Shenyang WS-10

The WS-10 or WS10 (Woshan 10), codename Taihang, is a turbofan engine, developed in the 1980s by the Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute, a design institute of the China Aviation Industry Corporation. It was never used, and a variant of the engine known as the WS-10a is currently under development for use in China's J-11B and J-10 fighters. It was reported that a single prototype WS-10a engine was tested on a prototype J-11B fighter in 2002. In 2005, the Chinese media reported that the engine had completed 4 months endurance testing and the engine was certified for production in 2006. It is not known if the engine has entered full scale production as of January 2008. The new WS-10A, is an impressive technological feat and reported as to be a13,500kg thrust and 7.5 T/W ratio turbofan. At the Zhuhai 2002 show a photo was released of a J-11 alleged to have been modified to test one WS-10A. [ [http://www.uscc.gov/researchpapers/2000_2003/reports/mair1.htm NEWS DEVELOPMENTS IN RUSSIA-CHINA MILITARY RELATIONS: A REPORT ON THE AUGUST 19-23 2003 MOSCOW AEROSPACE SALON (MAKS) ] ]

However, after the government's official acknowledgment of the existence of the J-10, an interview with J-10 pilots such as test pilot Mr. Li Cunbao (李存宝) revealed that the domestic engine is highly unlikely to be equipped in J-10s in the near future. In this interview publicized in January 2007, the pilots claimed that though the domestic WS-10a Chinese engine could match the performance of the Russian AL-31F engine in every parameter and even surpass in some, there was a very serious drawback: the domestic Chinese engine, WS-10a took longer to reach the same level of performance as its Russian counterpart. (According to Mr. Li Cunbao's experience, as well as other pilots who flew the J-10 with the WS-10a, it took at least 50% longer, and in many other aspects, almost 100% longer.) Although this difference is only slightly more than a minute at most, it was more-than-enough to make a difference between allowing the pilots to safely recover the aircraft by restarting the engine than abandoning the aircraft in a forced ejection. However, recent reports indicate J-10 will be fitted with WS-10A engine.

References

External links

* [http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/market-insight-top.pag?docid=19506933 J-10 and the Rise of China's Tactical Aircraft Capabilities]
*http://www.sinodefence.com/news/2007/news07-04-17.asp