As the second fifth-generation aircraft independently developed by China, the J-31 has had a bad fate since the project was established, when will the fighter enter service? Can it meet the operational needs of the PLA? These are all hot topics among military fans. Recently, with the release of the promotional film "We Walk Together" by AVIC Shenfei Company, the high-profile J-31B made a grand debut. From the design point of view, the J-31B not only has excellent stealth and aerodynamic layout, but also has a bomb load far exceeding that of the US military stealth fighter. Those who say "copycat" F35, this time can shut up.
The reason why the J-31 series is ill-fated is because it is different from the J-20 in that it is not a military project, but a project independently invested and developed by Shenfei. This also means that all the funds need to be borne by the company, and at the same time, the company also has to bear the future market risk. If the J-31 is not recognized by military customers, the whole project is equivalent to a waste. At the beginning, the J-31, nicknamed the "Falcon Eagle", was defined as a medium-sized fifth-generation stealth fighter, and attracted the attention of the outside world at the air show. It's just that the J-20 was put into service early and was affirmed by the military, and the initial J-31 has been continuously updated and optimized, and has never come up with convincing strength, which also makes many military fans worry about the prospects of the J-31. Fortunately, Shen Fei mastered the late-mover advantage of fighter research and development, and finally came up with a finished masterpiece after continuously accumulating technical experience.
For many netizens and military fans, it is a miracle that J-31 can survive, and it is not difficult to see from the picture of the Shen Fei promotional video that compared with the J-31 that was originally unveiled, the new aircraft named J-31B has a new look, and a large number of cutting-edge innovative concepts are used in design. As far as the design of the side bomb bay of the J-31B fighter is concerned, the video screen discloses a lot of information, and a series of details are enough to make military fans enthusiastic.
Looking at the fifth-generation fighters that have been in service around the world, stealth is put in the first place, and the American-made F-35 and F-22 have sacrificed bomb load in order to ensure stealth performance. Relatively speaking, although the J-31B is a medium-sized aircraft, the side bomb bay can carry two ammunition, which is the first of its kind among fifth-generation fighters. The J-31B has a bomb load that is not inferior to that of heavy fighters, because it has achieved the ultimate in structural optimization, space utilization, and engine performance.
It can be clearly seen from the picture that unlike the "double door" design of the American-made fighter, the side bomb bay of the J-31B adopts a "single door" design, which is the same as the heavy stealth fighter J-20. As the world's first fifth-generation aircraft, the F-22's stealth performance and aerodynamic shape are not perfect. Because its side bomb bay door can not be closed during the whole process of missile launch, relatively speaking, our domestic J-20 and J-31B side bomb bay structure is simpler, and the hatch can be closed again after the missile is turned out of the cabin, and the stealth effect and aerodynamic shape of the fighter have been protected to the greatest extent.
It is reported that since the J-31 project was established, the fuselage design has been optimized many times, from version 2.0 to version 3.0, and the overall performance of the fighter has also been improved in the optimization again and again, which also makes the future market prospects of J-31B broader. Initially, the J-31 was launched under the name FC-31, aimed at overseas export markets. Since then, not only has the Air Force shown its intention to purchase the J-31, but the Chinese Navy has also intended to use it as a new generation of carrier-based aircraft and upgrade it to the J-35. Judging from the current trend, on the basis of the J-20 already owned by the Chinese Air Force, the largest application of the J-31B will still be at sea in the future. However, unlike the design of the naval version of the J-35, the J-31B will pay more attention to air mobility and strike capabilities.
The advent of the J-31B once again proves that China's aviation industry is flourishing. It can be said that in the research and development of new fighters, China has not only become one of the world's top ranks, but also completed the overtaking of the United States. Just imagine, in the future, naval aviation will have both J-35 and J-31B, and our air defense and assault forces will coexist, and the shortcomings of the carrier-based aircraft of the Chinese Navy will be fully compensated.