- Yes
- No
History
With Sino-Western relationship deteriorating quickly since the end of 1980s, Sino-Russia has improved on the other hand. This allowed Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) to upgrade its J-8II with Russian technologies.
The new aircraft was designated F-8IIM and the idea was to fit a Russian PD radar from Phazotron. The new radar is better than what J-8II had at the time and granted the plane the ability to fire a number of Russian missiles such as R-27 and Kh-31.
Here is a summary of reported improvements on F-8IIM:
- Russian Phazotron Zhuk-8II coherent pulse-Doppler fire-control radar (X-band)
- Type 563B integrated INS/GPS navigation system
- Coloured multifunction display in the cockpit
- New fire-control system with MIL-STD-1553B data bus and MIL-STD-1760A weapon bus
- New electronic countermeasures suite (with active jamming and all-aspect RWR)
- Type 125 IFF
- Two Russian-made PGD-40-2K 15kW alternators
- GDJ-4 multiple ejector rack
- Two improved WP-13B turbojet engine each rated at 4,800 kg dry and 7,000 kg with afterburning
A prototype was built from an existing J-8II airframe and made its maiden flight on 31st March 1996. The aircraft made its debut during the first Zhuhai Air Show in November of the same year. All flight tests were completeed by 19th January 1998 and a second demostrator was completed by late 1998.
In 2004, SAC presented an revised version of F-8IIM that replaced the Russian PD radar with the domestic Type 1492 radar. However, despite SAC’s best efforts, the aircraft could not compete with alternative aircrafts from US and Russia and no customer showed interests in buying it.
Place in War Thunder
Capability wise, it is comparable to J-8F currently in the game, with a good PD radar and the ability to carry up to 6 IR missiles and 2 SARH missiles (R-27R1). Since it is an export variant, it could make a very interesting event / squadron / premium aircraft at around BR 11.3.
Speification
General Characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 21.39 m (70 ft 2 in) (20.53 m (67.4 ft) excluding nose pitot probe)
Wingspan: 9.344 m (30 ft 8 in)
Height: 5.41 m (17 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 42.2 m2 (454 sq ft)
Airfoil: root: TsAGI S-12 (4.2%); tip: TsAGI S-12 (5%)
Empty weight: 10,371 kg (22,864 lb)
Gross weight: 15,288 kg (33,704 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 18,879 kg (41,621 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Guizhou WP-13B afterburning turbojet engines, 47.1 kN (10,580 lbf) thrust each dry, 68.6 kN (15,430 lbf) with afterburner
Performance
Maximum speed: 2,300 km/h (1,400 mph, 1,200 kn)
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Combat range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi) radius with 3x drop tanks
Combat radius with one AAR: 900 km (560 mi; 490 nmi)
Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 ft)
g limits: +4.7 sustained at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 224 m/s (44,100 ft/min) at sea level
Thrust/weight: 0.74
Unstick speed: 330 km/h (210 mph; 180 kn)
Take-offrun: 630 m (2,070 ft)
Touchdown speed: 224 km/h (139 mph; 121 kn)
Landing run: 900 m (3,000 ft)
Armament
Guns: 1 x 23mm Type 23-III cannon
Hardpoints: 1 centerline and 6 under-wing hardpoints with a capacity of 3 x drop tanks
Rockets: 4 x Type 90-1 FFAR pod (57-mm or 90-mm)
Missiles: 6 x PL-5 IR AAM or PL-8 IR AAM or PL-9 IR AAM
2 x R-27R1 SARH AAM or 2 x PL-11 SARH AAM
2 x Kh-31 ASM
Bombs: 10 x 250 kg (550 lb) (4 under-wing, 6 on centerline)
Avionics
Zhuk-8 II radar
Maximum detecting range of 75 km against airborne targets and 100 km against sea surface targets. When in the air-to-air mode, the radar can track up to 10 airborne targets and attack 2 of them simultaneously.
Photos
Sources
- Gordon, Yefim; Komissarov, Dmitry (2008). Chinese Aircraft: China’s aviation industry since 1951. Manchester: Hikoki Publications. ISBN 978-1-902109-04-6. pp. 85–86, 90.
- Shenyang J-8 fighter: A history of evolution
- Jian-8IIM (Jian-8 Fighter aircraft 8)
