The WS-15 engine, which was created exclusively to support the PLA Air Force’s most advanced stealth fighter, the J-20, accomplished its maiden flight this year, according to a top adviser to China’s aviation engine design program.
Defense experts stated that while the announcement indicated the powerful engine was nearing completion, it was too early to determine when it would be placed into service because it was unclear whether or not the engine was tested on a J-20 Mighty Dragon.
WS-15 Engine
According to the video, which was shot during the three-day China Aviation Industry Conference and Nanchang Air Show, he added, The engine with a push-to-weight ratio of 10, designed for our country’s J-20, has not been placed into service, but it has completed the maiden flight.
The video shows the plane in a hangar at a SAC facility. On November 23, as part of a news report honoring the tenth anniversary of the J-15’s first sea trials onboard China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, China Central Television (CCTV) broadcast the clip.
Moreover, the WS-15 engine is a variation of the Liming Taihang WS-10 engine. The odds of Taihang’s B variant being fitted in the plane are about 50/50.
WS-10 Engine Variants
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According to information provided by Janes Aero-Engines, the WS-10B could be a more powerful variant of the WS-10A. 135 kN is WS-10B’s maximum thrust rating (30,350 lb st).
Footage has shown images that appeared to show WS-10B engines being installed in J-10 fighter aircraft manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industries Group Company (CAC) as early as 2020.
Meanwhile, the aircraft of the Taihang class was developed and deployed primarily for ground-based operations. The fact that this American-made engine is already being installed on mass-produced planes with the intention of using them from aircraft carriers is a good sign that the propulsion system is ready for prime time.
However, this is not the first time that a WS-10 engine has been installed in a J-15. At least two J-15 prototype aircraft were powered by a homegrown WS-10H engine. There have been no further disclosures regarding the WS-10H’s history of development.
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