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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 3360.PDF
Grumman to upgrade Chinese F-7Ms Grumman and the China National Aero Technology Im port-Export Corporation (Catic) are to start immediately a nine- month preliminary design study to upgrade Chinese-built Xian F-7M Airguard (MiG-21) fighter/ ground-attack aircraft. Known as the Super 7, the upgraded F-7M will be offered for export by China as a low- cost, new-build replacement for the US-built Northrop F-5, the Soviet MiG-21, and the Chinese F-6 and F-7. The Super-7 will feature a Westing- house APG-66 lookdown/ shootdown radar in a nose radome. The annular nose intake will be replaced by side- mounted, bifurcated intakes. The 13,5001b-thrust Wopen 7 turbojet will be replaced by a self-starting Western turbofan, either a variant of the Turbo- Union RB.199 rated at 17,0001b thrust or the 18,0001b-thrust RM12 derivative of General Electric's F404, developed for the Swedish JAS39 Gripen. The wing area will be enlarged by increasing span (from 23 • 5ft to 26ft) and chord. Leading-edge slats and combat flaps will be fitted. Two addi tional hardpoints will be incor porated for Sidewinder-class air-to-air missiles. The higher thrust and lower wing loading will increase manoeuvrability, while the longer fuselage (stretched from 45-8ft to The fly-off between a Nanchang A-5 modernised with French avionics and one modified with Italian systems has been set back after the Italian-modified A-5M crashed on October 15 near Nanchang, in Jiangxi province. The Chinese Air Force released news of the accident a month after the crash, saying that "human error" was the cause. It is not known if the pilot survived. The Aeritalia- modified A-5M had its maiden flight on August 20, and was being evaluated by the Chinese against the A-5K similarly modified by a French con sortium led by Thomson-CSF. The French-modified A-5K 49-3ft) will give an 1,1001b increase in fuel capacity and single-point refuelling. The extra fuel and more-efficient turbofan will enhance range and endurance. The main landing gear will be beefed up, and larger wheels fitted. The nose gear will also be flew for the first time on September 17, only 15 months after Thomson-CSF was con tracted by the Chinese Air Force to modify its ground- attack derivative of the MiG-19. The avionics upgrade includes a Sagem inertial navigator, a Thomson-CSF laser range- finder and headup display, a new instrument panel, a radar altimeter, an air-data sensor, a video camera, and improved electrical generation and wiring looms. In addition, Hangzhou airbase has been equipped with ground test facilities and a telemetry receiving and pro cessing station to gather in flight test data. redesigned, and will incorporate nosewheel steering. An arrester hook will be fitted, and the ventral strake will be reshaped. The cockpit will be changed completely, with a Northrop F-20 Tigershark windscreen and canopy, F-16-type displays and instrumentation, and a new US Defence Secretary Frank Carlucci has written to Belgian Defence Minister Guy Coeme, urging him to decide soon whether or not Belgium will join the multinational Agile Falcon programme. Belgium's hesitation to join the FT 6 up grade programme could delay the project or even jeopardise Belgium's participation, says Carlucci. The USA has asked the four original Europen F-16 oper ators, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway, to join the Agile Falcon programme. All but Belgium have agreed to join the prede- velopment stage, which costs $25 million. Total programme ejection seat. The gaseous oxygen system will be replaced by a higher-capacity liquid- oxygen system. Grumman and Catic antici pate a 200-aircraft market for the Super-7, which is intended to have a, maximum flyaway unit cost of $10 million. outlay would be $600 million, and Carlucci says he can appre ciate Belgium's political and budgetary hesitation on Agile Falcon production, but not on the development go-ahead. A mid-life update for present- generation F-16s has been agreed by all the Europeans except Belgium, and is linked with Agile Falcon, as the updated F-16 and Agile Falcon would share basic core avionics. Carlucci says that the USA will consult the other three Euro pean F-16 partners on proceeding with the update without Belgium if the country does not sign Agreement 44 of the European F-16 Steering Committee. China s modernised A-5 crashes Belgium urged on Agile Falcon 6 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 26 November 1988
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