I
N LATE 2017 — soon after the
first J-20A was flown, powered by
two indigenous WS-10B ‘Taihang’
engines fitted with stealthy nozzles
— rumors of a J-10B fitted with
another new engine began to
circulate on the internet. The aircraft in
question was expected to be a testbed
for thrust-vectoring controls (TVC).
A maiden flight of the new single-
engine jet was reported on December
25, 2017 and a single grainy image was
posted showing the nozzle. Around
three months later, a first clear photo
was published in the Chinese magazine
Aerospace Knowledge, confirming these
earlier reports.
The engine is reportedly a variant of
the same WS-10B found on the J-20A,
but fitted with a stealthy TVC nozzle
featuring ‘saw-tooth’ feathers.J-10B and WS-10
The appearance of this re-engined J-10B
is remarkable for several reasons. First,
although China is known to have been
exploring TVC technologies since the
late 1990s, few hard facts have ever
become public. An image showing the
then President Jiang Zemin ‘controlling’
such a TVC nozzle on an unknown
engine type appeared around 2000.
This was likely taken during a high-level
presentation at an aerospace exhibition,
but no operational TVC type was
ever confirmed in People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) service — not even for
test purposes.
It’s not surprising, therefore, that
China’s recent acquisition of Su-35
fighters is often seen in connection with
the possible requirement to explore TVC
technology in operational use.
Furthermore, although the baseline
engine has powered almost all front-
line J-11Bs and J-16s since 2009, the
indigenous WS-10 was previously seen
only rarely on the J-10. Known instances
include an initial test on the fourth J-10A
prototype (serial ‘1004’) in 2004, and
on the fifth J-10B prototype (‘1035’),
perhaps in 2013. Otherwise, reportedly
only the final two Batch 01 J-10Bs were
equipped with the engine in 2015 for
comparative operational testing at the
Flight Test and Training Center (FTTC).
One might have expected either a
J-11B or J-16 as a TVC testbed, especially
since both types have already been
flying with the basic engine for someAs a first clear photo is released showing a
Chengdu J-10B fighter fitted with a stealthy thrust-
vectoring nozzle, China’s progress in the field of
thrust-vectoring control becomes clearer.years. In addition, a twin-engined type
would provide additional safety in case
of failure.
A dedicated flying testbed to explore a
new technology is itself a rarity in China.
The fact that the series-built J-10 does not
use a version of this engine as standard
makes it all the more surprising that this
type was adopted. It can therefore be
taken as evidence of the maturity of the
TVC technology and the engine itself.
In this regard, the People’s Liberation
Army Air Force (PLAAF), Shenyang
Liming — responsible for the engine
— and the Chengdu Aircraft Company
are following a similar path to the US Air
Force. This air arm used an F-16 for the
VISTA/MATV (Variable stability In-flight
Simulator Test Aircraft/Multi-Axis Thrust-
Vectoring) and LOAN (Low-Observable
Asymmetric Nozzle) test campaigns that
helped develop both a stealthy nozzle
and explore TVC technology.
The TVC-equipped J-10B sports a
few important modifications. The most
noticeable is the exhaust nozzle featuringThe J-10B TVC
testbed, its
WS-10B engine
fitted with a
stealthy TVC
nozzle featuring
‘saw-tooth’
feathers. All
images via
Chinese internet
unless stated24 July 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
AIR WARFARE BRIEFINGS
FROM THE ASIA-PACIFICBY ANDREAS RUPPRECHT
25-27 Eye on the East C.indd 24 20/05/2018 11:33