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Technically fatigue-life specifications are hard to meet, wings suffer from premature fatigue, heavy lifting reduces wing expected >30,000 hr service life. Flight surfaces suffer structural stresses which require enhancements. Pressure seals often fail increasing demand for engine air bleed reqs. Fuel efficient engines are major obstacles on heavy lifters. Chinese have recently developed the WS19/20 replacing the fuel guzzler D30 but still lacks performance characteristics required for heavy lifters.
Why is that? What makes designing an airlifter the most complicated?
 
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China, Pakistan Test Fly New Variant of Fighter Jet
The dual-seat JF-17B prototype has successfully completed its first test flight in April.

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By Franz-Stefan Gady for The Diplomat
May 05, 2017


A prototype of the two-seat trainer variant of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft, dubbed JF-17B, has successfully conducted a maiden flight on April 27, according to media reports. The maiden is believed to have taken place in China’s Chengdu province from a CAC airfield.

As I reported elsewhere, production of the JF-17B kicked off in April 2016. The aircraft was expected to embark upon its maiden flight by the end of that year and the Pakistan Air Force intended to induct its first JF-17B by April 2017. As of now, there are currently three JF-17B under construction, two of which will be transferred to the Pakistan Air Force in the coming months.

The aircraft is intended to enter serial production in 2018.

In comparison to the single-seat JF-17, the JF-17B variant features a dorsal fin that contains an additional fuel tank. The aircraft prototype also has a slightly larger wingspan and a marginally modified nose section to accommodate an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar. It also sports a larger swept-back vertical stabilizer housing a new three-axis fly-by-wire system.

Like the single-seat variant, the JF-17B features seven hard points and presumably can carry external payloads of up to 3,650 kilograms. It can be armed with air-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, and various guided and unguided bombs.

There is some speculation that the JF-17B will be basis for the JF-17 Block III single-seat variant of the fighter jet. (JF-17 production is split into three production blocks.) PAC/CAC have so far produced 50 Block I fighter jets and over 20 out of 50 Block II JF-17s. 14 additional Block II aircraft are expected to be produced by the end of the year.

All three aircraft variants, in addition to the JF-17B, are powered by a Russian-designed-but-Chinese-built Klimov RD-93 (a RD-33 derivative) turbofan, although there has been speculation that the PAF will procure more fuel-efficient and powerful RD-33MK turbofan jet engine, the most advanced version of the engine with a higher thrust output.

As I reported elsewhere:

The JF-17 was originally developed to to replace the PAF’s aging fleet of Dassault Mirage III/5 fighter jets by 2o20. “Pakistan is looking to replace 190 aircraft—primarily Chengdu F-7 and Dassault Mirage III/5 fighter jets—by 2020 presumably with a mixture of F-16 and JF-17 aircraft. Pakistan, however, is also allegedly in talks with Russia over the purchase of Su-35 multi-role fighters,” I reported in April (See: “China and Pakistan Air Forces Launch Joint Training Exercise”).

Pakistan has been trying to export the aircraft for some time. It is pitched as a low cost fighter for air forces in the developing world. A number of countries have purportedly expressed interest in the JF-17 fighter jet including Argentina, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Nigeria, the Philippines, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Pakistan announced in 2015 that has a first international customer for the aircraft, but so far has refused to confirm the Asian country in question.



 
Air Platforms

Images emerge of possible new Chinese anti-ship weapon

Richard D Fisher Jr, Washington DC and Neil Gibson, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

08 May 2017

China may be developing a new anti-ship weapon that combines technologies derived from developments in cruise missiles and ground-effect vehicles (GEVs).

An image of what appears to be a brochure marketing the 'ground-effect unmanned aerial vehicle' appeared on Chinese online forums in early May. (sina.com.cn)

An image of a brochure marketing the weapon, the latter of which is shown painted in blue Chinese navy camouflage, appeared on Chinese online forums in early May.

China may be developing a new anti-ship weapon that combines technologies derived from developments in cruise missiles and wing-in-ground vehicles. (sina.com.cn)

The brochure indicates that the weapon, referred to in the document as the 'ground-effect unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]', carries a 'CH' designation, which is usually associated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's Cai Hong (Rainbow) family of UAVs.

The brochure states that the new system has a maximum take-off weight of 3,000 kg, a maximum payload capacity of 1,000 kg, a maximum endurance of 1.5 h, a cruising altitude of 1-6 m and a service ceiling in excess of 3 km.


p1693129.jpeg
 
Air Platforms

Images emerge of possible new Chinese anti-ship weapon

Richard D Fisher Jr, Washington DC and Neil Gibson, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

08 May 2017

China may be developing a new anti-ship weapon that combines technologies derived from developments in cruise missiles and ground-effect vehicles (GEVs).

An image of what appears to be a brochure marketing the 'ground-effect unmanned aerial vehicle' appeared on Chinese online forums in early May. (sina.com.cn)

An image of a brochure marketing the weapon, the latter of which is shown painted in blue Chinese navy camouflage, appeared on Chinese online forums in early May.

China may be developing a new anti-ship weapon that combines technologies derived from developments in cruise missiles and wing-in-ground vehicles. (sina.com.cn)

The brochure indicates that the weapon, referred to in the document as the 'ground-effect unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]', carries a 'CH' designation, which is usually associated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's Cai Hong (Rainbow) family of UAVs.

The brochure states that the new system has a maximum take-off weight of 3,000 kg, a maximum payload capacity of 1,000 kg, a maximum endurance of 1.5 h, a cruising altitude of 1-6 m and a service ceiling in excess of 3 km.


View attachment 395608
Imagine this as a mothership for C-802s
 
Il-78 right?
With those IFR probe fitted mirages.

Not sure how many mirages were upgraded with probe initially target was 30 or so per one the journals assuming mostly ROSE mirages but so far some in no 27 and few in No 7

Sqn perhaps to just keep the tempo
 
Not sure how many mirages were upgraded with probe initially target was 30 or so per one the journals assuming mostly ROSE mirages but so far some in no 27 and few in No 7

Sqn perhaps to just keep the tempo
Number 40 comes to mind
 
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