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Subject: Shenyang J-31
Date: 10 Oct 2017 07:41:44 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-31
The Shenyang J-31 (or "FC-31 fifth Generation Multi-Purpose Medium Fighter")
also known as the "Gyrfalcon" (??), or "Falcon Hawk" by some military
enthusiasts, is a twin-engine, mid-size fifth-generation jet fighter currently
under development by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. The fighter has also been
referred to as the "F-60" or "J-21 Snowy Owl" (??) in some media reports. Its
official name is Shenyang FC-31; J-xx nomenclatures in the Chinese military are
reserved to programs launched and financed by the army, while this plane was
developed by a state-owned company.
A photo of a model labeled F-60 was posted on the Internet in September 2011. In
June 2012, photos and camera video clips started to emerge on internet about a
heavily overwrapped possible F-60 prototype being road-transferred on a highway,
earning the nickname "the zongzi plane" (???) among Chinese netizens, though
some suspect it of merely being a L-15 trainer aircraft. Pictures of a possibly
2012. The F-60 is reported to be the export version, where the J-31 would be the
domestic Chinese version of the same fighter. Chinese aviation expert Xu
Yongling has called the J-31 an export-oriented low-end latest generation
warplane.
The J-31 airframe was publicly unveiled on November 12, 2014 at Zhuhai Airshow.
In TV broadcast of the unveiling, AVIC chairman Lin Zuoming claimed that funding
for the aircraft came entirely from the company, with no input from military.
As typical in flight displays of fighter jets, afterburners were engaged
throughout the maneuvers. Nevertheless, Western media claimed it to be evidence
of aerodynamic inefficiencies, concluding that the aircraft "bleeds a lot of
energy and the pilot had a hard time keeping the nose up." Flights were done
when the jet was "clean," so results would be worse when fitted with a combat
loadout. However, a large-scale model of the FC-31 on display did show some
detail changes of configuration compared to the flying prototype.
At the 2015 Dubai Airshow, AVIC released more details regarding the aircraft's
capabilities. The company revealed it is still looking for a partner in the
aircraft project, and is actively marketing the aircraft to People's Liberation
Army Air Force. AVIC's plan is to have a production model first flight by 2019.
Role
Stealth multirole fighter
National origin
China
Manufacturer
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation
Designer
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation
First flight
31 October 2012
Introduction
2018-19 (estimated)
Status
Flight testing
Number built
2 prototypes
The appearance of the J-31 raised concern about a potential arms race in Asia,
as some of China's neighbors pursuing the development of their own fifth
generation aircraft i.e. India with their HAL AMCA and HAL FGFA, Japan with
Mitsubishi X-2 and South Korea with KAI KF-X or consider purchasing the F-35 and
PAK FA.
U.S. military and industry officials believe that once the J-31 enters service,
it will automatically be a match for existing fourth-generation fighters like
the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F/A-18 Super Hornet. They suggest that
the capability of the J-31 against the newest fighters, such as the American
F-22 and F-35, would depend on factors such as numbers of platforms, quality of
pilots, and capabilities of radars and other sensors.
Vladimir Barkovsky of Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (formerly known as the
Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau) has stated that, despite some design flaws, the
J-31 "looks like a good machine." Although it contains features already in use
on the U.S. fifth generation fighter designs, it is "not a copy but a well done
indigenous design.
Specifications (estimated)
General characteristics
Crew: one (pilot)
Length: 17.3 m (56 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Height: 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 40 m2 (430 sq ft)
Max takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,729 lb)
Maximum speed: 2,200 km/h (1,367 mph; 1,188 kn)
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Combat range: 1,250 km (777 mi; 675 nmi) on internal fuel, or 2,000 kilometres
(1,200 mi) with external tanks
Armament
Hardpoints: 6 x external, and internal bay with a capacity of Up to 8,000
kilograms (18,000 lb), including 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) internally,
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles: 12 x medium-range
Air-to-ground missiles: 8 x supersonic
Bombs:
30 x smaller bombs
Avionics
Distributed aperture system (DAS) optical early-warning system
Electro-optical targeting system (EOTS)
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