Aviation Week & Space Technology 11/28/2005 Robert Wall, Dubai
Iran seen as one of several JF-17 export candidates
Pakistan and China are making configuration changes to the Chengdu FC-1/JF-17 to boost the fighter's performance in what is likely only the first of a series of iterations the aircraft will undergo in coming years.
In the run-up to limited batch production slated for next year, flight testing of a modified prototype, called TP4, is underway. This aircraft incorporates design changes including a larger inlet to boost top speed to around Mach 1.8 from below Mach 1.6. The center and aft fuselage configuration has also been tweaked.
Program officials say the higher speed was of interest to Pakistan and is considered important to maintain the fighter's export attractiveness. Although the program is still in its early stage, project managers see interest from Iran, Egypt and Malaysia for the JF-17.
THE AIRCRAFT FEATURES a partial fly-by-wire system that controls yaw only. Pakistani officials say they opted for this configuration to keep the cost of the aircraft down. A full fly-by-wire system could have made the aircraft unaffordable, they suggest.
Still ahead is testing of the avionics system, since most of the work to date has concentrated on structural matters. Two of five initial prototypes are used for fatigue and static testing, while the PT1 was the basic design of the Chinese FC-1. PT4 is the only aircraft so far to feature the design changes.
Pakistani officials expect the first contract for 16 aircraft (split equally with China) to be awarded next year, with deliveries as early as 2007. Those would undergo further flight-testing to refine the design and exercise subsystems, including avionics, that have not been explored.
A full-rate production contract would follow around 2009. Initially, Pakistan will provide 58% of the parts, but that is supposed to increase gradually to 100%. One of the big question marks over the project, though, is whether China will place its promised order, which is seen as vital to keeping the program moving forward.
The aircraft is powered by a Russian Klimov RD-93 engine with 11,340 lb. thrust. Maximum take-off weight is 28,066 lb., according to the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, an industrial partner in the program along with China's Chengdu.
The weapons package has not yet been settled. Despite speculation that China would push Pakistan to use its PL-12/SD-10 radar-guided weapon, Pakistani officials are keeping their options open, possibly as a bargaining chip to try to lower the cost of the SD-10. One senior Pakistani official said Pakistan would also be interested in technology transfer, with an eye on building its own missile capacity.
One outside candidate to meet its requirement for an infrared-guided dogfight missile for the aircraft could be Denel's A-Darter. The weapon has undergone some technology demonstration, but South Africa is still deciding whether to fund its full development--which would take about five years--or buy a weapon offshore, like the German IRIS-T. Current political sentiment is leaning toward funding A-Darter's development to maintain the country's industrial capacity, but a firm decision isn't expected until next year, and has slipped repeatedly.
South Africa has been discussing cooperation with Brazil, but with the latter's future fighter program in flux, the cooperative missile endeavor also has made little progress, a South African official says. Pretoria is looking for close cooperation with India, as well. However, controversy over an army weapons program could sideline Denel there, in which case the company might be drawn to Pakistan to expand A-Darter's sales potential, the official added.
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old but helpful news to some people
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).. except that its small size and extensive use of avionics should give it some advantages.
