Alright, let’s fire up a thrilling topic: what will the final iteration of the J-35, or its export variant the FC-31, end up being?
As we all know, the current FC-31/J-35 is still not in its full-up configuration, simply because the WS-19 turbofan engine is still undergoing testing. In the early trial stages of the FC-31, it was fitted with large vertical stabilizers similar to those on the F-22. Later on, though, these were modified into smaller tails—much like the F-35’s design—thanks to adjustments made for its air intake system and carrier-based operational requirements.
A lot of folks view the FC-31/J-35 as a platform directly pitted against the F-35. But when you look at its dimensions, engine count, and overall exterior profile, the FC-31/J-35 actually has far more in common with the F-22.
I can already hear the pushback here—about the air intake and engine nozzle differences. The F-22 adopted the caret inlet purely due to the technological limitations of its development era, while the FC-31/J-35 uses a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI). This DSI design not only optimizes speed adaptability in specific flight envelopes but also enhances stealth performance significantly.
On the engine nozzle front, the current FC-31/J-35 does not yet deploy the full-up variant of the WS-19. Some might argue that China lacks thrust vectoring technology—but let’s not overlook the J-10B, which showcased its 3D thrust vectoring engine (a WS-10 variant) at a previous Zhuhai Airshow. That demonstration alone was proof that China has mastered this critical tech. What’s more, the newly revealed sixth-gen fighter, the J-50, also features China’s indigenous 2D thrust vectoring engine.
Skeptics might still claim that China has no plans to equip the J-35/FC-31 with a 2D thrust vectoring nozzle—but here’s the game-changer: at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow, AVIC publicly displayed a full-up prototype of the WS-19, complete with a 2D thrust vectoring nozzle. Right next to it sat a demonstration airframe; judging from its air intake and vertical stabilizers, this was unmistakably an FC-31/J-35, not an F-22.
If this exhibition model is a preview of the future full-up FC-31/J-35, then outfitting it with a 2D thrust vectoring engine would essentially turn it into an F-22 equivalent—not an F-35 equivalent—one that boasts superior avionics, enhanced stealth, a more advanced radar system, cutting-edge missile armament, and the aerodynamic edge of a DSI inlet.
