Originally posted by GoldenDragon
Same design bureau with overlapping design team. Many of the members involved in the J-10 project ended up on the FC-1, including one of the lead designer (in fact, it was in an Oct. 2003 FC-1 article that we found out that the J-10 two seater was ready for flight in Dec. 2003.)

The FC-1 is obviously the less expensive encapsulation of things learned during the J-10 project.

Different class, weight and capability. Same difference as a F-15 and a F-16. The J-10 is far larger, with far more thrust, far more weight-saving through composites and greater range and carrying capacity.

All this cost money. It would be way too expensive to equip all of the PLAAF’s rank and file with the J-10.

There isn’t another low cost plane that is already flying and they need to replace planes in the hundreds.

There is also the sales component. The PLAAF will buy the FC-1 in a good sized order because it will facilitate sales.

I’ve never seen a Chinese aircraft with such press coverage and generating such high expectations. That alone will force the PLAAF’s hand.

Listen to yourself, J-10 is pretty much in the class of F-16, while FC-1 is just a little lighter with a smaller engine and less performance. You cannot compare J-10 and FC-1 as you can F-16 and F-15. J-10 is also sopposed to be cheap

Dude, you can talk all you want about PLAAF wanting the FC-1 but the fact IS that they DON’T want it!!! It’s simple.

Though they may have to take it or PLANAF might have to take it to increse chance of export orders.

Originally posted by sharmaji
Why would you want to have 2 different types of acs on the carrier, it does not make sense as to why they would have 16 MiGs and about another 6 NLCAs, I think that the LCA is for the new ADS ships, the maintainance would create a suboptimal solution on a medium sized carrier.

Because it’s their pride and would give India more experience in Carrier Aircraft.

Yahh I doubt PLAAF will even buy any because they don’t want it, there is nothing FC-1 can replace because J-10 seems to be replacing everything possible, from Q-5s, J-6s and J-7s I don’t see space for FC-1. Maybe in PLANAF but even that is doubtful with Su-30MKK2/3s and JH-7s coming into service.

Originally posted by PhantomII
Personally I’d prefer the Mirage and for many reasons.

For starters it’s slightly faster, and as they say, speed is life.

Secondly the AIM-9’s and later Shafrirs it carried were better weapons than the Soviet K-13 Atoll.

It has a much greater range which translates to greater endurance during a dogfight.

It’s roughly as agile as the MiG-21 and visilibility from the cockpit is better.

It’s got a bigger gun in the 30-mm DEFA’s it has.

The radar is probably slightly better owing to the larger radome.

And finally, it’s more of a multi-role jet than the Fishbed…….especially the E model.

Nothing against the MiG-21, but I’d prefer the Mirage.

I am with you, I totally agree with you on everything you said.

** REMOVED BY WM **

WWell then you could take out the An-124 out of my list and just go along with the C-130 Variants, or just stick with all the Il-76 variants.