Chinese Show Fadec System on Military Engine

The development of full-authority digital engine control (Fadec) systems has traditionally been an area where Chinese industry has lagged the rest of the world. Several efforts have been made to source the technology from abroad, while at the same time the PRC’s own research centers have been hard at work developing their own solutions. The WS10A Taihang is another Chinese engine whose design and maturity is regarded as questionable. It powers the J-11B twin-engine fighter,an illegally reverse-engineered copy of the Russian Sukhoi Su-27. The Taihang has had problems in service, with reports of engines returning prematurely to the original production plant for repairs.

How well Chinese industry might be able to adapt Fadec systems to newer fighter aircraft, such as theShenyang FC-31, which flew at Zhuhai this year, remains a question. For now this aircraft is powered by two Russian-made Klimov RD93s that might eventually be replaced by a Chinese-designed model.

The 614 Institute of the Aviation Industrial Corporation of China (Avic), which is part of the state-owned conglomerate’s jet engine division, is sometimes referred to as the Gas Turbine Establishment (GTE). A Fadec system shown at the recent Airshow China in Zhuhai demonstrated how the GTE has been able to apply this technology to military aircraft engines. It was included in the Minshan engine, which is in the same class as the Ukrainian Ivchenko AI222-25. The Minshan could eventually replace this engine in the Hongdu L-15 jet trainer.

“Implementation of effective Fadec might be one of the first steps toward addressing the deficiencies in theWS10A,” said a western industry specialist. “It will not fix other flaws in the engine, but it can make for more efficient performance when the engine is functioning properly.

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