I don’t build models so I don’t really know.

Only that I can tell the PLAAF has sometimes changes their standard color trim. Previously for example, a lot of aircraft come with this white color, but now the standard color is something like a grey. You can almost tell the vintage of the picture by the plane’s color, the color of the numbers, the format of the unit numbers and where there are painted so on.

In our above examples, J-7 30168 and 30163 are actually in the same unit. How do we really know which is J-7C and which is J-7D, at least made from the start? Its possible some J-7Ds may also have been updated J-7Cs. The light grey camo on plane 30168 appears to have superceded the camo layout used in 30163.

Actually there are two regiments of J-7C/D, as you can see from plane 30062, all on the same division. This same division—the 29th, located under the Beijing MR command—had been equipped with a regiment of Su-30MKKs, so the two J-7C/D regiments are probably serving backup.

So 30168 is from the 29th Div. Beijing MR? Using the chart posted earlier I can’t figure out how to break 30168 down to figure division and regiment. I found a file with aircraft allocation and if the plane is from the 29th division then the only place mentioned for the 29th that has J-7C/D is Nanjiing Region at Quzhou. I’d like to know where 30168 is based and any other history about it.
This is the link to the chart I’m referring to. PLAAF 2004 line 89
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/agency/plaafproj.xls

Are there any good pictures of the J-7C in an all metal finish or a light grey, just not camo?

Come to think of it I was suffering major jet lag brain fart.

4th Regiment can only belong to the 2nd Division, not the 3rd, since the outline of the regiments go like this.

1st Division (1xx2x)
1st Regiment (11x2x)
2nd Regiment (12x2x)
3rd Regiment (13x3x)

2nd Division (1xx3x)
4th Regiment (14x3x)
5th Regiment (15x3x)
6th Regiment (16x3x)

3rd Division (1xx4x)
7th Regiment (17x4x)
8th Regiment (18x4x)
9th Regiment (19x4x)

more or less you get the picture.

Thus 14045 is an impossible number. It should be 14035 or 17045.

Thanks for the explanation. It sure can be complicated unless you know how it is done.

According to Crobato
you take 14045 where the 14 means division number after you minus 11. 14-11=3 so you get 3rd division.
14045 means 4th Regiment
1445 is the unit number

Thanks, It sures sounds like a complicated way to get these numbers.

The real PLAAF 14045, which I presume is the 5th plane, 4th Regiment, 3rd Division, isn’t going to be a PF or even a J-7C/D, but likely to be just a J-7B, which is improved MiG-21F13 with wings modified for fuel tanks and additional hardpoint.

Thanks, I appreciate all the input, I’ll take everything I can get. This definitely is a great forum.

The Academy model doesn’t show the actual paint scheme or at least I couldn’t find an example all finished but they do say that it is an all metal finish which sounds like the J-7D. They also show the decal set and they provide for a 14045 Mig-21.

Thanks, I was looking at an Academy model and they have one of their options for the PF as China PLAAF #14045 Mig-21PF (early). So if China never received the PF then Academy must be totally wrong.

Official name was “Letecké středisko inspektora letectva a PVO AČR” / “Flying centre of Air Force and Air Protection Surveyor of Army of the Czech Republic” 😀 later “Letecký zkušební odbor” / “Flying Test Departmen” existed since 1.3. 1994 (to chief of Air Force genmjr. P. Štrůbl direction) on Čáslav AB to 1998 on Plzeň-Líně AB, the “stress squadron” was canceled nearly after crash of MiG-21 MF (7711, pilot mjr. Luboš Kubát) and MiG-21UM (3756, pilot mjr. Miroslav Holak and technician Roman Kovařík – against Czech Air Force rules on the board!!!) over České Budějovice town in 8.6.1998 due to bad weather by arriving from an air show..

photo of the mentioned migs and photos from crash instantly after that

crash photos – just roll down on the webpage (thanx for god, nobody was killed or injured)
http://iriska9.sblog.cz/cb/

main objective of the unit was developing of the new tactics, trainings procedures and aplication of that for fight units. Very soon the unit have got task to display Mig-21 on various air shows (Czech Air Force “Delta Team”) as well.

Commander of the unit was pplk. Josef Rada, former commander of the 9.sbolp on Bechyně AB, most of the unit´s pilots are from 9.sbolp as well. Unit´s aircrafts – MiG-21MF – 4307, 5209, 7701, 7711 (all silver except 7711, and from 11.slp Žatec AB), 9410, 9412, 9414, 9802 (all in green-brown camo and from 1.šlp Přerov AB), MiG-21UM – 0165 and 3756, MiG-21R – 1501, 2149 and one L-39ZA number 5013.

December 1994 the unit was resited from Čáslav AB to Plzeň-Líně AB (because on the Čáslav AB were a lot of “normal” air force squadrons). Since Januar 1995 the unit was renamed as “Letecký zkušební odbor” (LZO)

some other the unit´s MiGs

crazy MiG-21UM
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=28875&nseq=186
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=398143&nseq=148

7711 of Delta Team
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=252198&nseq=167
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=138266&nseq=179

7701 silver and in later special camo

WOW!!!! Thank you very much for all this information, it is extremely helpful. Do you mind if I copy this information and use elsewhere?
Thanks again.