The Q-5, J-7, J-8 and older PLAAF aircraft
- Thread starter adeptitus
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A screen grab from a TV segment on wind tunnel development. Shown here is a model with twin tails being tested many years ago.
Well, that's interesting, since besides the huge original CAC J-9VI and SAC J-10 I don't know a single twin-tailed fighter project in China!?
by78
General
Indeed, and the model doesn't match any foreign airframes I know of.
What is that plane in the background? It appears to feature cone-shaped diffusers at the intakes, like Dassault Mirage. The Chinese characters say "May 17th, 1965". Not sure if the date has anything to do with the model.
It might be DongFeng-113.
by78
General
That must be it. I'd never heard of DF-113. You learn something new everyday.
that plane has delta wings. DF-113 had swept back wings
I don’t think those are tails. aircraft with twin tails tend to either have broad rear fuselage that provide a considerable separation between the base of the tails, or the tails cant sharply outward. These look like they are set too close together and do not cant outward enough. they don’t look right for a serious twin tail aircraft design. I think the wind tunnel model is designed to test the forwards fuselage, intake and wings, and as a result did need to have any tail. The two things that look like tails are something in the background.Well, that's interesting, since besides the huge original CAC J-9VI and SAC J-10 I don't know a single twin-tailed fighter project in China!?
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another reason why I don’t think they are tails. twin tails are generally adopted because the aircraft has a broad fuselage or large LEX that would tend to mask airflow to a central mounted single tail at high angles or attack and diminish the aircraft’s rudder authority. This airplane has a relative narrow J-8, Su-15 or mirage -4000 style fuselage with no leading edge extensions. I can’t think of any other aircraft with similar fuselage configuration that needed twin tails.