About This File
Chengdu J-7IIH
The Chengdu Jian-7 (J-7, or F-7 in its export form) interceptor fighter aircraft is the Chinese copy of the Soviet/Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13 (NATO codename: Fishbed-C). The formal production model is the J-7B. A total of over 800 J-7s of various models have been built, with more than 500 operational with the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) and PLA Naval Air Force (PLANAF). Early variants of the J-7 have been gradually replaced by the upgraded models such as J-7E/F.
The J-7IIH is an improved version of the J-7II with enhanced ground attack ability. This version is fitted with utility pylons that can carry both AAMs and free-fall bombs.
PROGRAMME:
China and the Soviet Union agreed on the technology transfer of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13 Fishbed-C fighter aircraft and its R-11F-300 turbojet engine in 1961. Along with the technical documents, several MiG-21F-13 fighters were also handed to the Chinese. Reverse engineering of the MiG-21 began in 1962, originally undertaken by Shenyang Aircraft Factory (now Shenyang Aircraft Industry Corporation, SAC), and later by Chengdu Aircraft Factory (now Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation, CAC). The Chinese-built MiG-21 took flight on 17 January 1966 and later received its official designation J-7.
The J-7 project, together with its technical staffs and manufacturing equipment were relocated to the newly established Chengdu Aircraft Factory located in the suburb of Chengdu city, Sichuan Province in 1965. The initial variant J-7 didn't enter production with only 12 prototype aircraft built for various tests. The first production variant J-7I (F-7A in its export name) with some minor modifications made its first flight in June 1976. This variant was built in limited numbers at Chengdu, but the production was soon suspended due to quality problems.
To meet renewed PLAAF's demands for modern fighter aircraft to replace the aging J-5 and J-6 fleets, the J-7 production line was re-opened in the early 1980s to build the improved J-7B (originally known as J-7II) introduced in 1978. Added with features from MiG-21PF Fishbed-E and MiG-21PFMA Fishbed-J, the J-7B features a redesigned rear-hinged cockpit canopy, a modified Wopen-7B (WP-7B) turbojet engine, and improved avionics. The J-7B and its later derivations were built in mass numbers for both domestic use and foreign customers between 1980s and 1990s. The production lasted until the mid-1990s when it was replaced by the more capable J-7E.
The role of the J-7 is to provide local air defence and tactical air superiority. Large numbers are to be employed to deter enemy air operations. In some cases the fighter can also serve as ground-attacker. Through steady upgrades with more power and avionics/weapon suites, the fighter can fulfil the basic requirements for short-range, daylight air defence missions. Later variants of the J-7 were also upgraded with Western avionics technology to improve their all-weather combat ability.
DESIGN:
The J-7 is single-seat, single-engine with mid-mounted delta wings and small square tips. The aircraft has a round air inlet in the nose and a single exhaust. The fuselage is a long, tubular body with a blunt nose and bubble canopy. A belly fin is located under the rear section. The tail fin is swept-back and tapered with a square tip. The flats are mid-mounted on the body, swept-back, and tapered with square tips.
The prototype J-7/A is the copy of the MiG-21F-13 Fishbed-C, while the J-7B has been added with features from MiG-21PF Fishbed-E and MiG-21PFMA Fishbed-J. Greater performance is secured by the use of a Wopen-7B turbojet providing more thrust, with the aid of a fully translating rather than three-position inlet centre-body used by the MiG-21, and by provision of a larger centreline drop tank.
Early variants J-7/A has a front-hinged cockpit canopy, while the J-7B and its successors use a back-hinged canopy to fit the indigenous rocket ejector seat. Early variants have a typical 1950s/60s-era cockpit with many mechanical instruments, making it difficult to fly and combat simultaneously. The cockpit of later variants has a user-friendlier layout, but still lacks features such as multi-function display (MFD) commonly seen on all modern combat aircraft.
WEAPONS:
The prototype J-7 was fitted with one 30 mm cannon. Later variants all have two 30mm Type 30-1 cannons with 60 rounds per gun in the lower sides of the fuselage.
Centre wing station is pumped to carry one 720-litre drop tank. Inboard wing stations can carry up to 1,000 kg of disposable stores (each unit rated at 500kg), typical weapons are PL-2, PL-2A, PL-5B and PL-7 short-range AAMs, free-fall weapons such as 500, 250, 100 and 50 kg bombs, and multiple launchers each carrying eighteen 55 mm or seven 90 mm unguided rockets. Outboard wing stations can carry bombs, multiple rocket launchers, or two 720-litre drop tanks.
AVIONICS:
Avionics configuration varies on different variants.
Fire-control: SM-3A optical sight (J-7); AFS-3A lead-computing sight with Type 222 ranging radar input (J-7II); GEC-Marconi Type 956 HUD, and weapon-aiming computer system with input from the GEC-Marconi Type 226 'Skyranger' ranging radar (F-7M/P); or Italian Grifo-7 fire-control radar (F-7PG).
Flight: WL-7 radio compass; 0101 HR A2 altitude radio altimeter; LTC-2 horizon gyro; XS-6 marker beacon receiver; VOR; Distance Measure Equipment (DME); Instrument Landing System (ILS).
Self-defence: Southwest China Research Institute of Electronic Equipment KG-8602 RWR interfaced with the South-West China Research Institute of Electronic Equipment KG-8605 internal radar noise jammer and China National Import and Export Corporation GT-1 chaff/flare dispenser, and Type 602 'Odd Rods' IFF.
POWERPLANT:
Most of the later variants of the J-7 are powered by a Liyang (LMC) Wopen-7B series (MNPK 'Soyuz' [Tumanskii] R-11-F300) turbojet, rated at 9,700 lb st (43.15kN) dry and 13,450 lb st (58kN) with afterburning.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: Wingspan: 7.154m; Length: 14.885m; Height: 4.103m
Weight: Empty: 5,275kg; Normal take-off: 7,531kg
Maximum speed: Mach 2.0
Range: Ferry range 1,740km (two AAMs and two 480 litre drop tanks), or 2,230km (three 720 litre drop tanks)
Radius: (Loitering with two AAMs and three 720 litre drop tanks, at altitude 11,000m) 45 minutes flight and 5 minutes combat; (Long-range interception with two AAMs and three 720 litre drop tanks at speed of Mach 1.5) 650km; (long-range interdiction with two 150kg bombs and three 720 litre drop tanks, hi-lo-hi) 600km; (close air support with four rocket launchers, no drop tank, lo-lo-lo) 370km
Service ceiling: 18,800m
Maximum climb rate: 180m/s (sea level)
+G limit: 7
Installation Guide
J-7IIH Beta
This is an unfinished beta. Install at your own risk. If it somehow screws up your computer, I will not be held accountable, but you may hurl abuse at me if you wish.
Unzip contents (making sure ?use folder names? is selected) to your Strike Fighters Objects\Aircraft\ directory. It will create a new folder called ?J-7H?.
E.g.: C:\Program Files\Strategy First\Strike Fighters\Objects\Aircraft\J-7H
Do not edit folder names or the .ini files (unless you are editing it deliberately).
To add any new skins that you have downloaded, do as follows:
Open the J-7H.ini and add this to the end
[TextureSetXXX]
Directory=
Name=
Nation=
Specular=1.00
Glossiness=1.00
Reflection=1.00
DecalMipMapLevels=3
XXX should be replaced with the numbers AFTER the previous entry.
Directory= the name of the folder should be the folder name of the skin file (if prepackaged, otherwise create a new folder and call it what you like-no spaces though, AFAIK-and enter its name into the line)
Name= the skins name (whatever you like so you know which one it is when choosing in game)
Nation= the planes main nation.
That should be it!
Many thanks to Howling1 (who?s original F-7 Iraqi plane I based this on), madcaddie and other members of the SF:P1 community-sorry if I?ve missed anyone!
Cheers
Greg ?geg? Thomas
February 2006
etendard@gmail.com