The Q-5, J-7, J-8 and older PLAAF aircraft

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Indeed, but even more I am interested in these rumours concerning a clean sheet design of a fighter that has been suggested by Grumman as a successor for the J-8 at a later stage ...
Yes, but according to the rumours I‘m referring to, the Sabre II - aka a Super-7 as a J-7PLUS - was run in parallel to the J-8II Peace Pearl avionics update And this secret idea for a new fighter was aimed for a later date after these two. Even more the J-13 was long dead and I don‘t think that a warmed up J-13 even with US engines would be what the PLAAF wanted and what Grumman offered.

In that case maybe revival of Tigershark? I don’t see the US sharing the latest and greatest with China, even during the honey moon period.
 

supersnoop

Major
Registered Member
An interesting story written by Thomas Newdick / @CombatAir on Twitter from a time that some in the USA would like to ignore ... but even more interesting are rumours that even F-16s were planned and that Grumman should help develop a completely new fighter for the PLAAF.

And yes, Tiananmen ended all of this, but what else would have been delivered by the US or how far would the cooperation have progressed if it didn't happen?

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Actually, I read a recent repost of the news, Tiananmen did NOT end Peace Pearl J-8II. George HW Bush's administration had signaled his intention to continue the program a few months later, but the cost estimates increased a lot which the Chinese side could not stomach. I think the article made a remark like "Chinese were shocked by modern American military contracting and cost overruns".
 

FangYuan

Junior Member
Registered Member
In that case maybe revival of Tigershark? I don’t see the US sharing the latest and greatest with China, even during the honey moon period.

not just China, but all nations (even their allies). It's fair to say that's the right way, all countries do, but Russians are more generous than the United States. (probably because their economy is weaker than the US)
 

gelgoog

Brigadier
Registered Member
Back in Soviet times when Stalin was still alive they shared almost all the technology they had with China.
At least the for mass production types including the MiG-21 and T-55.
Now there are different (commercial) considerations.
 

supersnoop

Major
Registered Member
I thought about this some more afterward.
Tigershark-type revival would make a lot of sense. Both F-20 and Super-7 were largely meant to fill in a gap in US Exports, namely a fighter that is actually low-cost, vs. lower-cost for rich countries.
They even shared some of the same proposed systems (APG-67).

I don't think this would affect the trend of PRC development too much, as you can see even Japan and SK seek some technological independence. As mentioned, the victim would probably be J-10, but everything else would probably largely have gone the way it is going now within China.

However, I think it would really impacted the European exports market. If a F-20 type aircraft actually materialized, where would that leave Gripen? What if Mirage 2000 wasn't able to export (possibly only ROC and India)? Would Dassault still have money for Rafale?

Back in Soviet times when Stalin was still alive they shared almost all the technology they had with China.
At least the for mass production types including the MiG-21 and T-55.
Now there are different (commercial) considerations.
Don't forget the literal BIG one, nuclear weapons, lol
 

by78

General
A C-5 Galaxy disgorging a J-8. Look up Peace Pearl project.

51222804208_4ef1b6a3a1_o.jpg
 

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
A screen grab from a TV segment on wind tunnel development. Shown here is a model with twin tails being tested many years ago.

51248305134_6ae52c8378_o.jpg


Well, that's interesting, since besides the huge original CAC J-9VI and SAC J-10 I don't know a single twin-tailed fighter project in China!?
 
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