ZHUHAI, China, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- China this week partially lifted the veil on its new J-31 stealth fighter, using the aircraft for an aerial display at an international airshow.
The prototype aircraft, with twin-engines and said to have features similar to the stealth F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter from Lockheed Martin, maneuvered in the sky above the 10th China International Aviation & Space Exhibition in Zhuhai, southern China, but only a mockup appeared on static display.
The aircraft from AVIC, or Aviation Industry Corporation of China, is about 55 feet in length, with a wingspan of 38 feet. Its propulsion systems are, for the time being, Russian made.
Other features include two internal weapons bays in addition to weapon hardpoints on the wings, much like the F-35.
At the airshow, the aircraft was designated FC-31. FC is a designation used by the Chinese for an aircraft for export.
Additional aircraft specifications were unavailable. So, too, was an expected date for production of the aircraft.
Display of the plane coincided with a visit to China by U.S. President Barack Obama, whose administration has expressed concern over the buildup of Chinese military power and the country's aggressive regional policies in territorial disputes, notably in the South China Sea.
