Shenyang J-8
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:J-8 4.jpg J-8 or Jian-8 (NATO reporting name Finback) is a People's Republic of China-built single-seat fighter aircraft. Its main role is to serve as an interceptor. It has two Liyang (LMC) Wopen turbojet engines, and a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. The aircraft is armed with a 23-mm twin-barreled cannon and seven hardpoints for missiles, bombs, rockets or fuel tanks. Weapons carried include The PL-2, PL-5, and PL-8 short-range air-to-air missiles as well as the PL-11 medium-range radar-guided air-to-air missile. Unguided bombs and rockets can also be carried.
There are currently about 300 J-8s of all types serving in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force; that number is expected to grow in the next ten years.
Contents |
Design
The plane's design began in 1964 and was the first Chinese plane to be designed and built indigenously. Despite the early beginnings, it was not first produced until 1979 and entered service in 1980. Its basic configuration is an enlargement of the delta-wing MiG-21 with two Wopen-7A engines. Despite entering service relatively recently, it remained very unmaneuverable, and comparable to many older Soviet aircraft. The original combat avionics package was soon replaced with an all-weather capability in aircraft designated J-8I. The later J-8E featured improved electronic warfare systems. In 1982 work began to replace the unimpressive J-8 (Finback-A) type with a new design known as the J-8II.
The J-8II (Finback-B) series appear quite different from the original J-8, with a new forward fuselage, intakes and nose structure more reminiscent of the Su-15. J-8IIs are powered by Wopen-13A engines. It was hoped to equip the production J-8B with an American AN/APG-66(V) radar, but this proved politically impossible after 1989. At least 30 J-8Bs have been converted by the PLA Navy to J-8D standard, with an in-flight refuelling probe for use with Xian H-6DU Badger tankers.
The J-8IIM, first flown in 1996, is a further improved version, and is considered by some comparable to the F-18 and Mirage 2000. One major improvement over the J-8II is the capable Russian-made Zhuk-8II coherent pulse doppler radar. The J-8IIM has had no orders from China or the export market, where it is offered as the F-8IIM. However the experience gained has been applied by Shenyang Aircraft Company to the later J-8H/F upgrades.
The J-8H configuration features WP-13B turbojet engines and the KLJ-1 (Type-1471) Pulse Doppler fire control radar. With the radar upgrade comes the ability to fire the PL-12/SD-10 MRAAM employing an Active Radar Homing (ARH) seeker. The J-8F, featuring a glass cockpit and enhanced air-to-ground capability using the Kh-31 anti-radar missile, has also been demonstrated. New build J-8H/Fs have an improved "Type-02" airframe with additional wing fences. The Type-02 is heavier than the original airframe, but can tolerate higher G-loadings.
The J-8III/J-8C advanced variant with digital fly-by-wire flight controls was apparently cancelled during the development stage. In 1988, one airframe was converted into the J-8ACT an experimental fly-by-wire testbed for the J-10 program. To date, no plans for a twin-seat J-8 design have been announced.
April 2001 incident
In April 2001, a Chinese J-8D fighter jet collided with a U.S. EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft flying over international waters south of China. The EP-3 was able to make an emergency landing on China's Hainan Island despite extensive damage; the PRC aircraft crashed with the loss of its pilot, Wang Wei. Following extensive negotiations resulting in the Letter of the two sorries, the crew of the EP-3 was allowed to leave China 11 days later, but the U.S. aircraft was not permitted to depart for another 3 months. Subsequently, the relationship, which had cooled following the incident, gradually improved.
Specifications (J-8B/D)
Operators
- China.
Related content
{{aircontent
|similar aircraft=
|sequence=