A man looks at a J-31 gyrfalcon stealth fighter plane model designed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) at the Beijing International Aviation Expo in Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images)
According to aviation industry sources, the second prototype of China's FC-31 Gyrfalcon has conducted its maiden flight in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, last Friday morning. This is four years after the first prototype launched in China's skies.
The FC-31 stealth fighter, formerly known as the J-31, was first introduced in Oct. 2012. Its first maiden launch made it China's second fifth-generation fighter jet, following the Chengdu J-20.
The fifth-generation fighter jets are said to be the most advanced aircraft in the world right now.
According to Wu Peixin, an aviation industry observer in Beijing, the enhanced version of the FC-31 is said to have better stealth capabilities, a larger payload capacity as well as an improved electronic equipment.
Wu added: "Compared with the first FC-31, there are a lot of improvements on the second prototype. Changes were made to the airframe, wings and vertical tails, which make it leaner, lighter and more maneuverable."
Fu Qianshao, an aircraft expert working with China's People's Liberation Army Air Force, said that the new FC-31 has state-of-the-art instruments on-board, such as a new helmet-mounted display and sight system, as well as an electro-optical targeted system.
Fu added: "The Aviation Industry Corporation of China wants to use the FC-31 to capture market share at home and abroad, but the company is making a big push to attract foreign buyers with its medium-sized stealth combat planes."
The specifications supplied by the AVIC show that the plane has a top speed of Mach 1.8, a flight radius of 1,250 kilometers and can support up to 28 metric tons.
It also shows that the plane can hold 8 tons of weapons, which is approximately six missiles in its internal weapons bay as well as another six missiles under its wings.
Li Yuhai, the deputy general manager of AVIC, earlier stated that they plan to "put an end to some nations' monopolies on the fifth-generation fighter jet" using the FC-31, and that this "will be able to compete with any other aircraft of its kind."
