Why Jet Engines Aren't "Made in China"

(aakash.substack.com)

28 points | by paulpauper 21 hours ago ago

7 comments

  • ivell 16 hours ago ago

    This is a strange article. I did not find anything that is a blocker for China. China is a relative new comer to jet engines and this technology is tightly guarded by incumbents and needs time to mature.

    If China can master nuclear, space, chips, it seems a bit stretch to say they it is the Jer engines where they fail.

    • dmitrygr 15 hours ago ago

      Material sciences needed for modern jet engine blades are a closely guarded secret, and thanks to not manufacturing them in china, those secrets have managed to remain not stolen.

      Fun story: it is not just jet engines - it is only recently that china was able to actually make indigenous ballpoint pens https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38566114

      • ivell 4 hours ago ago

        Seems they have figured out the single crystal blade tech https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-crystal-...

      • didntknowyou 14 hours ago ago

        recently? and you posted an almost 10yo article?

        • dmitrygr 14 hours ago ago

          yes, compared to the length of time ballpoint pens have existed (88 years -- since 1938), this is very recent - only 9 years ago

      • dzhiurgis 13 hours ago ago

        Can Chinese companies order just the blades from RR or P&W?

        I've watched their manufacturing video recently and shocked how much of it was hand labour - it's not something I'd associate with precision. My partner said they must know better tho lol.

  • hbd-investor 7 hours ago ago

    This is nonsense

    I recognized it immediately when it claimed the J-20 only supercruises at 1.3 mach

    Anyone with a engineering degree understands that fighter jets carry a significant amount of fuel.

    The J-20 in particular carries 26,000 lbs of fuel while the F-22 carries 18,000 lbs of fuel

    Now here is where the disinformation comes in he cites the

    F-22 as mach 1.8 supercruise J-20 as mach 1.3 supercruise

    But the actual numbers are

    F-22 is mach 1.5 at full fuel load

    F-22 is mach 1.82 only when it is nearly empty

    The J-20 is mach 1.3 at full fuel load

    mach 1.8 only when it is nearly empty

    Choosing the J-20 number at full fuel load, and choosing the F-22 supercruise speed when it is nearly empty is deliberate disinformation.

    Your substack has lost all credibility.