China's breakthrough in jet engines
The chinese army has made significant progress in becoming more self-sufficient in their production of jet engines. Combining robust aircraft development and production plans with a desire for China to enter the 5 th generation space, where Russia may not be able to supply later models engines like the 117S has made China a strong motivator to become more self-sufficient in the design and manufacture of high performance jet engines.
According to Wang Ya'nan who is a military expert as well as chief editor at Aerospace Knowledge magazine, technological advances have reduced the gap between China's leaders and China's in the development of jet engines. These breakthroughs include an explosion of local research, the establishment of an Aero Engine Corporation of China as well key materials like those for single crystal blades.
2002 saw the debut of a Chinese-designed, manufactured, and tested jet engine at Zhuhai Airshow. This engine, the WP-14 Kunlun (or Chengdu J-7) was used in several Shenyang J-8 variants.
It took 20 years for the WP-14 to be developed. However, it was recognized as China's original jet engine and several fourth-generation fighter planes have had it deployed by the Chinese Air Force. It is being used on the J-15, Xi'an Y-20 and other aircrafts that will become the nation's fifth-generation aircraft.
While Chinese jet engines are still behind their foreign counterparts in terms of thrust, they are becoming increasingly reliable and are being fielded in increasing numbers by the PLA Air Force and PLAN Aviation. Chinese technicians are extending the service life for Russian-made AL-31F-tornadofans. This is helping them get the best performance from their engines. They will also be able to develop new engines that are stronger, more durable, easier to replace on the field, and able to withstand higher levels of abuse.
China's CCTV reported that another important development was made in the engine sector. The WS-15 is an under-developed engine. It can perform thrust Vector Control and has a high bypass. It's believed that the WS-15 will be used on the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, as well as on a rumored future two-seat carrier-borne jet based on the Xi'an Y-20, the Eurasian Times reported.
Currently, the J-20 is equipped with a Russian-made WS-10C turbofan, a stop-gap arrangement for mass production of the J-20 until the Chinese WS-15 is ready for testing. This engine is said to be more powerful than that of the AL-31F turbofan. However, the engine can experience performance power drops during certain maneuvers and can suffer fuel flow and disturbed air problems if the aircraft has an excessive angle of attack.
Despite these issues, the WS-10C is still being used in the J-20 for more than 10 years. It has proven to be capable of handling this aircraft. According to media reports, the WS-10C proves to be so reliable that it is more efficient than ever.