PLEASE … show us more !!

Besides that is this at Shenyang or the CFTE at Xian Yanglian ?

hey … no-one noticed that !!!

Varyag has been numbered “16” and repainted again …. and it seems to be official:

China to name its first aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’

China will name its first aircraft carrier “Liaoning” in honor of the province where it was retrofitted, the Southern Metropolitan Daily reported, citing an authoritative source.

The paper confirmed that officials decided to name the carrier to commend the province where it was renovated and repaired, thus Liaoning.

The carrier, often referred to by its original name Varyag, is a retired Soviet-era vessel that China bought from Ukraine in the late 1990s. The carrier was later harbored in Dalian, Liaoning Province, where it was retrofitted.

The vessel began sea trails in August 2011 and on September 3 received the side designation “16,” prompting speculation that the vessel had completed basic trails and would soon be commissioned.

The carrier’s name has been a topic of interest for some time, and many netizens opined that it was likely to be named after Shi Lang, a well-known general during the Qing Dynasty, or the former leader Mao Zedong, or even the capital city of Beijing.

However, according to Chinese naval designation regulations, vessels can only be named after provinces, cities, counties, mountains or lakes, and not people.

China will officially announce the name of the vessel after it has been commissioned.

http://china.org.cn/china/2012-09/10/content_26481340.htm

Deino

Anyone have any new information on the Shaanxi Y-9? Will it fly anytime soon or has the program been deemed unnecessasary due to the newest modifications of the proven Y-8?

It actually already flew … but overall the Y-9 tactical transport production has been delayed due to the higher priority of manufacturing as many as possible of the Y-8GX-special mission birds, which in fact are Y-8F-600 = Y-9 airframes without the rear-loading ramp.

As far as I know these are the latest two images … how many were actually built already I don’t know.

Deino

Sorry guys … but can You please discuss how GREAT the Flanker is – and it surely is – in a seperate tread !!! This one is on the J-20 …. 😡

Deino

Actually I’m almost sure that the current prototypes are powered by AL-31FN’s and I wouldn’t be surprised if AVIC/CAC again negotiated a “specialised” uprated version of that engine in a same export-tailored version similar to once the FN for the J-10.

Deino

Honestly … – and if it maybe sound rude ! – WHAT A PIECE OF CRAPPY BULLxxxT !!! … all in all a good joke.

IMO this “report” is nothing more than a mix of information based on KANWA, several Russian rumous and all the best from several fan-boys post. Simply mixed up to a story and I’m sure in a few days Carlo Kopp with take this as proof for his next round of bashing against the Australian government, since the F-35 will fail in all respects (hmm maybe overal cost not !) against that fearfull “Mighty Dragon” called J-20.

Best part is “Russian and Ukrainian industry specialists …” ! 😀 Again even if I’m now almost sure that the J-20 prototypes are powered by uprated AL-31FN and probably several Russian institutes were involved in aerodynamic and RCS calculations, I can’t think that CAC will let anyone of them so close to that bird that they can or would report to Jane’s.
As such all such “experts” if they exist are either too close to that project to, since it is forbidden by their contract or they are so far off that they can’t report anything substantial.

Anyway – again simply my opinion as a long-time observer and enthusiast of that scene – I agree that there might be at best 4 prototypes finished and following the info I have these are … :

no. 2000 = static test airframe (usually no. 2002)
no. 2001 = first flying prototype (*) … now transferred to the CFTE at Xi’an-Yanliang
no. 2002 = second flying prototype
no. 2003 = third prototype (to be fitted with the avioncs)

No. 2003 is not confirmed but following quite reliable posters no. 2002 + 2003 were built from the same manufacturing block.

(*) at first powered by AL-31FN and later for the flight tests with thant new “version” … probably there’s one additional airframe similar to the T50-KNS acting for ground test -as reported already before the maiden flight -, but here I’m no longer sure, since it was never seen on any photograph)

Hope that helps a bit.

Deino

Latest info so far … that convoy did not stop in Tianjin but moved on and the currently most likely final destination is indeed the CFTE at Xi’an-Yanglian !!!

The only sad fact on this is that there are nearly no spotter-possibilities. 😡

Deino