China Airshow Highlights Domestic Engines Boom

At the 15th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China), the Chinese Air Force displayed two stealth fighter jets, the J-35A and J-20, both equipped with domestically produced engines, signaling that the "Three Musketeers" of the People's Liberation Army Air Force will soon be upgraded to "Four Musketeers." The Global Market Expansion Exhibition Area at the airshow attracted the attention of domestic and foreign businessmen, showcasing various types of aerospace engines and gas turbine products, including turbojet, turbofan, turboshaft, turboprop, and gas turbine engines.

Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) released the "2024-2043 Civil Aero Engine Market Forecast Report," predicting that China's commercial aero engine market will deliver 19,000 engines over the next 20 years, with a market value exceeding $300 billion and a market share exceeding one-fifth of the global total. The report noted that the total number of global commercial turbofan engines exceeds 56,000, and it is expected that the global delivery of commercial turbofan engines will reach over 87,000 in the next 20 years. By 2043, the size of China's commercial turbofan engine fleet will grow to over 21,000 engines.

At the airshow, various engines were displayed, including the large AEF1200 engine, which is China's first domestically developed high-bypass-ratio dual-spool turbofan engine. Additionally, the "Taihang" engine, China's first high-performance, high-thrust, afterburning turbofan engine with independent intellectual property rights, was also exhibited. It has undergone technological upgrades, enhancing the survival and combat capabilities of aircraft.

The airshow also featured various small and medium-sized engines, including the AEF50E, 1100kW-class turboshaft engine, AEP100-B, AEP60E, and AEJ20E. These engines have seen significant improvements in performance, reliability, and safety.

Furthermore, AECC displayed the "Taihang 110" heavy-duty gas turbine, "Taihang 7" gas turbine, "Taihang 15" gas turbine, and "Taihang 25" gas turbine. These gas turbines feature notable characteristics in terms of thermal efficiency and compact structure and have been applied in multiple fields.