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JF-17 Thunder Multirole Fighter [Thread 6]

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The shape looks different, specially the top , back seems elevated

Would make a great Trainer and perhaps more complexity in operation can be introduced letting the rear pilot take care of extra tasks
 
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The shape looks different, specially the top , back seems elevated

That's the raised dorsal spine, like on a Block 52+ F-16D, except that the one on the JF-17 dual seater follows the contours of the fuselage more and hence is more curvy compared to the boxy one on the block 52s. It's primary purpose is to make up for the lost space due to an extra seat in the cockpit.

F-16Dblock52_zps0kncevzq.jpg


jf17b_zps1onzoq7w.jpg



This also answers your previous question,

Looking at the thunder's current body , just don't see how the second pilot would fit in

Also notice that the ECM housing (?) above the vertical stabilizer is also missing in the dual seater, again courtesy the raised dorsal spine.

I wonder why its being still flown by PAF pilots.

The grey helmet gave it away?
 
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Hi, also as mentioned the ECM housing has moved to the spline, but given the new fuselage shape, a shorter tail is possible. This is due to the fact a fatter fuselage allows for better stability, and a higher tail is no longer needed. I read this in an issue of Air Forces Monthly.
 
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Hi, also as mentioned the ECM housing has moved to the spline, but given the new fuselage shape, a shorter tail is possible. This is due to the fact a fatter fuselage allows for better stability, and a higher tail is no longer needed. I read this in an issue of Air Forces Monthly.
Yes that is correct. This is because a taller fuselage also acts like a tail. Also to be strictly correct only addition in the side cross sectional area BEHIND the aircraft center of gravity ADDs yaw stability (one of the reason why aircraft don't have tails on their nose :p).

Usually when you make an aircraft a twin-seater, the addition of the dorsal spine (most of which is behind the CG anyway) does indeed reduce the need for tail area. BUT the extra pilot and fuselage adds weight as well which increases the tail area requirement. I'm not too sure if the tail would be shorter on the JF-17B. Maybe just the ECM box would be removed (this would make the loads smaller on the tail making it lighter).

To make the point about the added weight increasing the need for tail area look at F-7 vs FT-7 which has a single ventral fin and a double ventral fin respectively. Even though the dorsal spine is raised like it is for the JF-17B there was still apparently a need to add tail area (in the form of ventral fins). This could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe the added weight was enough that there was a net increase in required tail area and/or most of the added area by the dorsal spine was ahead of the CG and was actually decreasing stability. Aircraft design is rarely straightforward :)
PAF_F7-2.jpg


I know there are no points for looking good in this but the FT-7 Style gol mol pregnant fish dorsal spine looks so ugly. I really hope the actual JF-17B has a more f-16 like dorsal spine.
1131808.jpg
 
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JF 17 papa

b6d46a.jpg
Yes that is the cancelled Sabre-2/ Super-7 project which the FC-1/JF-17 is successor to.


Was supposed to be a F-7 with side intakes and US avionics/ power plant. Initially handled by Grumman. Project feasibility started to go down in 1989, even Russian help was sought and after unavailability of power plant (AL-31F & GE404) eventually died out in 1995. Unfortunately several internet sources failed to separate the FC-1 / JF-17 (initiated 1999) from this and still carry the incorrect notion that its the same aircraft project.

grumman_super_7_sabre_II_1_big.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/j-7p.htm
 
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Does the air-intake seem to extend slightly forward (covering a larger area of the DSI Bump) on P229 vs 143 or just a visual trick?
A visual trick. The pictures aren't exactly from the same angle.
 
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