Chengdu J-10 |
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Name: J-10
DimensionsWing Span: 28.81 ft. / 8.78 M
Power & PerformancePowerplant(s): 1x Lyulka Saturn AL-31F turbofan
Armament1 x 23mm cannon, 4,500 Kg external stores UsersChina |
BackgroundChengdu J-10 Vigorous DragonWritten by: Kenneth Mah The Chengdu Jian-10 (J-10) Vigorous Dragon represents a remarkable milestone in the development of the Chinese aerospace industry. Although a very large amount of foreign assistance was involved, the J-10 is one of China's first modern indigenous aircraft designs to go into service. DesignThe Chengdu Jian-10 (J-10) is a single seat, single engine, all-weather, multi-role fighter aircraft of Chinese design. Like many of the European fighter aircraft designs of the 80s, the J-10 is a canard-delta winged aircraft.
Delta winged aircraft have several advantages. The high sweepback angle and large wing area are very favorable for high speed, high altitude flight. The long chord at the wing root provides space for fuel and helps to make construction easier.
Unfortunately, delta wings also come with several disadvantages. Speed bleeds off quickly in turns, a problem in hard turning dogfights. In addition, takeoff and landing distances are long, and speeds tend to be high.
To compensate for these disadvantages, aircraft designers turned to the canard foreplane. Unlike a horizontal tail, canard foreplanes provide added lift without the reduction in supersonic maneuverability that tailed aircraft have.
The J-10 features a tall single vertical tail and two ventral fins. Like the Swedish Gripen it is a single engine aircraft.
The aircraft operates a quadruplex fly by wire control system and a "glass" cockpit uses a head up display (HUD), multi-function displays (MFDs) to display radar and flight information; and a hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls.
The radar is reported to be the Russian Phazotron Zhemchoug (Pearl), a derivative of the radar used on the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker.
The J-10 is armed with an internal Type 23 23mm twin barrel cannon and has 11 external hardpoints, 5 on the fuselage and 3 under each wing. The J-10 can carry the PL-11 semi-active radar homing medium range air-to-air missile, PL-12 active homing medium range air-to-air missile, or the PL-8 IR homing short-range air-to-air missile. It can also carry a variety of bombs, rockets, and other external ordinance.
A two-seat version fully combat capable trainer version is also in development. It features an extended fuselage to accommodate the second pilot and a raised dorsal spine much like the late model F-16 Fighting Falcons. This two-seat model is rumored to be capable of acting as a mini-AWACs.
DevelopmentThe J-10 has been strongly influenced by other countries. Israel and Russia have provided a significant amount of technical expertise to the aircraft's development. The J-10 design is strongly influenced by the cancelled Israeli Lavi fighter program. The Lavi fly-by-wire control system software was reportedly transferred to the Chinese after the cancellation of the Lavi project. Both the China and Israel deny this rumor. Russia has provided a great deal of technical support in the form of avionics and power plants.
US technology and influence may also be a part of the J-10. Pakistan is rumored to have allowed the Chinese access to their F-16As. The nose and tail of the J-10 are also very reminiscent of the F-16.
EngineThe J-10 originally intended to use the domestically developed WS-10 Taihang turbofan engine. The WS-10 is derived from the commercial CFM-56 turbofan engine technology powering many of today's commercial airliners. CFM is a partnership between GE and SNECMA. It uses GE supplied technology from the F101 / F110 military turbofan program in the design of the compressor, combustor, and high -pressure turbine. SNECMA supplied technology for the fan, gearbox, and low-pressure turbine.
Unfortunately for China, the CFM-56 engine technology and technical information was embargoed by the US shortly after the crackdown following the 1989 Tienanmen uprising. This has slowed WS-10 development a great deal and the Chinese designers were unable to achieve the required engine performance in time to meet the J-10 development needs.
Recent announcements by the Chinese press in 2007 stated that the J-10 would fly with an indigenous Chinese built engine within the year. This is undoubtedly an important milestone for the WS-10 designers. However, the exact timing for when a WS-10 powered J-10 may enter frontline service is still uncertain.
The WS-10's developmental problems forced CAC to use a variant of the Saturn-Lyulka AL-30F turbofan, which powers the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. In order to fit within the J-10 airframe, the AL-30F has been slightly modified. The gearbox has been moved to the underside of the engine. The airframe intakes and ducts have also been changed to accommodate the AL-30's installation and airflow requirements.
The J-10's AL-30F engine is not significantly different from the versions powering the Su-27. It reportedly produces approximately 17,130 lbs dry and 27,557 lbs max thrust in full reheat. This is very similar to the thrust levels produced by the AL-30FM engines powering the Sukhoi Su-30.
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