Good point and it raises another question.
Under most scenarios (between most countries), the strike/escort formations r gonna b rather limited in numbers and most fighter pilots would probably get a single BVR shot b4 it becomes WVR. If so, would it b worth carrying a large combination BVR/WVR missiles; i.e. 4/4 or 6/6???

Well. we’re getting into a tactical discussion. And it depends on the mission. For example, if we look at a fighter sweep which is all fighters looking to draw up other fighters to clear an area, we would have the basic flight (usually four planes, though three in some air forces, including China) as the main operating unit.

US tactics, I would imagine PAF too, would be the pair system developed by the USN. This is a two planes supporting each other in a pair (lead and wingman) which in turn supports another pair. Also known as the “Fluid Four” formation. The old “Finger Four” formation used by the old USAF in the gun age was too stiff for the jet age.

Anyways, the pair system means that the lead controls the fight (usually taking the first shots) with the wingman in support. For all intents and purposes, you are talking about about at least 4/4 (bvr/wvr) missiles in a FC-1 “unit” that is expected to operate as one (the other pair depending on the flight leader and circumstances might or might not be inb support, though ideally it would be.)

Also, with an ARH BVR, there is no reason you can’t ripple off two like they do with IR AAMs. (The PLAAF seem to like doing this because there are photos of J-8IIs firing off two missiles in rapid succession.) So it is rather likely that both SD-10 would be fired off. Or four in a pair formation. They probably want to go into wvr as light as possible.

As far as carrying 6 (or even 8 in some fighters) AAMs, it depends on the size and fuel capacity of the carrying plane. Having 6 wvr missiles when you’re low on fuel makes little sense because you don’t have the time to use them effectively anyways, especially in wvr when you would need to use afterburner to break off or gain energy state advantage. In fact, the more you carry the LESS time you have since weight eats into fuel and configuration does the same (more missiles on hardpoints could mean taking up the “wet” points which could be used for external fuel.)

So if you want battlefield persistance, having more missiles on individual planes is not always the best way to go. Having more planes in more maneuverable state is often better.

I think the FC-1 has enough power with a (hopefully) more reliable development of the engine carried for years by the Mig-29. If the RD-33M remains at the same weight as the RD-33, the possibility it’ll have a shorter life is almost guaranteed – unless the material going into it had made some sort of quantum leap and in that case, it would be much more expensive.

You can modify an existing engine is so many ways. In the end you have to make a compromise on weight, service life, thrust and expense. Higher thrust shortens life unless you increase material weight or use more expensive material that last longer under extra heat and pressure.

As we already saw in the numbers above, the operating envelope of the FC-1 already gives good TWR when it is needed. By the time you need high maneuverability for a WVR dogfight, you’ve most likely have fired off your bvraams and have used up a portion of your fuel. At that point, the FC-1 would be flying at or over unity.

Yeah, you’re right, Vikasrehman!

Top speed, ceiling (better) and range (worse) are different.

I would rather trust the brochure a bit more since it is the one they pass out at the shows.

Though print material could be dated. But then again we have no idea whether the site was updated in a while. Actually the information does look a little old, especially that computer graphic picture. They should have a real pict by now if they had updated.

From the earlier FC-1 thread, the official CATIC FC-1 brochure:

Officially listed below:
Internal Fuel: 2,300kg
Max. External Store: 3,720kg
Normal TO Weight: 9,100kg
Max TO Weight: 12,700kg

My guess for normal combat load is two PL-5s/equiv (170kg), two SD-10/equiv (360kg), and internal fuel(2,300):

6,300kg(empty weight) + 170kg + 360kg + 2,300kg = 9,130kg.

.91 TWR for normal TO weight.

Once the two bvraams are fired off and remaining internal fuel nears midpoint, you’d have a TWR of over unity for a few minutes of dogfighting with two IR AAMs if it ever came down to that 😀