Liberation Army Daily / cropped
Roman Barsky
The Chinese press reports that flight tests of the long-awaited WS-15 engine have begun despite pessimistic forecasts that it will not enter service before 2025. This indicates that the fighter has reached a new advanced stage of development, according to militarywatchmagazine.
As usual, for the initial tests on a twin-engine fighter, one WS-15 engine and another engine of an earlier modification WS-10 were used. Since the reliability of the new engine is still uncertain, the test flight is paired with a production engine to provide engine redundancy and allow the fighter to land when needed using only one WS-10 engine.
Developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Engine Research Institute, the WS-15 turbofan will be produced by Xian Aeroengine Corporation and is expected to have better fuel efficiency and much more power than its predecessor. The new engine will provide the J-20 with much greater endurance and superior flight performance. The WS-15 engine is expected to make the J-20 the world's leading fighter and interceptor in terms of thrust output, at least until the first sixth-generation aircraft arrive.
J-20 stealth fighter
Its closest competitors are the promising engine "Product 30" Design Bureau. "A. Lyulki", which will be used by Russian Su-57 and possibly Su-34 fighters, D-30F used by MiG-31 , and also F119 used by American F-22.
The most powerful engine in the world for a fighter today is the American F135, which is installed on the American single-engine F-35 fighter. A number of sources indicate that the WS-15 may well compete with it in terms of power.
J-20 stealth fighter
Although Chinese military aviation has become a world leader in a number of areas, its engine technology still lags behind: the American F119 and F135, as well as the Russian AL-41 , still outperform any existing Chinese designs. The WS-15 engine development program appears to be designed to outdo these older engines and put China on par with, or even ahead of, the world leaders.
The recent transition allowing J-10 single-engine fighters to use local WS-10 engines was a major indicator of their growing reliability, as single-engine fighters lack a standby engine, meaning that if a WS-10 fails mid-flight, the aircraft will certainly , will be lost. NIT reported that China would stop using the Russian engine , although the J-20 previously used the Russian AL-31 engine, developed for the Su-34 fighter-bomber , as an interim measure until the WS-10 design was finalized. But the Russian engine still remains a little more powerful.
It is expected that arming with the new WS-15 power plant, albeit belatedly, will allow the J-20 to fly supersonic for an extended period of time without the use of afterburner. The ability to cruise at supersonic speed is a key feature for a fifth-generation fighter jet of the 21st century.
J-20 stealth fighter
The new version of the J-20, which integrates a new thrust vectoring engine, will significantly increase maneuverability at low speeds. The increased traction of the WS-15 will help to further improve this parameter, and will also contribute to greater maneuverability at high speeds. In addition, increased engine power can provide energy for new, more powerful sensors.
It is not yet known which fighters the WS-15 could eventually be fitted to. There is some speculation that a future fifth-generation single-engine fighter designed for export markets could also use this power plant.
The J-20 is one of two fifth-generation fighters currently in service with the Chinese Air Force at squadron size and in service, like the F-35 in the United States. The Chinese media have previously written about the advantages of the J-20 fighter over the Su-57 and F-35 .
Other fifth-generation fighter projects continue to be developed in China, including the naval fighter developed under the FC-31 program .
Chengdu J-20: Details
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