Mercedes Mullins
The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon is a Chinese medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft. It is produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force of China. The J-10 is mainly designed for air-to-air combat but can also carry bombs, air-to-air missiles, and rockets. The aircraft's fuel capacity is 4950 L (3860 kg) internal and 4000 L (3120 kg) external with 3 drop tanks. The J-10 entered service in 2004 as the J-10A, with a single-engine, multirole fighter with a canard-delta wing configuration. The upgraded J-10B made its public debut in 2016 and featured aerial refuelling capability. The J-10C entered combat service in April 2018 and is considered the definitive, mature variant of the J-10.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Internal Fuel Capacity | 4,800 kg (10,582 lb) |
| External Fuel Capacity | 2 x 800 liter (211 US gal) drop tanks or 1 x 1,400 liter (370 US gal) drop tank |
| Ferry Range | 3,500+ km with external fuel tanks |
| Combat Radius | 1,250 km BVR, 700 km with 30 min loiter |
| Max Takeoff Weight | 19,277 kg |
| Powerplant | 1 x Saturn-Lyulka AL-31FN turbofan engine |
| Thrust | 76.45 kN dry, 122.58 kN with afterburn |
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What You'll Learn
The J-10C's fuel capacity
The J-10C is an upgraded variant of the J-10, which first flew in 1998 and entered service in 2004. The J-10C entered combat service in April 2018. It is a single-engine, multirole fighter with a canard-delta wing configuration, which gives it greater manoeuvrability. It is produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) of China. The aircraft weighs around 9,750 kg and has a maximum take-off weight of 19,277 kg.
The J-10C has a fuel capacity of 4,950 litres (3,860 kg) internal and 4,000 litres (3,120 kg) external with 3 drop tanks (2 x 1600L + 1 x 800L). It can also be refuelled in-flight from a Xian H-6U tanker aircraft, and additional fuel can be carried in auxiliary tanks on the centreline under the fuselage and on the innermost pair of the three sets of wing hardpoints.
The J-10C is equipped with a domestically produced WS-10 engine, which provides approximately 31,000 lbs of thrust with afterburner. This is an upgrade from earlier models, which used Russian AL-31FN engines. The J-10C has a combat radius of around 550-1,000 km, depending on loadout and fuel tanks, and a ferry range of up to 3,200 km.
The J-10C is a well-armed aircraft with 11 external hardpoints that can carry up to 5,600 kg of missiles, bombs, drop tanks containing fuel, or other equipment such as avionics pods. The outer wing stations can carry air-to-air missiles such as the Chinese-built Python 3 PL-8, P-11, or PL-12, or the Russian Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer) or R-77 (AA-12 Adder). The J-10C is also capable of carrying short-range air-to-air missiles such as the PL-8 and PL-10, medium-range radar-guided air-to-air missiles such as the PL-12 and PL-15, unguided and precision-guided munitions such as laser-guided bombs, air-to-surface missiles such as KD-88, anti-ship missiles such as the YJ-91A, and anti-radiation missiles such as the YJ-91.
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External fuel tanks
The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon is a Chinese medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft. It is mainly designed for air-to-air combat but can also perform strike missions. The J-10 has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8. It was produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) of China. It is also exported to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
The J-10 has a fuel capacity of 4950 L (3860 kg) internal and 4000 L (3120 kg) external with 3 drop tanks (2 × 1600L + 1 × 800L). The external fuel tanks are mounted to the aircraft's 11 hardpoints, which can also be used to carry ordnance such as missiles, bombs, avionics pods, and other equipment. The use of external fuel tanks, or drop tanks, provides the aircraft with increased range and loitering time.
Drop tanks are auxiliary fuel tanks that are carried externally by aircraft. They are often designed to be discarded when empty or in emergencies to reduce drag and increase manoeuvrability. The use of drop tanks can also reduce the number of external hardpoints available for weapons and impose a weight penalty on the aircraft.
Conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) are another type of external fuel tank that are fitted closely to the profile of an aircraft. They have a reduced aerodynamic penalty compared to drop tanks and do not occupy ordnance hardpoints. However, CFTs cannot be discarded in flight and will impose a slight drag and weight penalty on the aircraft even when empty.
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In-flight refuelling
The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon is a Chinese medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft. It is produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) of China. It is also exported to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
The J-10 is designed for air-to-air combat but can also perform strike missions. It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and features a delta wing and canard design. The aircraft can carry a mix of precision-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, and medium-range air-to-air weapons.
The J-10 has an internal fuel capacity of 4950 L (3860 kg) and can carry external drop tanks with a capacity of 4000 L (3120 kg). This gives the aircraft significant range and endurance, which can be further extended through in-flight refuelling.
The J-10C, the latest variant of the J-10, is reported to have in-flight refuelling capability. This was demonstrated in a video published by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), which showed a single YY-20 refuelling aircraft servicing seven J-10C fighter jets. This capability further enhances the J-10C's operational flexibility and endurance, making it a more attractive option for export customers.
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The J-10's range
The J-10 has a maximum fuel capacity of 4,950 litres (3,860 kg) internally, comprising 3,180 litres in the wing tanks and 1,770 litres in the fuselage tanks. It can also carry 4,000 litres (3,120 kg) externally with 3 drop tanks (2 x 1600L + 1 x 800L). The aircraft's range and combat radius are 1,850 km and 550 km respectively. The combat radius can vary between 550-1,000 km depending on loadout and fuel tanks. The ferry range is up to 3,200 km.
The J-10 is a medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) of China. It is also exported to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The aircraft is powered by the AL-31 turbojet engine supplied by Saturn Lyulka, with more recent versions reportedly testing the Chinese WS-10 engine. The J-10 is mainly designed for air-to-air combat but can also perform strike missions. It can carry a mix of precision-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, and medium-range air-to-air weapons.
The J-10 has seen significant interest from other countries, particularly in the Middle East, with Egypt, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia expressing interest in acquiring the aircraft. Pakistan became the first foreign buyer of the jet in 2020, with an order of 25 J-10Cs, followed by an additional order of 11 aircraft. The J-10 has been reported to have consistently prevailed in simulated combat engagements against Su-35 fighters, and its use in the Pakistan-Indian conflict has provided valuable data on its capabilities.
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The J-10's engine
The J-10 is a single-engine, multirole fighter with a canard-delta wing configuration. The intended engine for the J-10 is the Chinese Shenyang WS-10. However, the WS-10 suffered development difficulties, and so the Salyut AL-31FN was used as a substitute. The AL-31FN is a Russian-made engine.
The J-10C, an upgraded version of the J-10, is equipped with the domestically produced WS-10 engine. The WS-10 has been powering the in-production J-10C since around 2019. The WS-10B-powered aircraft were in service by November 2021. The WS-10B engine has a thrust of 89.17 kN (20,050 lbf) and can generate 135 kN - 144 kN with aft.
The WS-10A is an engine with 120–140 kilonewtons (27,000–31,000 lbf) of thrust. The WS-10A was targeted for 130 kilonewtons (29,000 lbf) of thrust but faced difficulties in meeting this target. The WS-10A engine was first seen at the 2008 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. The WS-10A has full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and is reverse-engineered from the CFM56. The WS-10 project was started to produce an engine comparable to the Saturn AL-31.
The J-10B is a prototype fighter equipped with the WS-10B thrust-vectoring control engine, which provides supermaneuverability. The J-10B can perform the Cobra maneuver. The J-10B TVC Demonstrator first flew in December 2008.
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Frequently asked questions
The J-10 fighter jet can carry a maximum of 4,950 litres of fuel internally.
The J-10 has 11 external hardpoints, which can be used to carry drop tanks containing fuel. The total external fuel capacity is 4,000 litres with 3 drop tanks (2 x 1600L + 1 x 800L).
The J-10 is powered by the AL-31 turbojet engine, supplied by Saturn Lyulka.
The J-10's fuel capacity is similar to that of the F-16, with a combat radius of around 550-1,000 km, depending on loadout and fuel tanks. The upgraded J-10C has a slightly larger fuel capacity and a longer range of up to 3,200 km.
The J-10 has a range of 1,850 km and a combat radius of 550 km. The upgraded J-10C has a longer range of up to 3,200 km.
