I heard that 1 production version Rafale-C has been flying..
as for the Rafale-M..I thought at least 4 production versions are already serving on the CdG?

Sorry … I thought of the twin seater, the Rafale-N !!

Deino 🙂

Are there any info about the competitors during the programme which led to the C-130 ???

Deino 🙂

There was also a proposed ‘flying-boat’ version – not a floatplane.

It had a boat hull, upturned engines to clear the spray and underwing floats.

Do a search for the HOW (Hercules On Water) project.

Ken

You mean this one ???

Deino 😉

Well- in the 60s what other VG projects were publicly known?

There is the Mirage G I suppose.

Good idea …. but I think during the 60’s the Chinese tend more to further developing a prooven design !

I think – later on- there was the Q-6 which was based on the MiG-23/27.

Maybe too small to be judged as a “big” fighter … maybe as an enlarged design like the original J-8I was an upscaled basic J-7-configuration !!??
… the result would look something like the VG-version of the MiG-25 with the single fin 😀

The big question is – engine.

Given the difficulty China has had in designing a large engine, you should probably stick to two R-11 copies.

I agree … but once again or better back to my first suggested J-8II-based concept … The J-8 is really not a “small” fighter !?!

Deino 🙂

I think it would be safe to model the J-11 with a PL-2s, Deino 🙂

I think that’s the way to go 😉 …. if I progressed a little further with my project I will show You some “what-if” pictures !

Or- building on the Mirage looks- they license build/steal the Matra 530 AAM for it?

… Hmmm … :confused: … that’s worth to think about … !!!

Original Shenyang J-10 – China’s first swing- wing fighter project :

Ok … quite another „what-if“ modelling project for the time after the original Shenyang J-11 !!

I’m looking for anything … esp. ideas how the first Chinese variable-geometry Wing Fighter – the original Shenyang J-10 – would or better could have looked like !

All I know during my www-searches is that it was to be a “big” fighter from Shenyang !!! … nothing more !!!

I started spinning my mind … and came to this “first” suggestion:
– a design based on the Shenyang J-8II with a low-set swing-wing – something like a smaller Tu-22 Backfire wing !
– maybe a twin-seater
– a bigger radar to be armed with PL-4 !

If I will find some time during the week-end I will try to draw a sketch …. !!!

So, … now it’s up to You for suggestions and / or a better design !!!

Thanks in advance, Deino