Chinese Trainer Aircraft (JL-8, JL-9, JL-10 (L-15), etc.)

Venezuela to Import JL-8

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has announced that Venezuela plans to close a deal for 24 K-8 (JL-8) jet trainers:


Venezuela currently supplies half a million barrels of oil per day to China, a number that is expected to double by 2012.

News reports suggest that the first K-8 trainers could be delivered as soon as next year.

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

Was hurry more important then JL15? Or is the K8 not going to be used as advanced trainer. I bet Chavez will go for Chinese engine. He will not risk boycot even if the engine is commercial available.

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

probably the best selling Chinese plane in the recent times, K-8.
It says that the 100th K-8E has been delivered to the Egyptian air force

K-8E飞机第100架成功交付
本报讯 9月30日，中埃K-8E飞机合作生产项目继80架K-8E飞机合同执行圆满完成后，在洪都集团公司及其驻埃及专家组、中航技及其驻埃及代表处，埃方的阿军工飞机厂、电子厂、埃空军大修厂等各方艰苦努力和通力合作下，40架K-8E续购合同合作生产又取得标志性进展，第100架飞机成功交付埃及空军。

第100架K-8E飞机按节点、保质量交付是40架K-8E续购项目，也是整个K8E合作生产项目的重要里程碑。它标志着中埃重大合作项目不仅赢得了合同交付的进度节点，而且在生产过程质量控制上也达到了相对稳定的水平。为K-8E续购项目的按时完成奠定了基础。

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Re: JL-15 and other trainers


This basically just states that Venezuelans are buying 18 instead of 24 K-8s.

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

So IIRC from this years Zhuhai pictures, the 3rd L-15 flight prototype, while not using its afterburners, appeared with what looks like a longer nose. Could this be indictive of of a more powerful (BVR possibly?) radar planned such as the earlier mentioned KLJ-6F?

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

Semi-Lobster said:

So IIRC from this years Zhuhai pictures, the 3rd L-15 flight prototype, while not using its afterburners, appeared with what looks like a longer nose. Could this be indictive of of a more powerful (BVR possibly?) radar planned such as the earlier mentioned KLJ-6F?

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i'm not going to speculate that much, currently, PLAAF hasn't even placed any order for L-15 to the best of my knowledge, because the project has taken so long.

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

tphuang said:

i'm not going to speculate that much, currently, PLAAF hasn't even placed any order for L-15 to the best of my knowledge, because the project has taken so long.

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True, and it was developed outside the PLAAF but still, there's a big gaping hole for an advanced trainer for the PLAAF in the coming years as more older pilots retire and newer, more inexperienced trainers come to replace them. Its not like the JL-9, for all its pretty impressive achievements, can fill such an advanced role and the idea that the PLAAF would buy trainers outside China would be hard to swallow. The project is taking a long time, and once its introduced I'm sure there will be a scrample to develop an indigenous turbofan engine so 'development' can go on long after the aircraft is hypothetically introduced. The fact that it was also heavily featured at Zhuhai 2008 also indicates some interest. The real question it seems to me is if the L-15 will be used solely as a high performance trainer like the American T-38 Talon or be used to fill other roles, from carrier trainer, light attack, light multi-role (like the BaE Hawk 200 series) etc. and if it becomes a successful export such as the JL-8 has been, especially now with so many very similiar aircraft available (T-50 Golden Eagle, BaE Hawk, Yak-130, Alenia Aermacchi M-346 etc.)

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

Semi-Lobster said:

True, and it was developed outside the PLAAF but still, there's a big gaping hole for an advanced trainer for the PLAAF in the coming years as more older pilots retire and newer, more inexperienced trainers come to replace them. Its not like the JL-9, for all its pretty impressive achievements, can fill such an advanced role and the idea that the PLAAF would buy trainers outside China would be hard to swallow. The project is taking a long time, and once its introduced I'm sure there will be a scrample to develop an indigenous turbofan engine so 'development' can go on long after the aircraft is hypothetically introduced. The fact that it was also heavily featured at Zhuhai 2008 also indicates some interest. The real question it seems to me is if the L-15 will be used solely as a high performance trainer like the American T-38 Talon or be used to fill other roles, from carrier trainer, light attack, light multi-role (like the BaE Hawk 200 series) etc. and if it becomes a successful export such as the JL-8 has been, especially now with so many very similiar aircraft available (T-50 Golden Eagle, BaE Hawk, Yak-130, Alenia Aermacchi M-346 etc.)

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I think one of the recent ideas is that CAC might develop a trainer based on twin-seater of JF-17. And if you look at the cost of JF-17 vs L-15, it actually makes more sense to get JF-17.

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

tphuang said:

I think one of the recent ideas is that CAC might develop a trainer based on twin-seater of JF-17. And if you look at the cost of JF-17 vs L-15, it actually makes more sense to get JF-17.

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Indeed, they probably could but I guess it would depend on how quickly such a specially designed JF-17 advanced trainer can be developed compared to the L-15. Right now the L-15 is looking rather expensive but Hongdu has experience with lowering costs once production has started like with the JL-8. It would be a gamble for CAC to jump into the 'advance trainer race' so late now but it might make a very appealing package along with the single seat fighter for export though. I read some old reports on a twin seat JF-17 trainer from 2005 but I haven't really heard anything since.

Re: JL-15 and other trainers

The source for my avatar. It looks like a "baby" Flanker.



credit: ASAT @ militaryphotos.net