Shenyang J-8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-8

The Shenyang J-8 (Chinese: ?-8; NATO reporting name: Finback) is a high-speed,
high-altitude Chinese-built single-seat interceptor fighter aircraft.

The effort to develop an all-weather interceptor began in full in 1964 and this
produced the first Chinese-designed and built jet fighter to combat new, high
altitude threats such as the B-58 Hustler bomber, F-105 Thunderchief
fighter-bomber and Lockheed U-2 spy plane. In 1964 the People's Liberation Army
Air Force requested an aircraft from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and the 601
Institute to develop a fighter/interceptor to counter bombers and spy planes as
the newly introduced Chengdu J-7 (a reverse engineered MiG-21) was incapable of
doing so. The prototype took its maiden flight in 1969. Despite the mid 1960s
origins of the J-8, due to the political turmoil of the Great Proletarian
Cultural Revolution, the J-8 was not produced until 1979 and entered service in
1980. Its basic configuration resembles an enlargement of the delta-winged J-7,
utilizes two Liyang (LMC) Wopen-7A turbojet engines, and features a maximum
speed of Mach 2.2. The twin engined J-8 competed with rival Chengdu Aircraft
Industry Group's single, turbofan powered engine, canard-delta J-9 project and
ultimately emerged as the victor largely due to the existing availability of the
former's MiG-21 based powerplant and proven layout, while the J-9 project was
cancelled in 1980 due to difficulty in creating a suitably powerful engine.

Despite entering service relatively recently, it was comparable to many older
Soviet fighter designs, with limited maneuverability. The original combat
avionics package was soon replaced with an all-weather capability in aircraft
designated J-8I (Finback-A). The J-8I (later redesignated as the J-8A) received
a new gun sight, onboard computer, new cockpit design and redesigned ejection
escape system and oxygen supply system. The gun armament was also changed from
two 30 mm cannons to a single 23 mm twin-barreled cannon and the PL-5 short
ranged AAM was also equipped. The later J-8E featured improved electronic
warfare systems. The unsatisfactory performance of the J-8I led to a very short
production run of 20–50 aircraft and the J-8I has slowly began being phased out
as early as the 1990s. A tactical reconnaissance variant of the J-8, known as
the JZ-8 was developed in the mid 1980s to take advantage of the J-8s few
favourable qualities, most notably its capability of reaching high speeds and
altitudes to replace the Shenyang JZ-6 in the tactical reconnaissance role.
Using an under-fuselage reconnaissance pod with a KA-112A long focal-length
optical camera, the JZ-8 usually operates at heights ranging from
~9,500m-15,000m during reconnaissance missions. By 1982 work began to replace
the unimpressive J-8I type with a new design known as the J-8II. The new 1982
requirements from the PLAAF demanded being capable of beyond visual range combat
(BVR) with the use medium ranged missiles (MRAAM) and secondary ground attack
capabilities. In terms of performance, the aircraft was expected to have better
aerodynamic performance at medium to low altitudes and at transonic speeds.

J-8II

The J-8II series appear quite different from the original J-8, with a new
forward fuselage, intake ramps with splitter plates and nose structure more
reminiscent of the F-4 Phantom II or Sukhoi Su-15 to house a new, more powerful
radar. The J-8II is powered by two Wopen-13A (WP-13A) engines. The design and
development team was led by Gu Songfen, who is also a key member of J-8I design
team.

It was hoped to equip the production J-8B with an American AN/APG-66(V) radar
(to be dubbed the J-8C), but this proved politically impossible after the
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 so the indigenous Type 208A monopulse radar
fire-control radar initially was used. Although the Type 208A was an improvement
over the original J-8I radar, the Type 208A did not have true beyond visual
range capabilities (The detection range of the Type 208 was 40 km) nor
look-down/shoot-up ground attack capabilities, thereby falling short of the
PLAAFs initial requirements and the redesign of the airframe. The J-8B was the
early production batch of the new J-8II series. In addition to receiving a new
radar, new engine and redesigned noses, cockpit and intake, the J-8B also
benefited from a new head-up display, integrated inertial navigation
system/Global positioning satellite system and TACAN technology. Later J-8Bs
were equipped with the more robust KLJ-1 pulse-Doppler radar fire-control radar
and radar warning receiver, theoretically giving the later batch BVR
capabilities. J-8B is the second Chinese aircraft to be equipped with a data
link, the first being the Chengdu J-7III, and the data link is designated as
Type 483 (developed from Type 481 data link used for J-7III), which enables
ground-controlled interception centres to feed directions directly to the
autopilots of J-8Bs to fly "hands off" to the interception.


Role
Interceptor

National origin
China

Manufacturer
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation

Design group
Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute

First flight
J-8: 5 July 1969
J-8II: 12 June 1984

Introduction
1980

Status
In service

Primary users
PLA Air Force
PLA Naval Air Force

Produced
1979–2010

Number built
380


Operational history

There are currently over 300 J-8s of all types serving in the People's
Liberation Army Air Force and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force. The J-8
is expected to be superseded by modern Chengdu J-10 and J-11 variants in the
coming years.

Specifications (F-8 IIM)

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 (1,429 mph; 1,242 kn) limited to M2.2
Maximum speed: Mach 2.4
Combat range: 1,000 km (621 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)
Thrust/weight: 0.741 lbf/lb (0.00727 kN/kg)

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

1 x 23mm Type 23-3 (Gsh-23) cannon




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