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Well, they still didn't manage to replicate the AL-31 despite massive leaks of documentation _and_ it being a late-70-s design. What makes you think they would
by lstodd 6y ago
Well, they still didn't manage to replicate the AL-31 despite massive leaks of documentation _and_ it being a late-70-s design.
What makes you think they would fare better with the CFM56 which is of the same vintage?
There was much boasting for the last ten years, but nothing actually serviceable.
- dirtyid 6y agoNew batch J10s have switched to indigenous WS-10B, the AL31 replacement, early this year. WS-10s was being used on twin engine J16s and J11 years before that.
- sudosysgen 6y agoThe AL-31 was first put into service in 1981, and of course that isn't the same version that is being built under licence (not stolen - they bought the rights to it). That being said, the WS-10 is thought to now be operational, and has been fitted on operational airplanes successfully for almost a decade. So that fits perfectly with them being at 70s/80s level of tech for established, used engines.
- lstodd 6y ago> and has been fitted on operational airplanes successfully for almost a decade Sort of hard to believe this given the Chinese were buying AL-31FNs by the thousands since early 2010s. As it is, I think they hit the metallurgical problems with the hot part from the get go and are struggling with them ever since. Given that the hot part (final compressor stages, combustion and the turbines) aren't that dissimilar from the cores of commercial turbofans I'm inclined to think it's all hot air as is was for the last 10-20 years. Sure they can assemble some CFM56 derivatives around imported cores and that's it.