Re: JH-7/JH-7A Thread
Attack role does not demand as much kick in airframe design as A2A roles do. That's why a lot of attack aircraft are still around. Even something as dated as the Fantan can still do the job. Planes like the Su-25 or A-10 are not exactly the best flight performers either. Neither are Jaguars.
It should be noted that the aerodynamics for an aircraft required to fly low and fast isn't the same as the aerodynamic requirements for an aircraft to be maneuverable at medium altitudes. Planes made for maneuverbility at medium and high altitudes may find themselves seriously handicapped trying to catch low level interdictors. One such important requirement is to able to for the aircraft to ride smoothly at low altitudes which is prone to a lot of turbulence and rough ride. So you actually need a lot of stability, which is the opposite of what you need for maneuverbility.
The discarding of attack jet designs in other parts of the world lies not because the concept is useful, but because plane prices are getting so high now that theorists are putting the fact that in order to justify the increasing plane costs---hence fewer planes will be made---you need to be multirole. The same jet now has to do the job of two---even though air superiority fighters are basically not truly suited to that task. In essence there is nothing really wrong about the attack jet designs, they work extremely well, but the scales of economy is against them. Hence an entire class of aircraft is being phased out.
China is an anomaly because the PLAAF's size and requirements, along with a relatively large military budget, enable them to afford "dedicated" attack aircraft when such other types are being phased out in other parts of the world due to consolidation and rationalization.
Of course, this trend may not last long itself in China, because rising costs of aircraft manufacture, aligned with rising costs of labor to make and maintain them, are going to force the same rationalization issue on China as it did with other parts of the world. Like I said before, the current trends now is to maintain as few possible types of aircraft.
Let me add one thing too. The potential "market" inside the PLANAF and the PLAAF for replacement attack aircraft was never big in the first place. Fantans are only built in the hundreds when fighter types are built in the thousands. The list of PLAAF and PLANAF active Q-5 divisions and regiments is not a long one, and some of these divisions may have been deactivated without any replacement.
Probably after the fifth Division PLAAF, the only other Q-5 division I know is the 11th, but I'm not sure if that's still active.
Attack role does not demand as much kick in airframe design as A2A roles do. That's why a lot of attack aircraft are still around. Even something as dated as the Fantan can still do the job. Planes like the Su-25 or A-10 are not exactly the best flight performers either. Neither are Jaguars.
It should be noted that the aerodynamics for an aircraft required to fly low and fast isn't the same as the aerodynamic requirements for an aircraft to be maneuverable at medium altitudes. Planes made for maneuverbility at medium and high altitudes may find themselves seriously handicapped trying to catch low level interdictors. One such important requirement is to able to for the aircraft to ride smoothly at low altitudes which is prone to a lot of turbulence and rough ride. So you actually need a lot of stability, which is the opposite of what you need for maneuverbility.
The discarding of attack jet designs in other parts of the world lies not because the concept is useful, but because plane prices are getting so high now that theorists are putting the fact that in order to justify the increasing plane costs---hence fewer planes will be made---you need to be multirole. The same jet now has to do the job of two---even though air superiority fighters are basically not truly suited to that task. In essence there is nothing really wrong about the attack jet designs, they work extremely well, but the scales of economy is against them. Hence an entire class of aircraft is being phased out.
China is an anomaly because the PLAAF's size and requirements, along with a relatively large military budget, enable them to afford "dedicated" attack aircraft when such other types are being phased out in other parts of the world due to consolidation and rationalization.
Of course, this trend may not last long itself in China, because rising costs of aircraft manufacture, aligned with rising costs of labor to make and maintain them, are going to force the same rationalization issue on China as it did with other parts of the world. Like I said before, the current trends now is to maintain as few possible types of aircraft.
Let me add one thing too. The potential "market" inside the PLANAF and the PLAAF for replacement attack aircraft was never big in the first place. Fantans are only built in the hundreds when fighter types are built in the thousands. The list of PLAAF and PLANAF active Q-5 divisions and regiments is not a long one, and some of these divisions may have been deactivated without any replacement.
Probably after the fifth Division PLAAF, the only other Q-5 division I know is the 11th, but I'm not sure if that's still active.
Last edited:
