Ideal PLAAF Modifications

Its sagging from all the weight I guess. The picture shows the plane carrying two 500kg LGBs my estimate based on the size.

The background of this picture seems familiar. I bet its the PLANAF 5th Division that recently had JH-7As.

No way, all/most of the USSR's fighters were Saggers until probably the 70s. Short landing gears.

I thing I just noticed: the conformal fuel tank meant that the 4 body stations are gone. I guess no more tanks on the wings.... How often did the A-5 use its body stations/use all 10 of its pylons?

sumdud said:

How much range did it have? I guess you can convert it for a single engine but that would make it a new plane.

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that's actually a pretty good idea, like how the F-20 tigershark was a re-designed F-5E tiger. width-wise and length-wise, putting a single turbofan in the rear fuselage of the Q-5 shouldn't be a problem, just gotta increase the height slightly and you'd be able to put a turbofan in the same class as the F404 or even F414 in there.

panzerkom said:

that's actually a pretty good idea, like how the F-20 tigershark was a re-designed F-5E tiger. width-wise and length-wise, putting a single turbofan in the rear fuselage of the Q-5 shouldn't be a problem, just gotta increase the height slightly and you'd be able to put a turbofan in the same class as the F404 or even F414 in there.

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But by then, your better off starting from scratch, as the upgrade potential is now fairly limited due to the age of the platform.

Pointblank said:

But by then, your better off starting from scratch, as the upgrade potential is now fairly limited due to the age of the platform.

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you're probably right about that one too, given how the F-20 didn't sell at all. sumdud is saying that new airframes of the Q-5 are still being built, so i'm just saying what he said about replacing the two turbojets with a turbofan is not completely insane.

panzerkom said:

you're probably right about that one too, given how the F-20 didn't sell at all. sumdud is saying that new airframes of the Q-5 are still being built, so i'm just saying what he said about replacing the two turbojets with a turbofan is not completely insane.

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As far as I know, the WP6 is being updated, so the newer A5 may have better TWR and longer range than the older ones. Forget the WS( turbofan ) idea. two of WS will cost too much for the A5, there is no WS in develpoement in China now that is designed for the A5 anyway. A copy of RD93 is still too big. The smaller WS for the JL8 is too small and lack military power( no after burners). So an up-rated WP6 will have to do the job.

It would require significant structural modifications, that makes much of the plane's internal structure new. That would increase the cost of the plane since the cost would have to be amortized for the rest of the production run. If the remaining production run is limited, then it won't be worth it, but if it intends to stay around much longer then perhaps something that can be worth looking at. At this point however, you're probably competing with the likes of the JF-17.

beijingcar said:

As far as I know, the WP6 is being updated, so the newer A5 may have better TWR and longer range than the older ones. Forget the WS( turbofan ) idea. two of WS will cost too much for the A5, there is no WS in develpoement in China now that is designed for the A5 anyway. A copy of RD93 is still too big. The smaller WS for the JL8 is too small and lack military power( no after burners). So an up-rated WP6 will have to do the job.

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what sumdud suggested was to replace the 2 turbojets on the Q-5 with 1 turbofan. but i agree with what most ppl have already said -- that it would be a significant re-design.

Wasn't a suggestion, but heck, this thread is about creativity, so let it pour! Let your fantasies run wild!

I was going to suggest the engines from L-15, but those are even weaker. I wouldn't say no to the WS of JL-8s, since adding afterburners aren't hard. (Just look at the fastest fighter in the world.)

Wouldnt reinstalling single turbonfan inplace of twin turbojets orginally designed for it would require a enormous overhall. It would require airinlets, fitting of turbofan etc...to much of a structural design to be still classified as Q-5. This would be completly new aircraft and would be designated entirely different.

This would require testing, production certificate, etc....and list goes on so by the time it does come out the money, time and resource wasted wouldn't be as beneficial to PLA.

Not pointing fingers at anyone here so dont take offence...

Since the thread states PLAAF it doesnt refer to what part of it, so modification would be a shorter variant of Z-9 but in special recon mission for tight manuvering with minimal noise engines for scouting ahead for info