Newly released WS-10A "Taihang" photos.

Perhaps Shenyang Liming is trying to win back public confident by releasing Taihang production photos after the SAC outed the "Engine-Less-J-11b" last month. (here)

Counter-public relations strike, PRC SOE style.

Chief designer Zhong Enhe

Engine-less J-11B

The current issue of Aviation News (HangKong Bao) displays a dozen manufactured J11Bs sitting at SAC without engines. This highlights the problem the PLAAF faces due to Shanyang Liming Aircraft Engine company's inability to fulfill all FWS10A (Taihang) orders. As indicted by the SAC's press release on its 2009 performance, it said it had fulfilled its PLAAF contracts "fairly" well. Which is different from previous press releases describing their performance as "very" well.*

Production certification delays prevented the FWS10A from entering mass production until recently. Perhaps this public display of engine-less fighters is SAC telling its partners to work faster.

Thanks hmmwv.

Update on the J-11B Project.

Recently surfaced photos indicate that the WS-10A turbofan engine is now operational with the J-11B heavy fighter.

According to the PLAAF 60th Anniversary Warplane Show, the J-11B conducted its maiden flight on December 2003 and entered service with the 1st PLAAF Fighter Division on December 2007. The initial batch of the J-11B was powered by the imported Russian AL-31F turbofans engine instead of the delayed WS-10A.

In addition to the engine, the J-11B differs from the J-11A in other areas; it features a new quadruple-redundant digital fly-by-wire flight system with mechanical backup, a new multimode pulse Doppler radar for indigenous armaments against land/sea/air targets, and a new cost of composite material to reduce weight. It's redesigned cockpit is equipped with a new set of instruments ranging from a holographic HUD, four LCD MDFs, to a new missile warning system.

J-11B with PL-12 MRAAM and WS10A