Where Is The Western JF 17?

[Dodger67]

Thanks. Any idea why the designers would place fuel tanks in such a peculiar position, wouldn't it cause drag?

They'll cause drag no matter where you put them. On the wingtip they at least also add to aerodynamics due to the "fence" effect.

Aermacchi has a long tradition of using tip tanks.

(Not MBB - that was a helicopter maker that became part of Eurocopter)

 

[swerve]

Which is very interesting and shows just how politicized the weapons market is, since the M-346 and Yak-130 are almost the same aircraft.

Airframe is almost the same, & based on the same Yak design, but the engines & avionics are different. M346 has more thrust, for example.

 

[Dodger67]

Duplicate Post - Mod help applied

 

[STURM]

In the end of 80's early 90's, BAe Hawks 100/200 series crushed Aermachi AMX in the SEA market with the order from Indonesia and Malaysia

Was the AMX even seriously offered to Malaysia and Indonesia? Apart from Britain having more political pull in both countries, British Aerospace was able to offer both countries offset agreements to go along with the Hawk deal. Another factor was that during that period the Hawk was probably a more mature design.

B (and I believe also from Brunai, although I don't know what happen to those Hawks in the end).

The Hawks were never ordered. Brunei simply didn't have the pilots and infrastructure to support a squadron of Hawks.

(Not MBB - that was a helicopter maker that became part of Eurocopter)

Yes, it's Aermacchi.

 

[Ananda]

Was the AMX even seriously offered to Malaysia and Indonesia? Apart from Britain having more political pull in both countries, British Aerospace was able to offer both countries offset agreements to go along with the Hawk deal. Another factor was that during that period the Hawk was probably a more mature design.

I believe in that period, the AMX been quite seriously offered to SEA. They've done several flying demo in Indonesia and if I'm not mistaken also in Malaysia. I believe Aermachi also offered offset agreement, but like you've said 'politics' with British and BAe have more 'contact's in the region win the day in the end.

What I'm getting at (at least for Indonesia), the notion that Hawk will be easier to maintain (with the excuse of the engine like the semi-official excuse) is just unfounded. Spey supporting infrastructure within Indonesia is more established than Ardour. It's simply becasue BAe with more contacts know which more 'influential' button to push in each country in the region.

Remembered we're talking about Hawk 200 series, which at that time the provenbility factor are similar with AMX (both are new design).