JF-17 Thunder Multirole Fighter [Thread 4]

[Najam Khan]

Combat radius of any aircraft depends on different factors. Its not a constant figure. It depends on the load the aircraft is taking meaning weapon configuration, depends on the different altitudes the aircraft is gonna keep achieving while on its mission.

F-16s combat radius of 550KM is based on a weapon load of 6 450KG bombs (1000Lbs each) plus a hi-lo-hi mission altitude configuration.

I am pretty sure JF-17s combat radius with full weapon load would be either equal to or a little less when compared to F-16, as JF-17 has a less powered engine and full weapon load is also less then F-16.

The lower altitude mission the aircraft is in, the lower would its combat radius would get, the higher the altitude the higher the combat radius with same load configuration, but with aerial refueling things can change too.

So, end result, combat radius of aircraft depends on lots of factors and am sure JF-17s combat radius with full weapon load on a hi-lo-hi mission is not gonna be 1000KM+, rather near the half figure. Yeah with less load, may be it can cross the 1000Km range.

Two important points as mentioned by Taimi are load and height, If you fly at 30,000ft the aircraft will be floating through the skies, using a very small amount of fuel, take a real life example of 14 Sqn F16s(early 90s) going from Minhas to Karachi to perform on air show with just one 370 gallon center line fuel tank and then returning home with same fuel ie without landing/refueled.

In the real combat, mission objectives may change anytime, un-expected things can bring the attacker on defence, in such deep-strike missions the first priority is given to fuel in external tanks(fuel tanks), which can be jetessioned anytime, releasing the drag created by it.

 

[MZUBAIR]

JF-17 Block 2 would have "enhanced features". Fitted with a Chinese AESA radar, Infra-red search and track (IRST) system and improved electronic counter-measures (ECM) suite. Also believed to incorporate greater use of composite materials for reducing airframe weight and possibly a thrust vector control (TVC) engine.

 

[PWFI]

gentlemen - english please!!!

I am sorry Sir.

 

[Manticore]

 

[khurasaan1]

Nice pics bro!.......thnx......

 

[VelocuR]

JF-17 Block 2 would have "enhanced features". Fitted with a Chinese AESA radar, Infra-red search and track (IRST) system and improved electronic counter-measures (ECM) suite. Also believed to incorporate greater use of composite materials for reducing airframe weight and possibly a thrust vector control (TVC) engine.

Awesome! However, it require to modify JF-17's structure design and big nose to fit AESA radar and IRST on near cockpit. Don't you think it will complicated more?

 

[MastanKhan]

Combat radius of any aircraft depends on different factors. Its not a constant figure. It depends on the load the aircraft is taking meaning weapon configuration, depends on the different altitudes the aircraft is gonna keep achieving while on its mission.

F-16s combat radius of 550KM is based on a weapon load of 6 450KG bombs (1000Lbs each) plus a hi-lo-hi mission altitude configuration.

I am pretty sure JF-17s combat radius with full weapon load would be either equal to or a little less when compared to F-16, as JF-17 has a less powered engine and full weapon load is also less then F-16.

The lower altitude mission the aircraft is in, the lower would its combat radius would get, the higher the altitude the higher the combat radius with same load configuration, but with aerial refueling things can change too.

So, end result, combat radius of aircraft depends on lots of factors and am sure JF-17s combat radius with full weapon load on a hi-lo-hi mission is not gonna be 1000KM+, rather near the half figure. Yeah with less load, may be it can cross the 1000Km range.

TK,

The most important factor is the engine itself----russian engines are notorious for being extremely thirsty in comparison to american engines----. Weight is off course an issue as well as the altitude---but under similiar conditions the F 16 could be flying much longer than the JF17----could you please dig a little deeper into it from your sources. Thank you.

 

[Luftwaffe]

Interesting subject; Combat Radius is mission specific. The aircraft will be configured for that specific mission.

Incase of F-16s its combat radius and can fly longer. Engine weight is an issue and American engines are far superior. The F110-GE-132 will get you to best altitude quicker but ofcourse they are currently for block 60.

We neglected one part for F-16 the use of an internal active jamming system, permitting to ditch the ALQ-184, which make a difference.
F-16 with its specific configuration for the mission can fly a 340 or 630km on a hi-lo-hi mission and block 60/isreali f-16I should do better.

Are there any plan steps by China/Pakistan for JF-17 to take a step beyond the targeting pod system by incorporating them into the aircraft itself. I hope so.

 

[MastanKhan]

Remember---loiter time is the most important part of a fighter / strike aircraft----the longer the loiter time the more things you can do with your planes.

Remember the 1973 ramazan war----the eyptians lost because their aircraft had no legs on them---barely around half hour of flying time----whereas the phantoms could hang around for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours---. The egyptian pilots were more worried about landing their aircraft after takeoff rather than fighting an air battle.

 

[Stealth_fighter]

sorry if the pic posted before

 

[SBD-3]

Awesome! However, it require to modify JF-17's structure design and big nose to fit AESA radar and IRST on near cockpit. Don't you think it will complicated more?

I think the testing is already underway, There was a pic of JFT with modified nose undergoing testing at CFTE. Current nose of JFT is 640MM approx.

 

[Comet]

The best JF-17 video I've seen so far!

 

[unicorn]

Flight Global Blog
Stephen Trimble

I realized yesterday that I had picked up two different product cards in the exhibit halls of the Paris Air Show for the JF-17 Thunder, the low-cost, multi-role, Chinese-Pakistani collaboration.

One of the product cards came from AVIC, the JF-17 designer and manufacturer. The other card was produced by CATIC, office export/import for Chinese aerospace products. Each card shows different statistics for the same aircraft. I understand that different assumptions could drive changes in maximum take-off weight and ferry range. But surely the overall length and height of the airframe should be the same?

My guess is that CATIC is the culprit. I checked the CATIC web site, and the JF-17 page lists specifications that more closely match-up with the AVIC product card.

 

[WAQAS119]

Remember---loiter time is the most important part of a fighter / strike aircraft----the longer the loiter time the more things you can do with your planes.

Remember the 1973 ramazan war----the eyptians lost because their aircraft had no legs on them---barely around half hour of flying time----whereas the phantoms could hang around for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours---. The egyptian pilots were more worried about landing their aircraft after takeoff rather than fighting an air battle.

As I posted few pages back in thread, can't JF-17 be modified as was done with F-16 XL for increased range and payload? I mean Pakistan need a long range strike aircraft and that too with low cost tag. Obviously China has experience in delta wing arena, which can be utilized for low cost high end delta winged JF-17 aircraft . Only 36 J10s won't do.

 

[ANG]

Hi Mr. WAQAS119, any redesign is possible, but the issue is cost. If you read the artcile on the F-16XL it was dropped for the following reasons:

- Complex changes to the airframe, requiring the fuselage to become longer.
- Cost of changes required.
- Time necessary to implement and test all these changes into production.

The US Air Force chose the F-15E over the F-16XL, because less changes and money were required to modify an F-15D to the F-15E version.

Pakistan cannot afford these type of changes to the JF-17, rather it should buy the J-10S or the JH-7B. Moroever, it should concentrate on inducting more JF-17s.