Aerospace Engineering in Zhuhai Exhibition Hall 2021
CH-4 drone at Zhuhai 2021 exhibition hall.
The People's Republic of China's aerospace and rocket industry is widely perceived as a faithful and increasingly accomplished follower of global trends. Initially, since the 60s, it was an imitation, but limited to a few relatively simple designs - mainly equipment previously supplied from the USSR. Gradually, copies of foreign aircraft and helicopters were modified, perhaps the first noticeable effect of such a policy was the Q-5, an attack aircraft based on the MiG-19. The result of all these activities was the creation of Chinese designs with a great delay, usually several years, compared with foreign originals.
This practice, which lasted for several decades, taught foreign observers and analysts to look for foreign "roots" in all new buildings in China. However, ten years ago there were aircraft without obvious foreign prototypes: J-20 and J-31 fighters, AG-600 seaplane, Z-10 and Z-19 combat helicopters, Y-20 transport ship. This year's 2021 China Air Show China 28 in Zhuhai, held from September 3 to October 2020 (formally a project rescheduled from November XNUMX), is a testament to the continued progress of the Chinese aviation industry. The most striking innovation was the inclusion of large combat drones in the flight demonstration, which the organizers of any such event in the world did not dare to do. There is no doubt that this time the world will catch up with the People's Republic of China in this regard and soon, maybe in a year, similar shows will be launched in Russia, France ... a record-breaking large part of the exhibition. To this should be added a large number of smaller and miniature drones and a record supply of weapons for machines in this category. So far, no other country has presented such numerous and diverse weapons for unmanned aerial vehicles, and for example, in Russia it was not exhibited at all a few years ago.
Combat aircraft J-16D.
Aircraft
Apart from the vehicles of the two aerobatic teams (J-10 fighters and JL-8 trainers), the aerostatic display was relatively small, clearly smaller and less interesting than three years ago. There were also very few new releases and no significant surprises.
J-16
Perhaps the most unexpected newcomer was the J-16 twin-engine multipurpose aircraft. The history of this construction, as is usually the case in China, is complex and not entirely clear. In 1992, the first Su-27 in the export version of the SK, manufactured at the Far Eastern KnAAPO plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, was purchased from Russia. Procurement continued and at the same time, a license agreement was signed in 1995, under which China could produce 200 single-seat Su-27s. However, this was not intended as an independent production, since the engines, radar stations, a significant part of the avionics and hydraulic installations were to be supplied from Russia. As a result, by 2006, 105 cars were built, of which 95 were delivered in trim levels.
from KnAAPO. China quickly abandoned the construction of another Su-27SK, noted for the J-11 Great Wall. Instead, several batches of multi-tasking Su-30Ms were ordered - a total of 100 vehicles have been delivered since 2001. However, over time, it turned out that the production of single-seat vehicles was not abandoned - in 2004, the J-11B appeared, made with a greater share of local assembly (engines and radars still came from Russia.) Later, double J-11BS appeared, analogues of the Su-27UB. Officially, China did not receive documentation of this version from Russia. Another unexpected step was the copying of the airborne Su-33, officially based on two unfinished aircraft purchased in Ukraine. In fact, it was a "smoke screen" for the unofficial transfer of documentation on the Su-33 from Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Not only that - almost certainly the key elements for the first series of J-15s also came from Russia (they were produced for the next batch of Su-33s, which the Russian Navy never received in the end). Another machine from this family was the J-15S, a “cross” of the front-line Su-27UB with the Su-33 glider. It is interesting that the aircraft in this configuration was never built in the USSR / Russia, although its design was created, which, probably, was then transferred to China “for nothing”. Probably only one such machine has been built so far. J-16 was next, i.e. J-11BS upgraded to Su-30MKK standard. The car was supposed to differ from the Iskra with completely new avionics, a radar station, a reinforced undercarriage with a twin front wheel and an airframe design that made it possible to increase the maximum takeoff weight. An air-to-air refueling system, previously only fitted to the J-15, was also installed. The aircraft would also have been distinguished by the use of Chinese WS-10 engines, but only a few aircraft from the “information” series received them. The first news about the work on the J-16 appeared in 2010, three years later two prototypes were built, the tests of which were successfully completed in 2015.
Here it is appropriate to consider the question of Russia's attitude to this officially illegal, because not sanctioned by licenses, construction of various modifications of the Su-27/30/33 in the PRC. If these were "pirated copies", Russia could easily react, for example, by suspending the supply of engines necessary for their production. However, this did not happen, and there were no official protests, which clearly proves that China was allowed to work, which was almost certainly due to the corresponding fees. Despite this, the Chinese still adhere to the principle of "not showing off" with aircraft from the J-11÷J-16 family. Therefore, the presentation of one of the machines in Zhuhai was a complete surprise. The D version of the aircraft is shown, i.e. analogue of the American EA-18G Growler - a specialized reconnaissance aircraft and electronic warfare. Apparently, the J-16D prototype took to the air in December 2015. The airframe was modified, including the removal of the head of the OLS optoelectronic target detection system in front of the cockpit and gun. Under the dielectric nose of the fuselage, as they say, is not a typical radar antenna, but an active antenna system for electronic intelligence and jamming with the complementary function of radar detection and target tracking. The dielectric screen is shorter while maintaining the dimensions of the plane unchanged, which means that the antenna hidden under it has a smaller diameter. The underwing beams have been modified and adapted for the transport of containers with electronic devices, incl. Type RKZ-930, which would have been modeled after the American AN / ALQ-99. It is not clear whether it is still possible to transfer weapons from them. The initial function is performed by only two ventral beams - during the cabin, guided air-to-air missiles PL-15 were suspended under them, but they can also be anti-radar. Instead of beams at the ends of the wings, cylindrical containers with specialized equipment were permanently installed, interacting with numerous dagger antennas. Of course, the aircraft was equipped with Chinese WS-10 engines in the latest version D. The aircraft was numbered 0109 (the ninth aircraft of the first series), but on the ends was the number 102, the second aircraft of the first series.
