China’s J-20 comes online with inferior engines
China’s first fifth-generation fighter, the J-20, is finally operational, but the jet already has one known flaw: it uses engines that produce less thrust than originally anticipated. The engine meant for the stealth fighter has experienced serious developmental delays, forcing the use of a less powerful engine. The result is an airplane that can’t quite live up to its potential, for now.
The Chengdu J-20 was first seen by the outside world in 2011, when it was observed during a visit to China by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Chinese aerospace giant Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation started development of a heavy, stealthy fighter in the 1990s, known as the J-XX, and the aircraft’s advanced features stunned experts who believed China did not have the technological prowess to design such a plane.
