The aircraft in the left side photo looks at
first sight as a complete prototype, but it actually is a very detailed full-scaled engineering mock up. It can be speculated that, after having been used to study the aircraft’s internal installation, the mock-up has also received and external finish for presentation purposes. Its real function at this point, however, is probably to assist in the definition of the required logistic support (i.e., access to the various avionics boxes and on-board systems, ground support equipment like the various ladder and the external power source unit, air conditioning units and so on) as well as to study the engines’ removal/installation procedures.
Since some time now it has been known that the rapidly-developing Chinese aeronautical industry is studying a new and technologically very advanced combat aircraft, also boasting significant low signature characteristics. This programme is a logical step in China’s “Long March” towards full independence in designing, developing and producing combat airplanes of a technological level in line with China’s status as the “other” world superpower, on an equal footing as Russia and eventually even the USA.
The scarce information available about this new advanced combat aircraft indicates that two, possibly competing, study groups (both part of the AVIC I Group of aeronautical industries) are or have been working on the subject. One of these groups (601 Institute) originates from Shenyang airplane Corporation (SAC) which is in charge of the large, twin-engine J-8 fighters in service with the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force) as well as of license production of the Su-27SK under the local designation of J-11. The overall configuration of SAC’s preliminary design, apparently designated J-13, owes significantly to the American F/A-22, being a tailed delta but with wing and horizontal tailplane more in line with those of the F-16. The other study group (611 Institute) from Chengdu Airplane Corporation (CAC), has developed the J-12, a concept which follows the less conventional canard layout used with success in the company’s J-10.
While previous information (albeit admittedly unconfirmed), gave to the SAC concept the edge, perhaps as a result of the company’s experience in large twin-engine fighters, this seems to have since been reversed in favors of the Chegdu design. It is however still not clear whether the designation of J-14 is intended to suggest a successor design to both the J-12 and the J-13, and whether the existence of the J-14 engineering mock-up (clearly based on the J-12) indicates that the type has been selected for development, or the competition is still going on with parallel activities underway on another such mock-up based on the J-13.
While no data is available about the J-14, some speculation can be done in the attempt to extrapolate the aircraft’s characteristics and thus the roles it is called to perform. The following considerations are based on what can be seen in the photo, but also involve making some assumptions on the basis of what is known of the Chinese armed forces’ perceived priorities in operational requirements, the domestic industry’s approach to combat aircraft design and, finally, the well-know Chinese weaknesses in some technological fields. In addition, the well-developed cooperation with Russian companies, particularly in areas such as power plant, avionics and possibly computer-based fly-by-wire flight control systems is also taken into consideration.
Source by : Sergio Coniglio, Military Technology MILTECH 2/2006
first sight as a complete prototype, but it actually is a very detailed full-scaled engineering mock up. It can be speculated that, after having been used to study the aircraft’s internal installation, the mock-up has also received and external finish for presentation purposes. Its real function at this point, however, is probably to assist in the definition of the required logistic support (i.e., access to the various avionics boxes and on-board systems, ground support equipment like the various ladder and the external power source unit, air conditioning units and so on) as well as to study the engines’ removal/installation procedures.Since some time now it has been known that the rapidly-developing Chinese aeronautical industry is studying a new and technologically very advanced combat aircraft, also boasting significant low signature characteristics. This programme is a logical step in China’s “Long March” towards full independence in designing, developing and producing combat airplanes of a technological level in line with China’s status as the “other” world superpower, on an equal footing as Russia and eventually even the USA.
The scarce information available about this new advanced combat aircraft indicates that two, possibly competing, study groups (both part of the AVIC I Group of aeronautical industries) are or have been working on the subject. One of these groups (601 Institute) originates from Shenyang airplane Corporation (SAC) which is in charge of the large, twin-engine J-8 fighters in service with the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force) as well as of license production of the Su-27SK under the local designation of J-11. The overall configuration of SAC’s preliminary design, apparently designated J-13, owes significantly to the American F/A-22, being a tailed delta but with wing and horizontal tailplane more in line with those of the F-16. The other study group (611 Institute) from Chengdu Airplane Corporation (CAC), has developed the J-12, a concept which follows the less conventional canard layout used with success in the company’s J-10.
While previous information (albeit admittedly unconfirmed), gave to the SAC concept the edge, perhaps as a result of the company’s experience in large twin-engine fighters, this seems to have since been reversed in favors of the Chegdu design. It is however still not clear whether the designation of J-14 is intended to suggest a successor design to both the J-12 and the J-13, and whether the existence of the J-14 engineering mock-up (clearly based on the J-12) indicates that the type has been selected for development, or the competition is still going on with parallel activities underway on another such mock-up based on the J-13.
While no data is available about the J-14, some speculation can be done in the attempt to extrapolate the aircraft’s characteristics and thus the roles it is called to perform. The following considerations are based on what can be seen in the photo, but also involve making some assumptions on the basis of what is known of the Chinese armed forces’ perceived priorities in operational requirements, the domestic industry’s approach to combat aircraft design and, finally, the well-know Chinese weaknesses in some technological fields. In addition, the well-developed cooperation with Russian companies, particularly in areas such as power plant, avionics and possibly computer-based fly-by-wire flight control systems is also taken into consideration.
Source by : Sergio Coniglio, Military Technology MILTECH 2/2006
0 comments:
Post a Comment