Engine problems caused China’s J-20 production to be delayed. Photo: SCMP The South China Morning Post (Hong Kong, China) reported that the country has developed a new coating material for the engine, contributing to solving technical flaws and increasing the thrust of the engine. The new coating material was designed by Yuanke Energy-saving and Environmental Technology Development Co., Ltd. in Hebei Province. This material can withstand temperatures of 1,800 degrees Celsius and helps protect the engine from the risk of corrosion while ensuring higher power. The current widely used military aircraft engine in China is the WS-10, which can withstand a temperature of about 1,470 degrees Celsius and the improvement can make a significant contribution to increasing the engine’s output power. . The propeller has long been considered the “Achilles heel” of China’s military aircraft engine development program. An obvious example is the delay in the development of a new engine that slows down the production of China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter J-20. Chinese scientists have spent years trying to get the WS-15 engine designed for the J-20 to work, but still have problems with the propellers that constantly heat up at high speeds. As a result, the Chinese Air Force is forced to use Russian-made engines or an improved version of the WS-10. Both of these engines are said to reduce the combat and stealth capabilities of the fighter. The new coating material consists of a fullerene, a ball-shaped carbon molecule. The manufacturer says the coating has a “2,000-hour lifespan” and is resistant to corrosion. The special thing is that this material can withstand the heat required for the J-20 to operate at its maximum capacity.

Since 2015, Russian engineers have sought to increase the combat capabilities of the Su-30SM. In particular, the plan to combine Su-30SM with Su-35S is also very feasible. To carry out this plan, engineers prepared a new Su-30SM model with a new engine, and studied the possibility of installing a new, more powerful “Irbis” radar instead of the current system. During the modernization process, the developers will propose to install the AL-41F-1C engine using the Su-35 for the Su-30SM2 version. The new engine is much more efficient than the current Su-30SM. “The life cycle of aircraft engines has doubled without increasing weight and size. Equipped with a plasma ignition system, the AL-41F-1C engine is more economical than the AL-31FP engine that the Su-30SM is using. With the same amount of fuel, the upgraded fighter can stay in the sky longer. In addition, the avionics, radar and visual positioning system have also been improved,” said Cadim Kozulin, an expert at the Russian Academy of Military Sciences. With the engine power and possibly the radar will also be upgraded, the Su-30SM2 Super Sukhoi will be a formidable opponent of the latest US F-15EX.