Chengdu J-10 "Vigorous Dragon" fighter

Big New Chinese Order for Russian Fighter Engines
AIN Defense Perspective » October 3, 2011

by Vladimir Karnozov
Russia has now sold nearly 1,000 AL-31 engines to China, where they power J-10 and J-11 fighters.
October 3, 2011, 4:45 AM

China has placed additional orders for Russian AL-31-series fighter engines. State arms trade agency Rosoboronexport clinched two big contracts earlier this year. One is for more than 150 AL-31Fs as replacements for earlier engines of same type that power the Su-27/Su-30MKK/MK2 fighters, that are designated J-11 in China. Engines under this contract will be assembled by the Ufa-based UMPO factory.

The second contract is for more than 120 AL-31FN engines to power newly built Chengdu J-10 fighters. Engines under this contract are already being delivered, from the Moscow-based Salut plant.

Speaking to AIN at the Aviation Expo 2011 in Beijing, Salut general director Vladislav Masalov said that negotiations continue on a second batch of nearly 140 AL-31FNs and that a follow-on contract is expected to be signed in October.

Masalov further said that the grand total of Salut-made AL-31 series engines in China “is nearing one thousand units.” To serve them, Salut has established partnerships with Limin Corp. and Tyan Li company in Chengdu on deliveries and manufacturing of spare parts for both the AL-31F and the AL-31FN. Russia has also agreed to provide all necessary maintenance and repair documentation to the Chinese partners. Salut faces many issues pertaining to ramping up production to fill these big Chinese orders, Masalov said. This year the company must increase its production output by 30 to 40 percent to fulfill the Chinese contracts. “Certainly there is some pressure on us, with bottlenecks being metal and vendor items,” Masalov said.

Meanwhile, Salut is negotiating the sale of another 40 AL-31FM1 engines to the Russian Air Force for the Su-27SM upgrade. Twelve have already been ordered. Talks to supply AL-31FM2 versions for the Su-34 continue, Masalov said.

Big New Chinese Order for Russian Fighter Engines | Aviation International News

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fightingirish said:

A J-10 was spotted in Chengdu on June 10 with twin-rail missile launchers carrying PL-12 missiles. Similar to the LAU-115/LAU-127 used by the Hornet, Super Hornet.

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Source & pictures: http://alert5.com/2011/06/11/j-10-with-twin-rail-missile-launchers/

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The FSUE “GTE-RPC “Salut”-produced AL-31FN series-3 engine receives code letter “O1”
April 10, 2014 the AL-31FN series-3 engine's design documentation was approved for full-scale engine production and assigned a code letter “O1”.

Salut has completed a range of works to provide for supply to its Customer (PRC) of the AL-31FN series-3 engines, intended for FX-B aircraft.

The extended equivalent-cyclic testing was performed according to accepted program to test the initial engine operation of 750 hours. The results confirmed the characteristics and performance capability of the engine, fault-free operation of all systems and units as well as the initial operation to first maintenance of 750 hours. The AL-31FN series-3 engine was proved to comply with the performance specification.

The special tests were performed at Salut's test benches to strain-gage the stage 1 and 2 low-pressure compressor blades; the self-oscillation check of the stage 1 low-pressure compressor rotor blades was performed at CIAM (Central Institute for Aviation Motors) with various flight imitation conditions. Results deemed satisfactory.

Additionally, as planned and agreed with the Customer's Representative, Salut performed special tests with the pre-turbine gas temperature increased by 25K, evaluated the performance of the engine at the rotation frequencies of the rotors higher than maximally allowed by 3%, strain-gaged the new pipework, took part in the interdepartmental testing of the engine digital control unit TsRD-99. All results deemed satisfactory.

Flight tests of the AL-31FN series-3 engine, installed in FX-B aircraft, were performed at the facility of Prime Contractor 156 to satisfactory results. The engine was proved to comply with the performance specification.

FSUE “CIAM” has issued the assessment of stability of AL-31FN series-3 engine at the operation time to first maintenance of 750 hours / 1000 flight cycles on the customer's FX-B aircraft.

In order to facilitate full-scale production of AL-31FN series-3 engine at FSUE “Gas-Turbine Engineering RPC “Salut” the Director of the State Defense Order Procurement Department under Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation has initiated the assembly of the inter-agency committee to perform assessment of completeness of the design documentation with subsequent assignment of the code letter “O1” (i.e. full-scale production documentation).

Upon Salut's presentation of the design documentation, the inter-agency committee has attested:

- compliance of the presented design documentation with the technical specification;
- thorough revision of the post-manufacturing and post-testing design documentation;
- compliance of the design documentation with requirements to completeness, content and layout; physical condition of the original documentation and suitability thereof for reprography;
- commonality of the engine and the prototypes: AL-31F series 42 and AL-31FN series 1, 2;
- conformity of the design documentation to the current production;
- compliance of the employed purchased integrated parts with the warranty terms, operation conditions and the documents stipulating use thereof with the engine;
- availability of the calculations and the documented performance stability tests, normative standardization documentation and test programs approved by the Customer's Representative;
- availability of the resolution of use protocols;
- availability of the engine assembly process documentation;
- technological availability of the production for the engines output;
- availability of the description lists of spare parts, tools and accessories;
- completeness of the engine spare parts, tools and accessories and compliance thereof with the description lists;
- provision of the measuring equipment for the in-operation engine checks;
- electromagnetic compatibility of components with the aircraft systems and the airfield equipment;
- commonality of the engine and engine prototypes processes;
- certification of the testing equipment according to GOST.

The Director of the State Defense Order Procurement Department under Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation approved the Inter-agency Committee Design Documentation Inspection Act on 10 April 2014. The AL-31FN series-3 engine's design documentation received approval as full-scale production documentation and was assigned a code letter “O1”.

The compliance of the engine with the specified and between-overhaul operation time is being further ascertained. The extended testing of the engine's between-overhaul operation of 750 hours is being performed.

The initial operation of the first batch of the FX-B production aircrafts with AL-31FN series-3 engines, year of manufacture 2013, is underway at the Customer's (PRC) facilities.

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Deino said:

Yes indeed a tragic loss of a factory fresh J-10B but even more important the injured peoples on the ground should recover soon and the pilot survived. Quite interesting it was flown by Li Gang, the pilot who flew the J-20 during its maiden flight.

Deino

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Deino said:

Simply look at the small - nearly nimble - spine (more a cable duct than a spine) where the antenna in mounted !

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kaiserbill said:

Forgive me Deino, but what exactly is a J-10C?
I haven't purchased your book (yet), but I sort of keep an eye on the J-10 programme.

I know the original A, the twin seater, and the B.

What does the C have that warrants a different model number?

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Deino said:

Ready for delivery to the PLAAF ... 14 J-10B fighters spotted during the last days at the ramp at CAC / Chengdu.

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RadicalDisconnect said:

Are those film crews?

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sferrin said:

Does anybody know of any plans to eventually get a J-10 to the Paris or Farnborough airshows for flight demos? Would love to see them there.

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