Why the interest in the next issue if you do not even have seen the current one?? :confused: But o.k. here it is. 😀

O.k. first I miss the report about the 1.Night article of the Gulf-War from Tom Cooper, that was already announced for this volume …. ???

and Pssssst … because an article from me is planned for Vol. 25 or 26 … now I know I have some more time to finish everything !

Thanks a lot, Deino 😎

No … I will stay with them as they are – at least IMO – the best (more or less) regular publication on that topics !

The biggest problem seems to be that AIRtime is currently more or less a one-man-show directed by Mel Williams and he seems to keep some older or traditional ways in managing this business … payment for the authors is such an issue for example ! 😡

But anyway … 😉

Here’s some additional info from “Airsande” from the ACIG-team:

The latets info regarding IAPR publications dates this year:

VOL. 24 OF IAPR WILL BE READY ON MAY 12 AT THE PRINTER; EUROPEAN SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD IN THE HANDS OF READERS AROUND THE END OF THIS MONTH/EARLY JUNE.

VOL. 25 WILL BE ON SALE IN AUGUST.
VOL. 26 IS SCHEDULED TO BE READY IN OCTOBER,
VOL. 27 IS EXPECTED IN DECEMBER.

Before anyone gets too excited……. …
Ken

I think the “excitement” was more related to that strange camouflage on the J-8 behind.

Anyway, thanks a lot for Your info …. :diablo:

Deino

From =GT @ CDF:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e338/Hyperwarp/J-10A/post-520-1210585671.jpg

Seems as that there were some chaff-flare-dispensers added !

Nice picture anyway !

Thanks, Deino

Just a question !!! Besides these sometime quite funny arguments forth and back … does anyone know when this drama will end and a final decission will be taken ???

Deino :confused:

I finally received my copy a few days ago and Hmm … most of the critical point are already mentioned especially Mr. Gordon’s kind of writing … maybe another author like Piotr Butowski would have written a much better book, but I think this one will be the most comprehensive for many years to come.

Besides the fact that I’m truly not a fan of the Fishbed I leave the critics to the professional MiG-21-insiders, but as I’m maybe a bit familiar with the Chinese J-7’s history I want to add at least some comments on this chapter:

First of all, who expected tons of new pictures maybe even from the original supplier will be sadly disappointed as only few of the photos come directly from the manufacturer or other Chinese sources, … I have to say none of them can’t be found in the WWW as Yefim Gordon usually quotes with “via InterNet”.
Second as some of us are very familiar with several Chinese military aviation news groups or forums … after reading a few pages it becomes clear that Yefim Gordon is not really a “member” of these groups, most of his material is only investigated badly or simply he re-used his old material from the older publication.
Therefore I would like to add a simple list, after two days of superficial examination:

• p.268 clearly shows a J-8I and not a factory fresh J-7II
• the side profile on p. 282 called a J-7IIH is either wrong, because the J-7IIH was never equipped with the AA-8 but instead used the PL-8 or it is misprinted as an Iraqi F-7B (with AA-8)
• A JZ-7 designated reconnaissance version, in corresponds to the Russian MiG-21R never existed … there may have been experiments with reconnaissance pods and the mentioned ELINT Pod, but this designation is wrong
• The J-7EH is described as version, able to fire the YJ-2 ASM – this designation is also wrong and should be YJ-82 = C.802 to carry, … that’s also wrong even if often “rumoured” some time ago. IMO it’s just impossible as the C.802 is a much to heavy weapon for the J-7’s wing pylon
• The description of the J-7FS’s evolution is only incomplete and the side profile obviously to crude ! It was not modified according to an E, but to an G including the one-piece front canopy
• Still even more wrong ore the two designs of the J-7MF/F-7MF… particular in the direct comparison to the latest Chinese designs (see Haneto’s proposed new Chinese booklet !!)
• In all colour profiles starting from the J-7E there’s a small green antenna located in the upper vertical stabilizer … this antenna – even if located in the right place is not painted green but instead the wrong panel. Additional all J-7 from the E on have a slightly deeper rudder, whivjch is missing in all profiles and scale drawings
• The “blue” J-7G with the number 20137 (p. 318/319) is not really a blue machine but an altered image of a standard serial machine – actually the first published picture of a G from that regiment – and was slightly altered in its colours when posted for the first time.
• The biggest mistake is a version called F-7X, and mentioned as the last failed attempt to produce a final updated version for the export …..in truth this “version” is a very nice what-if made by a nearly famous CG-artist called “LEGO”, who also “developed” improved versions of the J-8 in similar manners
• At least – even if not 100% sure – the 5 multicoloured Olympia-J-7 are also wrong as they are only known from a CG … and I can’t think of only a secret demonstration to he IOC but no public unveiling. But here I could be wrong !

Finally one last comment regarding the listing of the known operational J-7 of most diverse versions in the “appendix of user”: For my opinion this is only a list of all known aircraft – known by Yefim Gordon – sorted by number and version. More substantial IMO would have been to give a review of al known regiments / divisions and when they operated which version … as it doesn’t say anything about possible missing aircraft – quite usual as missing numbers seem to indicate for Mr. Gordon that this ac does not exist … ! It also given no information about possible relocations, restructuring of Divisions and their regiment and so on

I do not know now whether I sound too negative altogether and if looked too critically within the China range for “peas”, but I am surprised how many very obvious – even if minor – mistakes and errors are included and therefore I only hope that the reason for that is Mr. Gordon’s unfamiliarity with this topic and that he had done a better research for the Russian and other foreign versions.

Cheers, Deino 🙁

PS: … perhaps finally with Haneto’s help something more correct can be published later after the translation of that fine Chinese J-7 booklet !!

Dieno, actually that is the J-8 and not the JH-7. I had gotten confused over the 2 designations.

The earlier J-8 was a direct copy of the MiG-21, but the J-8 B featured side-intakes.

Sorry, … that’s equally wrong too !! The J-8 in its very early form was based on the MiG-21F-13’s technology and so on manufacturing technics but not a “a direct copy of the MiG-21”.

Deino 😉

I haven’t received it yet but I know someone who did. This person is used to researchers/historians: people who crosscheck infos, tell the information sources, all the thing that aren’t always done in Yefim Gordon books. He’s a bit disappointed by the book of course. The quality seems inhomogenous as usual. Some chapters seems to contradict themselves. Versions in the ‘MiG-21 at War’ chapter (inspired by Tom Cooper’s work apparently) are incoherent with the rest of the book. The book isn’t the definitive MiG-21/J-7 reference book (which isn’t surprising at all to me) but it is still worth buying but perhaps not at full retail price. I’m waiting for my copy anyway.

Thanks for that info …

I’m waiting for my copy anyway.

Me too … hopefully on Monday !

Cheers, Deino