New Chinese fighter planned

Another one for the 3rd World Market, but this one is from GAIC. Interesting to see some competition between the companies now.

Date Posted: 05-Nov-2004

JANE’S DEFENCE WEEKLY – NOVEMBER 10, 2004

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New variant of Chinese fighter planned
Robert Karniol JDW Asia-Pacific Editor
Zhuhai

China’s Guizhou Aviation Industry Group (GAIC) has revealed its design for the LFC-16, an innovative new fighter the company proposes to build based on a concept design known as the CY-1.

A model of the CY-1 displayed at the China Air Show 2002 featured sweptback, shoulder-mounted foreplanes plus what were described as ‘side-plate canards’, comprising a narrow rectangular surface each side of the fuselage from just below the foreplane trailing-edge to extreme tail. The tail had rectangular, downward-canted tailfins with small leading-edge strakes.

The twin-seat CY-1 was reportedly designed by Beijing SuperWing Technology Research Institute. It was described as a variant of the FTC-2000 advanced jet trainer, itself a proposed lead-in fighter trainer.

A model of the LFC-16 shown at China Air Show 2004 in Zhuhai from 1-7 November differed from the CY-1; this was a single-seat version described by officials as a “night fighter”. GAIC officials told JDW that two one-seventh scale models have been built for wind-tunnel testing with the expectation that a full-size prototype will be built “within a year or two”. The project has government support, they added.

The proposed aircraft would have a normal take-off weight of 9,000 kg, of which a maximum of 3,500 kg would comprise cargo. A practical ceiling of 17,000 m is envisaged with a maximum range of 2,800 km. Projected take-off unstick speed is given as 230 km/h to 250 km/h and landing touchdown speed as 210 km/h to 230 km/h.

The LFC-16 is intended to achieve a maximum speed of M1.8 with a maximum engine thrust of 7,800 kg. Endurance is given as 3.5 hours, with a take-off run of 440 m and a landing run of 490 m.

‘Airshow China 2002 – China unveils FTC-2000 trainer mock-up’ (JDW 13 November 2002)

Guizhou Aviation Industry Group (Jane’s All The World’s Aircraft)

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