Giving the heavy smoke from exhausts heat signature is very high for the J-31 and could affect its stealthiness.
The video in this post features an interesting F-35A Lightning II Vs J-31 Gryfalcon “Airshow Comparison.”
It’s fair to say that the U.S. F-35 is much more mature than the current version of the Chinese J-31. In fact, as shown in the footage the J-31 is still testing version 001.
Moreover giving the heavy smoke from exhausts heat signature is very high for the J-31 and could affect its stealthiness.
The Shenyang J-31 (F-60) is a fifth-generation, multi-role, twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft being manufactured for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) by ShenyangnAircraft Corporation, an affiliate of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). It is the second stealth fighter that China has indigenously developed after the J-20.
The J-31 fighter jet is intended to provide advanced defense capabilities in close-air support, aerial bombing, and air interdiction operations. According to Air Force Technology, it can also perform suppression of enemy air defenses and can be used as a carrier-based fighter on aircraft carriers.
Noteworthy as we have previously reported an interesting rendering of
an F-35 painted to simulate the Chinese J-31 stealth fighter appeared on the 57th Wing Commander’s Facebook Page in January.
Last May the U.S. Air Force (USAF) decided to reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron (AS) to act as a fifth-generation aggressor squadron at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) and move nine non-combat capable F-35A aircraft from Eglin AFB, Florida, to the unit.
We can assume that the J-31 camo will be the aggressor scheme worn by 65th AS Lightning IIs.
Photo by U.S. Air Force, 57th Wing Commander Facebook Page and via Wikimedia Commons