Three interesting news …

1. Reportedly 4 J-20s spotted today at CAC and in mind of the 95th anniversary of the CCP’s foundation today, maybe a hint for the first J-20 handed over to the PLAAF ???

2. Also reported, the first prototype J-15X equipped for catapult launch has made its maiden flight a few days ago … here it is !

3. And … the FADEC equipped WS-13E / WS-13IPE had its first 7-minute flight test on board of the FC-31 demonstrator ‘31001’ today.

Deino

Interesting indeed! The speed of J-20’s induction seems to indicate that modern air frame design and testing in China have become efficient and routine after the J-10A.

The J-15X shows intention of a CATOBAR carrier! A ship along the lines of US super carriers of 100k tons? Paired with EMALS? Possibly the biggest (literally) story in the coming years if realized.

FC-31 with WS-13E is significant in so many ways!

One, engine design and testing after WS-10 is reaching a routine state like that of airframes after J-10. There has been a flood of engine news and rumours this year involving the WS-20, Minshan, WS-15 and others. For those of us following Chinese aviation over the years, this period for engines has the same feel in pace and scale as what we first saw in airframes beginning in 2002 with J-10A where over the next decade we saw an explosion of new designs and variants.

Two, the FC-31’s future has brightened greatly with a domestic engine. This is an airframe design private to SAC that will now get more play both domestically and exportwise with a powerplant not subjected to the whims of a third party. Just as the L-15 was a private project that was finally accepted into the PLAAF with the WS-17, the same could happen with FC-31. On top of that, they were able to test a new engine on this particular air frame — confidence in both the new engine and the lone flying prototype? Or is FC-31 2.0 ready so there is less worry about risking 31001?

Three, JF-17 will now have a domestic engine with all that entails for export or even domestic adoption.

Interesting news with even more interesting implications!

Another interesting point, who is gonna do the service intervall on the s117 engines.
Me things Russia..

Its not the average AL-31FN..

Again, let’s talk when we see the Su-35 in Chinese colors. This story comes up every year and we never see a PLAAF Su-35.

Unlike the fabled Chinese Su-35, we have photographic evidence of J-11Ds and J-16s with WS-10As. As well as the WS-20 (developed from the WS-10 core) on all four engine mounts of the IL testbed.

Dr. Song Wencong, the chief designer of the J-10, had passed away at the age of 85 in Beijing.

He began designing aircraft during a very turbulent period during the 1960s and was involved in the cancelled J-9 project which was the immediate predecessor to the J-10.

Engine rumors continue to roll out in the Chinese-language forums — a TVC variant of the WS-10B (14-tons) is supposedly being tried out in a flying testbed. The buzz is very strong, it seems a lot of projects are coming online or to fruition right now.

http://english.cntv.cn/2016/02/19/VIDElUeK8oWYMlwNetIwbva3160219.shtml

The export model of the Chinese Vigorous Dragon J-10 fighter jet has made its debut at the Singapore Airshow.

Why would WS-13 enter full production when there are no airplanes in production that will use that engine? Unless ones assumes China is going to start building FC-1s for itself, as J-31 is no where near its production and the PAF is content with RD-93s

Think of it this way: lack of a domestic engine did not stop airframes like the L-15, J-10 and FC-1 from going into production so why would a (possible) lack of airframes stop the engines from going into production?

Along with the ws-10 (and ws-15), these two will provide the full stable of thrusts from light to heavy which can power the full range of design.

If it pans out, the engine lines will now be available when the airframes are ready instead of the other way around.

Chinese forums have been buzzing with rumors that two engines — the medium thrust ws-13 (J-31, FC-1) and the light thrust ws-17(first I heard of the designation) for the L-15 — are entering full production.

A pretty significant development in the PRC’s engine program.

The medium trust ws-13 is coming out of the shadows soon? This would power the J-31 as well as the JF-17.

http://www.janes.com/article/52308/paris-air-show-2015-jf-17-fighter-flying-with-indigenous-chinese-turbofan

Paris Air Show 2015: JF-17 fighter flying with indigenous Chinese turbofan

Richard D Fisher Jr, Paris – IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly
15 June 2015
Key Points
Chinese officials at the Paris Air Show have said flight-testing of a new indigenous engine for the JF-17 Thunder is under way
Officials also confirmed that the Sino-Pakistani-developed aircraft had achieved its first international sale, although they did not disclose the customer
A senior Chinese aviation official has revealed that the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation FC-1/JF-17 fighter co-developed with Pakistan has been test-flown with a new Chinese medium-thrust turbofan engine.

Li Yuhai, an executive vice president with the Aviation Industries Corporation of China (AVIC), told IHS Jane’s at the Paris Airshow that a new Chinese turbofan for the J-17 has been “under testing,” has completed “lab tests”, and that “flight testing is in progress”.