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Yes
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No
Specifications
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Length - 13 Meters
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Wingspan - 9.94 Meters
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Height - 4.6 Meters
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Wing Area - 21 Square Meters
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Empty Weight - 3,840 kg
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Takeoff Weight, Clean - 5,730 kg
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Maximum Takeoff Weight - 7,500 kg
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Maximum Level Speed - Mach 0.9
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Range at Mach .75 with internal fuel - 1,297 km
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Armament - 1 twin FN 60.30 gunpod, 2 external drop tanks
Information
Developed to replace Japan’'s aging T-1 and T-33 fleets, as well as take on some of the duties of the T-2, the T-4 was designed to be cheap to operate, highly manueverable, reliable, and easy to handle.
Political imperatives dictated that the type use Japan’s first wholly indigenous turbofan engine, the Ishikawajima-Harima F4-IHI-30. This resulted in a twin engine design, both to generate adequate power, and as a safety factor, so that the aircraft would not be without power in the event that one of the fairly new and relatively untested engines failed. The engines output 16.37 kN (3,680 lbst) each, for a combined total of 32.74kN, or 7360lbf. Early problems with damage caused by excessive engine vibration have apparently been solved.
While some composite materials were used to save weight, most of the aircraft is constructed of aluminum alloys. At first glance, the aircraft appears similar in appearance to aircraft such as the Alpha Jet and the BAE Hawk - perhaps a symptom of convergent design. The aircraft makes use of a transonic airfoil for improved agility, in contrast with its competitors. While the aircraft has no internal weapons, it has 5 hard-points; one under the fuselage, and two on each wing.
While Kawasaki won the competition to design the T-4, production was a consortium effort, with parts manufactured by Mitsubishi, Fuji, IHI, and Kawasaki itself, with final assembly completed by Kawasaki. Production completed in 2003, with a total of 212 aircraft completed. In addition to serving as the JASDF’s intermediate jet trainer, the T-4 is used by Blue Impulse, the service’s aerobatics team, where it replaced the T-2 in 1995.
The Kawasaki T-4 is Japan’s current intermediate jet trainer.
Unfortunately, to our knowledge, the T-4 never carried any sort of armament, and is thus not eligible for addition to the game.
However...
thanks to the font of knowledge that is our moderator @leroyonly, I now know of two prototypes XT-4’s that carried gun-pods, 55-5602 & 66-5604.
These are readily identifiable as the same twin FN MAG gunpod carried by the Strikemaster. As such,
I can safely propose the gunpod armed XT-4 prototypes for addition to warthunder.
Wild Speculation on Armament
The T-4 has, to my knowledge, never carried any sort of armament beyond the gunpod used in its trials. It does, however, have three hardpoints, one centerline pylon, located under the fuselage, and one under each wing. The aircraft has been known to carry practice bombs, and practice IR missiles, but has probably never carried the real thing.
Sources:
