At present, the test flight phase of the J-35 fighter may be coming to an end, and the recent test flight of a two-plane formation has appeared, which indicates that the finalization is getting closer and closer. So, how does the J-35 perform? Will it be on par with the American F-35C and effectively suppress it?
After all, sooner or later, these two fighters will meet on the battlefield. There is certainly a lot of interest in comparing the performance of these two carrier-based aircraft. In the previous article, we first compared the ** systems of these two fighters. Well, in this article, we will make a preliminary analysis of the basic performance of the J-35 and compare it with the American F-35C.
First of all, let's compare the basic dimensions of these two carrier-based aircraft. The F-35C has a wingspan of 131 meter, the length of the aircraft is 157 meters. The J-35 model displayed on the Wuhan aircraft carrier floor gave us a brief estimate and found that the wingspan of the J-35 was about 134 meters, the length of the aircraft is 17About 6 meters.
Obviously, the J-35 has a slightly larger external dimensions than the F-35C. Taking into account the maximum take-off weight of the F-35C is 3175 tons, so it can be assumed that the maximum take-off weight of the J-35 will almost certainly be a little larger. Due to the similarity of the aerodynamic shape design of the two, we estimate that the maximum take-off weight of the J-35 may reach 33 to 34 tons. This weight may even exceed the J-15 fighter in our country, and the maximum take-off weight of the J-15 is 325 tons.
For many people, this may come as a bit of a surprise, as people usually think that the J-35 or the previous FC-31 is just a medium fighter, but they don't expect it to be comparable in size to the previous generation of heavy fighters. However, it is important to point out that the definitions of medium and heavy may differ in different eras. In the era of fourth-generation aircraft, the weight of more than 30 tons was already considered a heavy machine, but in the era of fifth-generation aircraft, this could only be considered a medium-sized machine. Because fifth-generation heavy aircraft, such as the F-22, can have a maximum take-off weight of 38 tons.
Therefore, it is normal for the J-35, as a medium-sized aircraft in the fifth generation aircraft, to reach a weight of more than 30 tons. However, for some, the J-35's maximum take-off weight may be a bit difficult to accept over the J-15. Because the J-15 is relatively large. Although we temporarily use the data of the Su-33 as a reference, it is important to know that the J-15 was developed on the technical basis of the Su-33.
The wingspan of the Su-33 is 147 meters, the length of the aircraft is 2119 meters, it is indeed larger than the J-35. However, it should be noted that the J-15 adopts the aerodynamic design of the previous generation, and adopts the design of wide engine spacing. Despite the large wingspan, the wing area is almost the same as that of the F-35C. The J-15 has a wing area of 62 square meters, while the F-35C has 621 square meter. The main reason for this is that the J-15's wing spread is relatively large, that is, the wing is relatively slender.
When comparing these two carrier-based aircraft, let's first take a look at their wing sizes. The F-35C has a relatively small wing aspect ratio, while the J-15's wing has a swept design, which is different from the forward-swept wings of the F-35C and J-35. Therefore, in the case of a relatively small wingspan, the wing area of the J-15 and F-35C is basically the same. The J-35 has a larger wing edge sweep angle, so the wing area may be larger, perhaps around 65 square meters.
Therefore, from the point of view of wing area, the wing area of the J-35 is able to support its weight beyond that of the F-35C. Considering that the J-35 is almost two meters longer than the F-35C, the maximum take-off weight of the F-35C is 3175 tons. Therefore, it is possible that the maximum take-off weight of the J-35 will reach 33-34 tons.
In addition, the fifth-generation fighter and the *** fighter are also very different in structural design. Fifth-generation fighters usually have a built-in bomb bay design, while fighters like the J-15 have all ammunition plugged in. As a result, fifth-generation aircraft have larger and heavier fuselages, but smaller overall dimensions.
Next, let's see if this view can also be supported from the perspective of engine thrust. The F-35C uses a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine with an afterburner thrust of about 1913,000 N, which translates to about 1952 tons. The standard engine of the J-35 may be the WS-19 turbofan engine, although it may not necessarily be this engine used in the test flight stage, but when it is mass-produced, the WS-19 will become the supporting engine of the J-35. According to **, the afterburner thrust of the WS-19 may reach 11-12 tons, but it may not have been reached at the moment.
According to the public speech of Huang Weina, chief engineer of WS-19, the afterburner thrust of the WS-19 verification stage is about 95 tons, thrust-to-weight ratio of about 95。And according to Huang Weina, the performance has been met by 90%. This means that the afterburner thrust of the WS-19 in the demonstrator stage is currently only 90%, and it is expected that the afterburner thrust of the WS-19 after finalization should be about 105 tons. Therefore, the development potential of the WS-19 is still very large, but the current more reliable afterburner thrust data may be in the range of 10About 5 tons.
As a twin-engine carrier-based fighter, the J-35 has a maximum thrust of 21 tons. This number has already surpassed the 35 of the F-1952 tons of maximum thrust, 15 tons. Considering that the F-35C is a single-engine fighter, judging by the performance data of the F-35C, its engine performance should be able to support the maximum take-off weight of the J-35 to reach the level of 33-34 tons. Despite the fact that the maximum flight speed of the F-35C is only 1Mach 6, and there is no supersonic cruise capability, but the J-35 must have supersonic cruise capability. Without over-cruising capabilities, the J-35 may be at a disadvantage when facing the F-22 deployed on the first island chain. Therefore, for the J-35, supersonic cruise capability is essential.
In order to achieve supersonic cruise, the J-35 has undergone in-depth optimization. Compared to the F-35C, the J-35 has a larger wing edge sweep angle and a flatter belly, unlike the F-35C, which is covered with bulges. These optimizations help reduce supersonic flight drag. The J-35 has also optimized the aerodynamic shape of the rear of the flight cockpit, including the air intake lip, rear fuselage and other positions. In addition, the tail of the fuselage is also designed with a reverse bend, and these comprehensive optimization measures reduce aerodynamic drag by nearly 10% overall.
If the J-35 is at the same level of material and structural design as the F-35C, it should weigh at least about 1 more than the F-35C, based on the J-35's dimensions5 tons. Considering that the mass production of 100-ton T1000 carbon fiber has been achieved in China as early as 2018, we are not much behind the F-35C in terms of materials. However, in terms of structural design, the J-35 far surpasses the F-35C, and the Shenyang Aircraft Industry Company has widely adopted titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology on the J-15 fighter, which greatly reduces the structural weight of the aircraft.
Experts in the field of aeronautical engineering have proposed a new structural design concept, that is, large-scale integration, configuration topology, gradient compounding and functional structure integration. This means using advanced monolithic manufacturing techniques or additive manufacturing techniques to merge previously disparate multiple parts into a single large monolithic structure, thereby significantly reducing the number of parts.
This practice effectively reduces the separation surfaces between parts, reduces structural redundancy, reduces stress concentrations, and reduces fatigue weak links. In the Falcon Fighter project, a large-scale integrated design and manufacturing technology was adopted, and a series of remarkable results were achieved, such as a 30% reduction in the weight of the fusion zone, a 50% reduction in the number of parts, a 50% reduction in fatigue weak parts, a 30% increase in dynamic equivalent stiffness, an increase in oil storage of hundreds of kilograms, and a 50% reduction in cost.
In addition, by adopting the integrated method of design and manufacturing of aluminum alloy reinforced frame and spar integral parts, compared with the traditional titanium alloy frame beam composite structure, the number of parts can be reduced by half, and the weight can be reduced by more than 38%. Thus, in general, the maximum take-off weight of the J-35 is expected to be in the range of 32-34 tons.
And the payload may weigh 35-2 tons more than the F-3C. Take the F-35C with a fuel load of 896 tons and ** mount for 8With 16 tons as a reference, the J-35 may have a fuel load of more than 10 tons, while the ** payload may reach about 9 tons. This makes the J-35 significantly superior to the F-35C in terms of range, bomb load and supersonic cruise capability.
As for the J-35 fighter's best system performance and whether it can effectively suppress the F-35, this is a matter of great concern. In order to build the J-35, we have adopted many advanced technologies, but the specific black technology still needs more in-depth understanding and research. As for whether the 076 amphibious assault ship will be equipped with J-35 fighters, and what combat capabilities the 076 will have, these questions have also aroused extensive discussion and attention, and further research and answers are needed.