Curved nozzle technology for J-20 fighter’s engine will make the fighter a VTOL one in the future

Engine for VTOL aircraft

The injection of huge fund and Chinese scientists and engineers’ enthusiasm to realize their China dream enable China to achieve fast development of its advanced aircraft engines and soon surpass the United States.
For example, Both Russian and US medias speculate that China has made breakthrough in developing WS-15 engine for its stealth fighter jet J-20 so that the fighter will be able to use China-made engines to be free of its dependence on Russian engines.
It is said that WS-15 is the core of China’s SF-A engine with a thrust 28,700 lb, which if used in J-20 heavy stealth fighter will make it surpass the US in power and maneuverability.
Moreover, as China imported Russian Yak-141 VTOL technology, the WS-15 will have a curved nozzle to enable it to take off and land vertically at a short distance so that J-20 will be China’s next generation of carrier-based fighter jets.
However, China’s ambition does not stop here.
It has developed WS-20 engine with a thrust-to-weight ratio above 9 for its Y-20 large transport aircraft and WS-118 (also known as WS-20 or CJ-2000) engine with a thrust of 26,500 lb that has already been used on its J-10 and J-11B fighter jets. Research and development has begun for a new generation of medium-thrust engine with thrust-to-weight ratio exceeding 9. Preparations are being made for test flight of the aircraft installed with WS-15 fourth-generation engine with a thrust-to-weight ratio of 10.
Test flight of its aircrafts using an improved version of Taihang Engine will be conducted in the coming few years to provide power for China’s new generation of stealth drones, stealth attack drones, long-range drones and manned long-range stealth bombers. At the same time preliminary research has begun in developing an improved fourth-generation military engine with a thrust-to-weight ratio of 12.
As the best US engine F-119-PW-100 used by F-22 stealth fighter jet has only a thrust-to-weight ratio of 8, the above engines Chins is developing fully indicate China’s ambition to surpass the United States.
Engines for civil aircraft are not neglected. An engine with a trust of 30,000 lb is being developed in Shenyang not only for large military transport but also for C-919 large airliner China is developing.
Source: qianzhan.com “Curved nozzle technology for J-20 fighter’s engine will make the fighter a VTOL one in the future” (summary by Chan Kai Yee)