11Bs by SAC to both PLAAF & PLANAF in this year ( actually with the volume from past 2-3 years that makes the record number), it’s a clear sign the WS-10 powerplant issues have largely been solved. With approx 100 WS-10 engines in active service, the severity of problems collectively gathered from a pool of hundreds surely differs from problems coming from 1 or 2 lab made engine prototypes, the confidence level is different. To this scale and stage, I’d like to stress what I have said before, the WS-10 passed its most difficult stage, and on its way to final success, btw, another officail news has confirmed WS-10’s FADEC version has successfully flied on the flight testbed.

I’m not entirely sure the upmost right engine is the WS-15 core, it looks wrong. More like a small turbojet to my eyes.

Well, that’s because the Chinese description line beside the engine says it is WuoShan-15 ( WS-15) under developing and intended to use in Chinese 4th G fighter ( 5th internationally)

What engine to power J-20, which touches some most vulnerable area of Chinese aviation industries. Officially, the WS-15 is still the final powerplant for upcoming Chinese 5th generation fighter jet, as illustrated by below chart. The image at upmost right is the core engine of WS-15.

Since this chart has been existing for quite some time now, the prototype of Ws-15 should be ready by now, possible finished or undergoing high altitude tests to this point of time.

WS-10 official max thrust is 122kn, on par with that of AL31F, even though the WS-10 reached > 130kn during endurance test, probably so that it can be conveniently exchanged with AL31F on J11s. be mindful, the Russians have stopped any AL31F for J11s, WS-10 is the only choice, and it’s mature now with massive production and consistent J11Bs/J11BSs being produced and inducted .

Now there’s improved Ws-10G, with FADEC, 1st customer most likely to be PLANAF’s J15 for better TWR needed during aircraft carrier’s taking off. However, as J-15 itself is in prototype stage, unlikely, Ws-10G could be mature at present and being installed on J20 prototype.

The j-20 main contractor, CAC has a close working relation with Russia’s Salyut, Salyut secured AL-31F contract from Saturn because of Chinese order ( CAC’s J10), and developed improved AL-31F-m1, m2 , m3 etc, solely for CAC initially, although later the Al31F-M1 became the standard powerplant of Su27SM. The AL31F-M1 reaches 13 ton max thust, slightly higher than wS-10 current allowed max thust . M2 reaches 14 tons, currently the best can be offered by Salyut to CAC, I suspect the Al-31F-M2 could have been installed in the J-20 prototype.

But nevertheless, J-20 will be powered by Ws-15 turbofan, yes, I have to prioritize the official news, don’t we.;) For some more details on core engine of WS-15, we actually had some discussion 4 years ago:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49067&highlight=pinko&page=8

Sorry, but Jane’s “re”-reports only things which are said (or rumoured) since months in several Chinese forums, esp. Huitong posted this long ago.

But anyway You are correct .. let tzhe speculation begin …. but I hope for something like that!

Deino

Do note Jane’s also quoted Russian source. There is still high chance that the prototype again may be powered by Russian engine, whcih makes russian source somehow reliable.

As for your “rumours” commenet, hey, I got a track record of starting “rumours” in this board ;). as early as 2004/05, we were speculating WS-10A, J11B, WZ-10 etc. any of them is NOT a rumour then?! but today, no one will think it is again. because it’s reality. today, the chinese information channel is much open compared to 10 years again, the PLAAF depute chief has already confirmed IOC of J-20 by 2017, that’s NOT a rumour and what we can expect now really perfectly fits the timeframe of the roadmap