plawolf
Lieutenant General
Pilot showed a lot of skill , and there was a considerable risk . JF-17 with RD-93 is well below T/W of 1 even empty , therefore plane started decelerating as soon it was airborne . Yet it was still stable enough to apply left rudder and slowly straighten itself .
Correction, sub unity T/W ratio is only with military thrust.
A JF17 with a modest fuel load and kicking in full burners would have better than 1.0 T/W.
As per:
Empty weight 14,520lb, max engine thurst 19,000lb.
So it could haul up to 4,480lb of fuel and stores and still have better than unity T/W ratio when in afterburner.