JF-17/FC-1 Fighter Aircraft thread

nemo

Junior Member
When US sold multi-role fighters to Japan, Taiwan, etc. in the past, the air to surface attack modes were sometimes diminished. I think if China does export FC-1 to Argentina, they would customize an Argentine variant (differ from Pakistani) for security reasons, but the weapon suite wouldn't be downgraded. That is, Argentina can opt not to purchase certain munitions, but that doesn't mean the aircraft is incapable of using them.

That's what Pakistan is for. Anything politically inconvenient can be done through Pakistan. It's not like UK has any significant leverage over Pakistan, and any sanction by UK can easily be compensated by China. That is if China even cared about what UK can do -- back out from AIIB? Useless since France and Germany already joined; back out from RMB trading? other nations will happily take over. Nowadays anyone who what to sanction China will find it hurt themselves more than it hurt China.
 

thunderchief

Senior Member
Yes, yes, it's WantChinaTimes :D , but is not a bad article

India's Tejas and China's Xiaolong fighters compared
  • Staff Reporter
  • 2015-05-06
  • 15:54 (GMT+8)
Tejas-144533_copy1.jpg

The Indian Air Force's LCA Tejas fighter aircraft passes through a base during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath on Jan. 23, 2014 in New Delhi. (Photo/CFP)

Xiaolong-144916_copy1.jpg

People gather around Pakistan and China's jointly developed PAC JF-17 Thunder or FC-1 Xiaolong fighter at the International Defence Exhibition and seminar (IDEAS) in Karachi, Dec. 2, 2014. (Photo/CFP)

An article in Sina's Chinese-language military news web portal compared the abilities of India's HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and the FC-1 Xiaolong/JF-17 Thunder developed jointly by China and Pakistan.



Overview of the Aircraft

The HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was named by former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The development plan was approved by the Indian government in 1983. The government's requirements for the Tejas were to develop an all-weather supersonic LCA which could replace the MiG-21. Its main mission is to fight for control of airspace and to offer short-range support. The development of the Tejas wasn't a simple process, as it included a completely new engine, avionics and weapons systems, in line with global standards. The first test plane was unveiled on Nov. 17, 1995 and made its maiden flight on Jan. 4, 2001.



The design for the PAC JF-17 Thunder, also known as the FC-1 Xiaolong, began with the "Super 7" plan launched jointly by China and US aircraft maker Grumman to develop an upgraded version of the F-7, but Grumman left the project after sanctions were placed on China by the US in the wake of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. China and Pakistan subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding to design a new fighter together in 1995. The requirements for the fighter were that it make use of advanced technology, that it be a completely new design and that it approach the combat capabilities of third-generation fighters. It also needed to be light, cheap to produce and capable of carrying a large payload. The first plane took its maiden flight in 2003 and the third aircraft made a successful test flight in April of 2004. In the same year, the state-owned China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) and the Pakistan Air Force signed a contract for the production of the FC-1 Xiaolong/JF-17 Thunder, the new designations of what had been the Super 7. On April 28, 2006, weapons systems and avionics were installed in the fourth aircraft and it made a successful test flight. The avionics systems were developed by China. On Sept. 10, 2006, the sixth JF-17 made its maiden flight.

Aerodynamic Configuration

There are clear differences in the shape of the two planes. The Xiaolong has horizontal tail-planes and a conventional aerodynamic structure, while the Tejas has no horizontal tail-planes on its triangular structure.

The lack of a (horizontal) tail is a unique feature of the Tejas, making it similar to the Dassault Mirage series of fighters. The plane also has a delta-wing configuration, which is the reverse of normal delta-wing fighters in that the angle of the sweep of the outer wing section is larger than the angle of the sweep of the inner wing section. The reverse configuration is normally used to balance supersonic and subsonic or transonic capabilities. The Tejas has an angle of incidence from the main axis of the wing, which gives the whole plane a larger dihedral force, improving its supersonic capabilities.´..............

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joshuatree

Captain
Yes, yes, it's WantChinaTimes :D , but is not a bad article



I think the conclusion is worth quoting here.

The Tejas is a light multirole fighter fit for the 21st century. It uses a lot of new technology and innovation, such as its use of large amounts of composite materials, its advanced avionics system and its unique aerodynamic configuration. In terms of functionality, the LCA Tejas has good potential to be expanded into variants. For example, at a time when the air force version is yet to be commissioned widely, a ship-based version of the aircraft has already been released. The Xiaolong is a third-generation model designed for the international market. The use of off-the-shelf materials not only cuts costs but also reduces risks in the design process and improves the reliability of the aircraft. This will not make it the best aircraft, but rather a standard, cheap and reliable model for air-to-air combat. In summation, the Xiaolong is the aircraft of today and the Tejas is the aircraft of tomorrow.
 

[email protected]

Junior Member
Registered Member
Yes, yes, it's WantChinaTimes :D , but is not a bad article
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My dear I don't know on what basis you termed this article as "but is not a bad article" if you allow me to express my honest opinion about the article of wantchinatimes.com; I would term it as a 'BS' and the reason of my 'honest opinion' is the official report of Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) about Tejas, would request you & others to bear the off topic article quoted under to clear the fuss about Tejas vs Thunder:

India's Tejas Light Combat Aircraft project, in the works for over three decades, came under severe criticism from CAG today, which said the Mark-I version has several shortcomings and does not meet IAF specifications.[/COLOR]

Not only that, IAF would be "constrained" to induct the fighter LCA without availability of a trainer model, thereby "adversely impacting pilot training", the audit body said in a report tabled in Parliament.

The CAG noted that it was due to the delay in the manufacture and supply of LCA that IAF had to go for alternative temporary measures such as upgrading its MIG BIS, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Mirage aircraft at a cost of Rs 20,037 crore and revise the phasing out of MiG-21s.

Listing the shortcomings, the CAG said that the LCA Mark-I fails to meet the electronic warfare capabilities sought by IAF as the Self-Protection Jammer could not be fitted on the aircraft due to space constraints.

Also, it said that the Radar Warning Receiver/Counter Measure Dispensing System fitted on the aircraft had raised performance concerns which are yet to be overcome (January 2015).

The LCA Mark-I, which got Initial Operational Clearance in December, 2013, significantly falls short (20 permanent waivers/33 temporary concessions[/COLOR]) in meeting the Air Staff Requirement (ASR), the CAG said, adding that that has led to reduced operational capabilities and survivability[/COLOR] and, consequently, its operational employability.[/COLOR]

It added that the shortcomings in the Mark-I (increased weight, reduced internal fuel capacity, non-compliance of fuel system protection, pilot protection from front, reduced speed) are expected to be overcome in the Mark-II model.

"LCA Mark-I does not meet the ASR. The deficiencies are now expected to be met in LCA Mark-II by December 2018[/COLOR]," the CAG said.

While DRDO has always showcased LCA, christened Tejas, as an indigenously-developed aircraft [/COLOR]and the indigenous content of the LCA was estimated by ADA to be 70 per cent, the CAG said it "actually worked out to about 35 per cent" as of January this year.[/COLOR]

Systems such as Kaveri engine, Multi-Mode Radar, Radome, Multi-Functional Display System and Flight Control System Actuators taken up for indigenous development could not be developed successfully, resulting in LCA's continued dependence on the import of these systems, CAG said.

IAF had proposed in the early 1980s that a new aircraft be developed to replace the MiG-21 fleet, manufactured during 1966 and 1987, after its phasing out in the 1990s.

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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
My dear I don't know on what basis you termed this article as "but is not a bad article" if you allow me to express my honest opinion about the article of wantchinatimes.com; I would term it as a 'BS' and the reason of my 'honest opinion' is the official report of Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) about Tejas, would request you & others to bear the off topic article quoted under to clear the fuss about Tejas vs Thunder:
HRK READ The RULES. SD Rules make it clear that BOLD BLUE and RED postings on SD are for the Moderator Team.

Please use a different color for your posts.

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