Not related to J-20, but a major breaking news. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/11/20/52/0301000000AEN20131120010400315F.html
The ROK defense ministry decided to reduce the requirement to 40 jets and buy F-35. They could not raise budget, so they cut the order quantity to 40 instead.
Things are not all good for Lockheed however, as the KFX is now officially entering a full scale development in November 2014 and the current budget for the project is $20 billion. The big controversy is that the program validation study for it recommended that the current 40,000 lbs thrust level spec is not enough and needs to be increased; we are talking 50,000 lbs of thrust packed into an airframe the size of a YF-17 and you can see where things are going with this. The conspiracy theory claims this spec increase recommendation was designed to screw Rolls-Royce's participation, whose EJ200 was used as the reference engine for the KFX design to date and a 50,000 lbs thrust level would not only increase budget, but also restrict the engine choice to F414 EPE.
Not related to J-20, but a major breaking news. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/11/20/52/0301000000AEN20131120010400315F.html
ReplyDeleteThe ROK defense ministry decided to reduce the requirement to 40 jets and buy F-35. They could not raise budget, so they cut the order quantity to 40 instead.
Things are not all good for Lockheed however, as the KFX is now officially entering a full scale development in November 2014 and the current budget for the project is $20 billion. The big controversy is that the program validation study for it recommended that the current 40,000 lbs thrust level spec is not enough and needs to be increased; we are talking 50,000 lbs of thrust packed into an airframe the size of a YF-17 and you can see where things are going with this. The conspiracy theory claims this spec increase recommendation was designed to screw Rolls-Royce's participation, whose EJ200 was used as the reference engine for the KFX design to date and a 50,000 lbs thrust level would not only increase budget, but also restrict the engine choice to F414 EPE.
Once that CAD work shows twin engines, might as well stuff that lift-fan behind the cockpit to round out the twin-engine F-35B Canard package...
ReplyDeleteSo they give aircraft-design degrees at the High-Fidelity C.O.P.Y. Institute ?