Chengdu Flies Chinese-powered J-10 Fighter | Aviation International News

Chengdu Flies Chinese-powered J-10 Fighter

The design institute at Chengdu flew a J-10B development aircraft fitted with the indigenous Shenyang Liming WS-10A Taihang engine at the end of July.

Aircraft 1035 is the first J-10 to be seen with the Chinese WS-10 engine since the early prototypes. The engine can be distinguished from the Russian AL-31FN by the profile of the nozzle.

By David Donald • Contributor - UK

August 8, 2011

The design institute at Chengdu flew a J-10B development aircraft fitted with the indigenous Shenyang Liming WS-10A Taihang engine at the end of July. All previous J-10s, apart from the first few prototypes, have flown with the Russian AL-31FN engine. The aircraft with the homegrown engine is coded “1035” and is presumably the fifth J-10B prototype, although that number may include a ground-test article.

The WS-10 has always been the intended powerplant for the J-10, but problems with its development led to an early switch to the Russian powerplant. The J-10B flight trials suggest that the engine has matured enough to now be considered for a single-engine application. Clearance of the Taihang engine would make the J-10 an “all-Chinese” aircraft, available for export without any external restrictions.

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