China Is Now Test Flying Its Own Version Of The F-35 Stealth Fighter

An unverified photo apparently showing the FC-31 prototype on a test flight has been circulating on social media. Photo: Weibo

SCMP: China’s latest FC-31 Gyrfalcon stealth fighter prototype may have been on a test flight

* Photo circulating online suggests it has undergone modifications including to the canopy over its cockpit and wind resistance improvements
* But it appears to have retained engine based on a 1970s Soviet design that is seen as a limitation to its function and capabilities

A Chinese aviation company has apparently been test flying its new stealth fighter jet that aims to match America’s F-35s, and which could be a candidate for its next generation of ship-borne warplanes.

The latest prototype of the fifth-generation FC-31 Gyrfalcon may have undergone a number of modifications, according to a witness photograph circulating on social media network Weibo that appears to show the aircraft on a recent flight but could not be verified.

The stealth fighter is pictured using its fuel-guzzling afterburners as it gains altitude, with the logo of state-owned developer the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) clearly visible on the jet’s tail.

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WNU Editor: I hope this is true .... China's J-31 (or FC-31) Stealth Fighter Is No F-35 (National Interest).

More News On China Now Test Flying Its Own Version Of The F-35 Stealth Fighter

Unverified Photo Reportedly Shows China's Stealth Fighter Rival to American F-35 -- Newsweek
China Builds ‘Exact Replica’ Of US’ Stealth F-35 Jets But PLAAF Rejects The Offer -- Eurasian Times
Photo: China’s FC-31 Stealth Fighter Prototype Spotted on Training Mission -- Sputnik

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