War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

J-8B

2022-04-24T18:22:11Z

U92536795: /* The Spiritual Number: 81192 */ Spelling error

{{Specs-Card
|code=j_8b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (歼-8B, NATO: Finback 长须鲸) is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]].

The Shenyang J-8 family of interceptor aircraft was designed to protect China's skies from bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. The J-8B is a revision of the initial J-8I series with more powerful engines and redesigned air intakes/forward fuselage for better avionics. It offers long-awaited SARH missiles and a fire-control radar for the PLAAF, while retaining a good top-speed and sufficient manoeuvrability for such a huge jet. The J-8B is more than 20 meters in length and 5.4 meters in height, making it the largest of the Rank VII fighters in all dimensions except wingspan, but it has a lower empty weight than the [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|F-4 Phantom]] or even the [[MiG-23 (Family)|MiG-23]]. With two WP-13 engines and very clean aerodynamics, the J-8B has excellent acceleration and climb to fit its role as a high-altitude interceptor and can still turn well enough to dogfight in a pinch - quite apropos to its NATO reporting name of a long yet sleek whale.

However the J-8B is still an early model of the J-8II series and has some quirks. The domestic Type 208A radar has comparable performance to the [[F-5E]]'s AN/APQ-159 with no LD/SD capabilities. It is also limited to only 4 air-to-air missiles. Although the J-8B cannot go toe-to-toe with dedicated BVR fighters like the [[F-4J Phantom II|F-4J]] and [[F-4EJ Kai Phantom II|F-4EJ Kai]], it can still be successful if used with some caution and complements the J-7E well.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

To conclude what a J-8 series look like, "a Fishbed on steroids" would be very fitting since the overall design was literally an enlarged version of the J-7 with 2 turbojet engines: the later J-8II series revised the front of the airframe and introduced side intakes for a more streamline design. This size is also a drawback of the J-8B since it becomes a much larger target than its tech-tree predecessor, [[J-7E]].

Thanks to technological improvements over the decades, the J-8B equips two AECC Shenyang Liming WP-13A-II turbojet engines, improving the overall speed and climb rate over the J-8I (the J-8II was the fastest, highest climb rate jet in the PLAAF service until the introduction of Su-27SK/J-11 Flanker-B/L). The use of composite material also reduced its weight, while it retained its good manoeuvrability for such a large interceptor thanks to reworked elevators. However, just like any delta wing jets, any high AoA manoeuvres would be at the cost of severe speed bleeding; although the twin engines do mitigate some of the problem with their high acceleration, it is still advised to fly the J-8B as an interceptor instead of a turn-fighter, hit-and-run or high altitude operations is where it shines.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,226 || 2,206 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.8 || 28.7 || 167.4 || 159.6 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| 1,365  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 525 || 450 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 600 || < 900 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Shenyang Liming WP-13A-II || 2
| colspan="2" | 9,947 kg || colspan="3" | ___ kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel
|-
| 1,140 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 11,243 kg || 12,362 kg || 13,570 kg || 14,267 kg || _,___ kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,825 kgf || 6,483 kgf
| 1.15 || 1.05 || 0.96 || 0.91 || _.__
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,825 kgf (0 km/h) || 6,977 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.24 || 1.13 || 1.03 || 0.98 || _.__
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

As with many jet aircraft, the J-8B has self-sealing fuel tanks, as well as a 65 mm bulletproof glass windshield and a 16 mm plate behind the pilot's seat.

* 16 mm Steel plate - Rear of cockpit, behind the seat
* 65 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 23-3 (23 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 23 mm Type 23-3 cannon, -mounted (200 rpg)
** 1 x 23 mm Type 23-3 cannon + 64 x large caliber countermeasures

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|Aspide-1A|PL-5B|Type 90-1}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 4 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x Aspide-1A missiles
* 8 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 28 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 2 x Aspide-1A missiles
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 8 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x PL-5B missiles + 6 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 6 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x Aspide-1A missiles (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 14 x Type 90-1 rockets

== Usage in battles ==

The basic design of the J-8 series is aimed for high-altitude interception of Soviet supersonic strategic bombers and the J-8B is no exception, its excellent climb rate, top speed, and acceleration make it a high-flyer by all means. Don't be fooled by the sheer size of it, the aerodynamic and control surface features on the J-8B make it surprisingly maneuverable as its flight envelope is very similar to a MiG-21MF, if not better; while the size can be a problem as well due to the large surface area, it would be easy for other jets to land shots upon you.

The overall weaponry and avionics are inferior compared to its opponents at the battle rating, with limited air-to-air and ground ordnance options. The PL-5Bs are only suitable for long range launches as they have difficulty maneuvering after launch, it could surprise targets which have recovered from their maneuver in some cases thanks to the acceleration of the missile; and the Aspides are restricted by the poor performance of Changhong Type 208A radar, which has limited range and no pulse-Doppler capabilities. In addition, the two missile types cannot be carried together in a single loadout. Although the J-8B can carry up to 8 bombs or 28 Type 90-1 HEAT rockets, the jet doesn't come with any means of CCIP or CCRP. The large caliber countermeasures help in mitigating the flaws in weaponry systems, but it is still advised NOT to rush into the battlefield.

Pilots of the J-8B should be extra cautious to any enemies that might appear. Although flying high can mitigate the affects of radar ground clutter if you choose to bring the Aspide-1A missiles, it means the same for enemies' SARH missiles. If only bringing PL-5Bs into the fight, stay away from the heated battlefield, then fly in and pick up targets who has already used up their energy or unaware of your existence, a solid hit from a PL-5B can take down enemies with relative ease; do keep in mind that the missile is best used at distance over 1.5 km due to its immersive acceleration, the pylons without overload limitations really helps during interception of targets at lower altitude or revenge on foes who overtakes J-8B and didn't pull away from the player.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High acceleration and top speed
* Surprisingly maneuverable for its size
* The very first Chinese jet with SARH missiles
* Large-caliber countermeasures like those on the MiG-23
* Sufficient air-to-ground ordnance

'''Cons:'''

* Huge size
* Small ammo pool at only 200 rounds
* Bleeds speed severely in maneuvers
* Inferior avionics to its counterparts
** Lacks any form of ballistic computer

== History ==

=== Background ===
In view of harassment from high-altitude reconnaissance planes and supersonic strategic bombers from both US and USSR in early 1960s, Xu Shunshou (徐舜寿) and Huang Zhiqian (黄志千), the duo of designers from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) who had just finished the JJ-1 (歼教-1) program, soon started their design on a new interceptor. There were 22 designs for the new interceptor and most of them opted for a single-engine version, while Huang Zhiqian decided to leave a twin-engine design in case the development of the new engine would lag the entire program. After an intense debate on whether the new engine would be made in time, Huang's design, dubbed "Roast Duck" (烤鸭), using 2 existing WP-7 engines from J-7, became the design SAC opted for. This design was given the green light on 17th May 1965 as the J-8 (歼-8).

Although the development of the J-8I was smooth sailing, during the ground tests and stress test, the first prototype was proved unsafe to do test flights and the failure of the first stress test almost gave the J-8I its death sentence; this was further intensified by the deaths of the designer duo. The new chief designer, Gu Songfen (顾诵芬) continued the project with their wills and finally rectified its manufacturing flaws. The J-8I finally made its first flight on 5th July 1969. However, SAC took a whole decade to finalize the aerodynamic design of the J-8I and the new jet only passed for state certification in the very last hours of 1979.

=== J-8II ===
Although later simulated dogfights with J-7 proved the J-8I was superior to the former in many aspects, the MiG-23 (NATO: Flogger) was becoming a big threat to the PLAAF with better avionics. Although a MiG-23SM had been obtained from Egypt for evaluation, instead of reverse-engineering a domestic Flogger, they opted for a more streamlined design with side intakes based on the Flogger. The redesigned the J-8II made its first flight on 12th June 1984 with new technologies utilized during manufacture as well as for SARH missiles.

The 1980s also marked a better relationship with western countries, SAC then sought Grumman to upgrade the J-8II into a modernized jet dubbed "Project 8-2" or Peace Pearl (八二工程/和平珍珠) with the latest avionics from the F-16C. However, the 1989 Beijing Crackdown halted this program and it was eventually cancelled in 1990 in view of importing new Su-27 Flankers from the Soviet Union. While the Project 8-2 and later Project 8-3 (J-8C) failed, SAC finalized the radar and the J-8II Block 2/J-8B passed certification in 1995. With later models of the J-8II series produced in the late 1990s and 2000s, these earlier J-8B were mostly upgraded to newer standards and still kept in service in some units as a placeholder before the new J-10s and -11s replaced them.

=== The Spiritual Number: 81192 ===
The default skin for J-8B includes the number "81192" painted on the sides outside of cockpit, this number has become the spiritual number of military enthusiasts and players in Mainland China due to the [[wikipedia:Hainan_Island_incident|Hainan Island Incident]] between the PLANAF and USN.

On 1st April 2001, an EP-3 (BuNo. 156511) from VQ-1 of the USN stationed at Okinawa, piloted by Lieutenant Commander Shane Osborn was conducting a reconnaissance flight close to Hainan Island, where a pair of J-8B from Hainan Lingshui Airbase intercepted them; one of the J-8B, piloted by Major Wang Wei (王伟) from 27 Brigade, 9th Division of PLANAF, accidentally rammed the EP-3's left wing and was severely damaged by the propellers, his jet crashed into the South China Sea and the EP-3 made an emergency landing at Lingshui Airbase. Although Wang Wei was witnessed to have ejected, after weeks of searching, he was declared KIA and was posthumously given martyr and the "Guardian of Sea and Air" (海空卫士) title by PLA.

This incident further ignited the backlash towards the US in Mainland China after multiple diplomatic incidents during the 1990s; the EP-3 was then disassembled and sent back to USN with an Antonov AN-124 and the incident ended with an official apology from the US Government.

A decade later, photos from a photographer in Mainland China proved that the J-8B numbered 81192 was still in service in the early 2010s (but upgraded to J-8BH standards with a black radome); later rediscovery of magazine photos showed that a model of the J-8B given to Ruan Guoqin (阮国琴), widow of Wang Wei, was numbered 81194. The debate of whether 92 or 94 was the jet involved still continues, but the number 81192 has already become the symbol of the long-lasting Sino-US conflicts and there are memorial events every year at Wang Wei's cenotaph at Huzhou, Zhejiang.

== Media ==

''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[MiG-23 (Family)|MiG-23]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Shenyang}}
{{China jet aircraft}}

J-8B

2022-04-24T18:20:06Z

U92536795: /* Usage in battles */ Spelling error

{{Specs-Card
|code=j_8b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (歼-8B, NATO: Finback 长须鲸) is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]].

The Shenyang J-8 family of interceptor aircraft was designed to protect China's skies from bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. The J-8B is a revision of the initial J-8I series with more powerful engines and redesigned air intakes/forward fuselage for better avionics. It offers long-awaited SARH missiles and a fire-control radar for the PLAAF, while retaining a good top-speed and sufficient manoeuvrability for such a huge jet. The J-8B is more than 20 meters in length and 5.4 meters in height, making it the largest of the Rank VII fighters in all dimensions except wingspan, but it has a lower empty weight than the [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|F-4 Phantom]] or even the [[MiG-23 (Family)|MiG-23]]. With two WP-13 engines and very clean aerodynamics, the J-8B has excellent acceleration and climb to fit its role as a high-altitude interceptor and can still turn well enough to dogfight in a pinch - quite apropos to its NATO reporting name of a long yet sleek whale.

However the J-8B is still an early model of the J-8II series and has some quirks. The domestic Type 208A radar has comparable performance to the [[F-5E]]'s AN/APQ-159 with no LD/SD capabilities. It is also limited to only 4 air-to-air missiles. Although the J-8B cannot go toe-to-toe with dedicated BVR fighters like the [[F-4J Phantom II|F-4J]] and [[F-4EJ Kai Phantom II|F-4EJ Kai]], it can still be successful if used with some caution and complements the J-7E well.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

To conclude what a J-8 series look like, "a Fishbed on steroids" would be very fitting since the overall design was literally an enlarged version of the J-7 with 2 turbojet engines: the later J-8II series revised the front of the airframe and introduced side intakes for a more streamline design. This size is also a drawback of the J-8B since it becomes a much larger target than its tech-tree predecessor, [[J-7E]].

Thanks to technological improvements over the decades, the J-8B equips two AECC Shenyang Liming WP-13A-II turbojet engines, improving the overall speed and climb rate over the J-8I (the J-8II was the fastest, highest climb rate jet in the PLAAF service until the introduction of Su-27SK/J-11 Flanker-B/L). The use of composite material also reduced its weight, while it retained its good manoeuvrability for such a large interceptor thanks to reworked elevators. However, just like any delta wing jets, any high AoA manoeuvres would be at the cost of severe speed bleeding; although the twin engines do mitigate some of the problem with their high acceleration, it is still advised to fly the J-8B as an interceptor instead of a turn-fighter, hit-and-run or high altitude operations is where it shines.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,226 || 2,206 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.8 || 28.7 || 167.4 || 159.6 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| 1,365  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 525 || 450 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 600 || < 900 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Shenyang Liming WP-13A-II || 2
| colspan="2" | 9,947 kg || colspan="3" | ___ kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel
|-
| 1,140 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 11,243 kg || 12,362 kg || 13,570 kg || 14,267 kg || _,___ kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,825 kgf || 6,483 kgf
| 1.15 || 1.05 || 0.96 || 0.91 || _.__
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,825 kgf (0 km/h) || 6,977 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.24 || 1.13 || 1.03 || 0.98 || _.__
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

As with many jet aircraft, the J-8B has self-sealing fuel tanks, as well as a 65 mm bulletproof glass windshield and a 16 mm plate behind the pilot's seat.

* 16 mm Steel plate - Rear of cockpit, behind the seat
* 65 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 23-3 (23 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 23 mm Type 23-3 cannon, -mounted (200 rpg)
** 1 x 23 mm Type 23-3 cannon + 64 x large caliber countermeasures

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|Aspide-1A|PL-5B|Type 90-1}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 4 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x Aspide-1A missiles
* 8 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 28 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 2 x Aspide-1A missiles
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 8 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x PL-5B missiles + 6 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 6 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x Aspide-1A missiles (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 14 x Type 90-1 rockets

== Usage in battles ==

The basic design of the J-8 series is aimed for high-altitude interception of Soviet supersonic strategic bombers and the J-8B is no exception, its excellent climb rate, top speed, and acceleration make it a high-flyer by all means. Don't be fooled by the sheer size of it, the aerodynamic and control surface features on the J-8B make it surprisingly maneuverable as its flight envelope is very similar to a MiG-21MF, if not better; while the size can be a problem as well due to the large surface area, it would be easy for other jets to land shots upon you.

The overall weaponry and avionics are inferior compared to its opponents at the battle rating, with limited air-to-air and ground ordnance options. The PL-5Bs are only suitable for long range launches as they have difficulty maneuvering after launch, it could surprise targets which have recovered from their maneuver in some cases thanks to the acceleration of the missile; and the Aspides are restricted by the poor performance of Changhong Type 208A radar, which has limited range and no pulse-Doppler capabilities. In addition, the two missile types cannot be carried together in a single loadout. Although the J-8B can carry up to 8 bombs or 28 Type 90-1 HEAT rockets, the jet doesn't come with any means of CCIP or CCRP. The large caliber countermeasures help in mitigating the flaws in weaponry systems, but it is still advised NOT to rush into the battlefield.

Pilots of the J-8B should be extra cautious to any enemies that might appear. Although flying high can mitigate the affects of radar ground clutter if you choose to bring the Aspide-1A missiles, it means the same for enemies' SARH missiles. If only bringing PL-5Bs into the fight, stay away from the heated battlefield, then fly in and pick up targets who has already used up their energy or unaware of your existence, a solid hit from a PL-5B can take down enemies with relative ease; do keep in mind that the missile is best used at distance over 1.5 km due to its immersive acceleration, the pylons without overload limitations really helps during interception of targets at lower altitude or revenge on foes who overtakes J-8B and didn't pull away from the player.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High acceleration and top speed
* Surprisingly maneuverable for its size
* The very first Chinese jet with SARH missiles
* Large-caliber countermeasures like those on the MiG-23
* Sufficient air-to-ground ordnance

'''Cons:'''

* Huge size
* Small ammo pool at only 200 rounds
* Bleeds speed severely in maneuvers
* Inferior avionics to its counterparts
** Lacks of any form of ballistic computer

== History ==

=== Background ===
In view of harassment from high-altitude reconnaissance planes and supersonic strategic bombers from both US and USSR in early 1960s, Xu Shunshou (徐舜寿) and Huang Zhiqian (黄志千), the duo of designers from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) who had just finished the JJ-1 (歼教-1) program, soon started their design on a new interceptor. There were 22 designs for the new interceptor and most of them opted for a single-engine version, while Huang Zhiqian decided to leave a twin-engine design in case the development of the new engine would lag the entire program. After an intense debate on whether the new engine would be made in time, Huang's design, dubbed "Roast Duck" (烤鸭), using 2 existing WP-7 engines from J-7, became the design SAC opted for. This design was given the green light on 17th May 1965 as the J-8 (歼-8).

Although the development of the J-8I was smooth sailing, during the ground tests and stress test, the first prototype was proved unsafe to do test flights and the failure of the first stress test almost gave the J-8I its death sentence; this was further intensified by the deaths of the designer duo. The new chief designer, Gu Songfen (顾诵芬) continued the project with their wills and finally rectified its manufacturing flaws. The J-8I finally made its first flight on 5th July 1969. However, SAC took a whole decade to finalise the aerodynamic design of the J-8I and the new jet only passed for state certification in the very last hours of 1979.

=== J-8II ===
Although later simulated dogfights with J-7 proved the J-8I was superior to the former in many aspects, the MiG-23 (NATO: Flogger) was becoming a big threat to the PLAAF with better avionics. Although a MiG-23SM had been obtained from Egypt for evaluation, instead of reverse-engineering a domestic Flogger, they opted for a more streamlined design with side intakes based on the Flogger. The redesigned the J-8II made its first flight on 12th June 1984 with new technologies utilized during manufacture as well as for SARH missiles.

The 1980s also marked a better relationship with western countries, SAC then sought Grumman to upgrade the J-8II into a modernized jet dubbed "Project 8-2" or Peace Pearl (八二工程/和平珍珠) with the latest avionics from the F-16C. However, the 1989 Beijing Crackdown halted this program and it was eventually cancelled in 1990 in view of importing new Su-27 Flankers from the Soviet Union. While the Project 8-2 and later Project 8-3 (J-8C) failed, SAC finalised the radar and the J-8II Block 2/J-8B passed certification in 1995. With later models of the J-8II series produced in the late 1990s and 2000s, these earlier J-8B were mostly upgraded to newer standards and still kept in service in some units as a placeholder before the new J-10s and -11s replaced them.

=== The Spiritual Number: 81192 ===
The default skin for J-8B includes the number "81192" painted on the sides outside of cockpit, this number has become the spiritual number of military enthusiasts and players in Mainland China due to the [[wikipedia:Hainan_Island_incident|Hainan Island Incident]] between the PLANAF and USN.

On 1st April 2001, an EP-3 (BuNo. 156511) from VQ-1 of the USN stationed at Okinawa, piloted by Lieutenant Commander Shane Osborn was conducting a reconnaissance flight close to Hainan Island, where a pair of J-8B from Hainan Lingshui Airbase intercepted them; one of the J-8B, piloted by Major Wang Wei (王伟) from 27 Brigade, 9th Division of PLANAF, accidentally rammed the EP-3's left wing and was severely damaged by the propellers, his jet crashed into the South China Sea and the EP-3 made an emergency landing at Lingshui Airbase. Although Wang Wei was witnessed to have ejected, after weeks of searching, he was declared KIA and was posthumously given martyr and the "Guardian of Sea and Air" (海空卫士) title by PLA.

This incident further ignited the backlash towards the US in Mainland China after multiple diplomatic incidents during the 1990s; the EP-3 was then disassembled and sent back to USN with an Antonov AN-124 and the incident ended with an official apology from the US Government.

A decade later, photos from a photographer in Mainland China proved that the J-8B numbered 81192 was still in service in the early 2010s (but upgraded to J-8BH standards with a black radome); later rediscovery of magazine photos showed that a model of the J-8B given to Ruan Guoqin (阮国琴), widow of Wang Wei, was numbered 81194. The debate of whether 92 or 94 was the jet involved still continues, but the number 81192 has already become the symbol of the long-lasting Sino-US conflicts and there are memorial events every year at Wang Wei's cenotaph at Huzhou, Zhejiang.

== Media ==

''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[MiG-23 (Family)|MiG-23]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Shenyang}}
{{China jet aircraft}}

J-8B

2022-04-24T18:19:03Z

U92536795: /* Pros and cons */ Correcting spelling error

{{Specs-Card
|code=j_8b
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (歼-8B, NATO: Finback 长须鲸) is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]].

The Shenyang J-8 family of interceptor aircraft was designed to protect China's skies from bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. The J-8B is a revision of the initial J-8I series with more powerful engines and redesigned air intakes/forward fuselage for better avionics. It offers long-awaited SARH missiles and a fire-control radar for the PLAAF, while retaining a good top-speed and sufficient manoeuvrability for such a huge jet. The J-8B is more than 20 meters in length and 5.4 meters in height, making it the largest of the Rank VII fighters in all dimensions except wingspan, but it has a lower empty weight than the [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|F-4 Phantom]] or even the [[MiG-23 (Family)|MiG-23]]. With two WP-13 engines and very clean aerodynamics, the J-8B has excellent acceleration and climb to fit its role as a high-altitude interceptor and can still turn well enough to dogfight in a pinch - quite apropos to its NATO reporting name of a long yet sleek whale.

However the J-8B is still an early model of the J-8II series and has some quirks. The domestic Type 208A radar has comparable performance to the [[F-5E]]'s AN/APQ-159 with no LD/SD capabilities. It is also limited to only 4 air-to-air missiles. Although the J-8B cannot go toe-to-toe with dedicated BVR fighters like the [[F-4J Phantom II|F-4J]] and [[F-4EJ Kai Phantom II|F-4EJ Kai]], it can still be successful if used with some caution and complements the J-7E well.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

To conclude what a J-8 series look like, "a Fishbed on steroids" would be very fitting since the overall design was literally an enlarged version of the J-7 with 2 turbojet engines: the later J-8II series revised the front of the airframe and introduced side intakes for a more streamline design. This size is also a drawback of the J-8B since it becomes a much larger target than its tech-tree predecessor, [[J-7E]].

Thanks to technological improvements over the decades, the J-8B equips two AECC Shenyang Liming WP-13A-II turbojet engines, improving the overall speed and climb rate over the J-8I (the J-8II was the fastest, highest climb rate jet in the PLAAF service until the introduction of Su-27SK/J-11 Flanker-B/L). The use of composite material also reduced its weight, while it retained its good manoeuvrability for such a large interceptor thanks to reworked elevators. However, just like any delta wing jets, any high AoA manoeuvres would be at the cost of severe speed bleeding; although the twin engines do mitigate some of the problem with their high acceleration, it is still advised to fly the J-8B as an interceptor instead of a turn-fighter, hit-and-run or high altitude operations is where it shines.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,226 || 2,206 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 27.8 || 28.7 || 167.4 || 159.6 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| ___ || ___ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| 1,365  || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 525 || 450 || ~12 || ~6
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 600 || < 900 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="5" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="3" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Shenyang Liming WP-13A-II || 2
| colspan="2" | 9,947 kg || colspan="3" | ___ kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="4" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel
|-
| 1,140 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 11,243 kg || 12,362 kg || 13,570 kg || 14,267 kg || _,___ kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="5" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 10m fuel || 20m fuel || 30m fuel || 35m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 3,825 kgf || 6,483 kgf
| 1.15 || 1.05 || 0.96 || 0.91 || _.__
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 3,825 kgf (0 km/h) || 6,977 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.24 || 1.13 || 1.03 || 0.98 || _.__
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}

As with many jet aircraft, the J-8B has self-sealing fuel tanks, as well as a 65 mm bulletproof glass windshield and a 16 mm plate behind the pilot's seat.

* 16 mm Steel plate - Rear of cockpit, behind the seat
* 65 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 23-3 (23 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 23 mm Type 23-3 cannon, -mounted (200 rpg)
** 1 x 23 mm Type 23-3 cannon + 64 x large caliber countermeasures

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|LDGP Mk 82 (500 lb)|Aspide-1A|PL-5B|Type 90-1}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 4 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x Aspide-1A missiles
* 8 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 28 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 2 x Aspide-1A missiles
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 8 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (4,000 lb total)
* 4 x PL-5B missiles + 6 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 6 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs + 2 x Aspide-1A missiles (3,000 lb total)
* 2 x PL-5B missiles + 14 x Type 90-1 rockets

== Usage in battles ==

The basic design of the J-8 series is aimed for high-altitude interception of Soviet supersonic strategic bombers and the J-8B is no exception, its excellent climb rate, top speed, and acceleration make it a high-flyer by all means. Don't be fooled by the sheer size of it, the aerodynamic and control surface features on the J-8B make it surprisingly manoeuvrable as its flight envelope is very similar to a MiG-21MF, if not better; while the size can be a problem as well due to the large surface area, it would be easy for other jets to land shots upon you.

The overall weaponry and avionics are inferior compared to its opponents at the battle rating, with limited air-to-air and ground ordnance options. The PL-5Bs are only suitable for long range launches as they have difficulty manoeuvring after launch, it could surprise targets which have recovered from their manoeuvre in some cases thanks to the acceleration of the missile; and the Aspides are restricted by the poor performance of Changhong Type 208A radar, which has limited range and no pulse-Doppler capabilities. In addition, the two missile types cannot be carried together in a single loadout. Although the J-8B can carry up to 8 bombs or 28 Type 90-1 HEAT rockets, the jet doesn't come with any means of CCIP or CCRP. The large caliber countermeasures help in mitigating the flaws in weaponry systems, but it is still advised NOT to rush into the battlefield.

Pilots of the J-8B should be extra cautious to any enemies that might appear. Although flying high can mitigate the affects of radar ground clutter if you choose to bring the Aspide-1A missiles, it means the same for enemies' SARH missiles. If only bringing PL-5Bs into the fight, stay away from the heated battlefield, then fly in and pick up targets who has already used up their energy or unaware of your existence, a solid hit from a PL-5B can take down enemies with relative ease; do keep in mind that the missile is best used at distance over 1.5 km due to its immersive acceleration, the pylons without overload limitations really helps during interception of targets at lower altitude or revenge on foes who overtakes J-8B and didn't pull away from the player.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High acceleration and top speed
* Surprisingly maneuverable for its size
* The very first Chinese jet with SARH missiles
* Large-caliber countermeasures like those on the MiG-23
* Sufficient air-to-ground ordnance

'''Cons:'''

* Huge size
* Small ammo pool at only 200 rounds
* Bleeds speed severely in maneuvers
* Inferior avionics to its counterparts
** Lacks of any form of ballistic computer

== History ==

=== Background ===
In view of harassment from high-altitude reconnaissance planes and supersonic strategic bombers from both US and USSR in early 1960s, Xu Shunshou (徐舜寿) and Huang Zhiqian (黄志千), the duo of designers from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) who had just finished the JJ-1 (歼教-1) program, soon started their design on a new interceptor. There were 22 designs for the new interceptor and most of them opted for a single-engine version, while Huang Zhiqian decided to leave a twin-engine design in case the development of the new engine would lag the entire program. After an intense debate on whether the new engine would be made in time, Huang's design, dubbed "Roast Duck" (烤鸭), using 2 existing WP-7 engines from J-7, became the design SAC opted for. This design was given the green light on 17th May 1965 as the J-8 (歼-8).

Although the development of the J-8I was smooth sailing, during the ground tests and stress test, the first prototype was proved unsafe to do test flights and the failure of the first stress test almost gave the J-8I its death sentence; this was further intensified by the deaths of the designer duo. The new chief designer, Gu Songfen (顾诵芬) continued the project with their wills and finally rectified its manufacturing flaws. The J-8I finally made its first flight on 5th July 1969. However, SAC took a whole decade to finalise the aerodynamic design of the J-8I and the new jet only passed for state certification in the very last hours of 1979.

=== J-8II ===
Although later simulated dogfights with J-7 proved the J-8I was superior to the former in many aspects, the MiG-23 (NATO: Flogger) was becoming a big threat to the PLAAF with better avionics. Although a MiG-23SM had been obtained from Egypt for evaluation, instead of reverse-engineering a domestic Flogger, they opted for a more streamlined design with side intakes based on the Flogger. The redesigned the J-8II made its first flight on 12th June 1984 with new technologies utilized during manufacture as well as for SARH missiles.

The 1980s also marked a better relationship with western countries, SAC then sought Grumman to upgrade the J-8II into a modernized jet dubbed "Project 8-2" or Peace Pearl (八二工程/和平珍珠) with the latest avionics from the F-16C. However, the 1989 Beijing Crackdown halted this program and it was eventually cancelled in 1990 in view of importing new Su-27 Flankers from the Soviet Union. While the Project 8-2 and later Project 8-3 (J-8C) failed, SAC finalised the radar and the J-8II Block 2/J-8B passed certification in 1995. With later models of the J-8II series produced in the late 1990s and 2000s, these earlier J-8B were mostly upgraded to newer standards and still kept in service in some units as a placeholder before the new J-10s and -11s replaced them.

=== The Spiritual Number: 81192 ===
The default skin for J-8B includes the number "81192" painted on the sides outside of cockpit, this number has become the spiritual number of military enthusiasts and players in Mainland China due to the [[wikipedia:Hainan_Island_incident|Hainan Island Incident]] between the PLANAF and USN.

On 1st April 2001, an EP-3 (BuNo. 156511) from VQ-1 of the USN stationed at Okinawa, piloted by Lieutenant Commander Shane Osborn was conducting a reconnaissance flight close to Hainan Island, where a pair of J-8B from Hainan Lingshui Airbase intercepted them; one of the J-8B, piloted by Major Wang Wei (王伟) from 27 Brigade, 9th Division of PLANAF, accidentally rammed the EP-3's left wing and was severely damaged by the propellers, his jet crashed into the South China Sea and the EP-3 made an emergency landing at Lingshui Airbase. Although Wang Wei was witnessed to have ejected, after weeks of searching, he was declared KIA and was posthumously given martyr and the "Guardian of Sea and Air" (海空卫士) title by PLA.

This incident further ignited the backlash towards the US in Mainland China after multiple diplomatic incidents during the 1990s; the EP-3 was then disassembled and sent back to USN with an Antonov AN-124 and the incident ended with an official apology from the US Government.

A decade later, photos from a photographer in Mainland China proved that the J-8B numbered 81192 was still in service in the early 2010s (but upgraded to J-8BH standards with a black radome); later rediscovery of magazine photos showed that a model of the J-8B given to Ruan Guoqin (阮国琴), widow of Wang Wei, was numbered 81194. The debate of whether 92 or 94 was the jet involved still continues, but the number 81192 has already become the symbol of the long-lasting Sino-US conflicts and there are memorial events every year at Wang Wei's cenotaph at Huzhou, Zhejiang.

== Media ==

''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[MiG-23 (Family)|MiG-23]]

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer Shenyang}}
{{China jet aircraft}}

J-7E

2022-04-24T18:17:39Z

U92536795: /* Usage in battles */ Corrected some descriptions base on the change in PL5B

{{About
| about = Chinese jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other MiG-21 versions
| link = MiG-21 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=j_7e
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=Cockpit_j_7e.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]].

Based on the already well-developed [[J-7II]] and its modifications (J-7IIH/B/M; C/D), the J-7E offers a very different way to upgrade a [[MiG-21 (Family)|Fishbed]] from the Soviet approach - not only does it have a more powerful engine and additional fuel, it also comes with the iconic Chinese Fishbed's double-delta wing with slats, making it a formidable competitor in terms of overall manoeuvrability and especially at lower speeds, which no Soviet Fishbed can ever offer. With its newer PL-5B missile and large countermeasure capacity, the J-7E can prove its abilities over its competitors and use its amazing manoeuvrability to dominate close-quarters engagements in the hands of a good pilot.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The J-7E's airframe looks similar to the [[J-7II]] aside from the double delta wings, having a small nose and a thin fuselage spine like the early [[MiG-21F-13]] the J-7II was developed from. This contrasts with the Soviet MiG-21s, where from the [[MiG-21PFM]] onward, the noses and fuselage spines were enlarged to house search radars and hold additional fuel, respectively. To compensate for the increased weight and aerodynamic penalties, Soviet designers installed increasingly powerful engines. Even though the J-7E's new WP-13F (reverse engineered R-13-300 with some newer technologies) engine lags behind the [[MiG-21SMT]] and [[MiG-21bis]]'s engines in terms of maximum thrust, the J-7E actually weighs less than the [[MiG-21MF (Germany)|MiG-21MF]] and can make the most of its engine power. The acceleration and climb are not on the level of the legendary MiG-21bis but still competitive for a top rank fighter.

Thanks to the new engine and the slat-equipped double-delta wings, the J-7E has one of the most impressive manoeuvrability among all the current top-tier aircraft. The turn time is a whopping 29 seconds even when stock in RB, leaving most its competitors (other than F-5 family) behind by at least 3 seconds. Low-speed manoeuvrability and high-speed energy retention are greatly improved, addressing long-standing issues with the Fishbed family and presenting a pleasant surprise to new pilots. It is possible to make sustained high-G turns at above 1,000 km/h IAS without losing much airspeed at all and maintain good nose authority during spiral climbs or dogfights at near-stall speeds. The slats still work at 900 km/h, which helps with gun snapshots or missile leading at high speeds. The wing loading is lower than most contemporaries other than the [[J35D]] and [[Mirage IIIC]], which feature full tailless delta wings. The J-7E is very solid in close combat and can compete with Mirages and F-5s while dancing around heavier aircraft like [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|Phantoms]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,187 || 2,156 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 28.5 || 29.0 || 153.3 || 144.6 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,255 || 2,230 || 27.3 || 28.2 || 187.2 || 178.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 525 || 450 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 600 || < 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Shenyang Liming WP-13F || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,712 kg || colspan="2" | 310 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 1,200 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 6,306 kg || 7,176 kg || 7,692 kg || 9,500 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,100 kgf || 6,666 kgf
| 1.06 || 0.93 || 0.87 || 0.70
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,100 kgf (0 km/h) || 7,132 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.13 || 0.99 || 0.93 || 0.75
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


The J-7E comes with a 10 mm plate behind pilot's head and a 16 mm plate behind the ejection seat. While it doesn't prove to be much of a concern of cannons, it does help to stop some smaller-calibre gunfire. There is also a 60 mm windshield that is durable enough to take some shots than all the remaining part of the aircraft. The armour still doesn't count for much considering that top-tier aircraft primarily rely on missiles and tend to have very powerful guns, so avoid being hit.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 30-1 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 30 mm Type 30-1 cannon, belly-mounted (60 rpg)
** 1 x 30 mm Type 30-1 cannon + 72 x countermeasures

Because the addition of a new fuel tank to the lower left side of the aircraft and compensation for the weight of newer missiles, unlike its predecessor, the J-7E has only a single Type 30-1 cannon on the starboard side. It does have good ballistics and firepower (a few hits will rip apart most aircraft), but for pilots without good aiming skills the stingy 60-round ammo capacity will be very painful. Experienced pilots may prefer it over the 23 mm cannon used by most Soviet Fishbeds due to its accuracy and stopping power. In SB, the J-7E comes with a HUD and the ranging radar is linked to it, making it somewhat useful to track down enemies and gun them down with a bit more precision. However, pilots do need to compensate the offset of the starboard gun and aim a bit towards the left when shooting at closer ranges.

Belt selection is largely up to personal taste but the "Armoured Targets" belt is generally the most consistent, often dealing hefty kinetic damage to enemy aircraft. The APHE rounds have about 60 mm of penetration but it is not advised to use the gun against ground targets in mixed battles; they can be effective against thinly armoured targets, but the limited ammunition should be reserved for aircraft and going on gun runs is very dangerous against top-tier SPAA vehicles.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|250-3 (250 kg)|500-3 (500 kg)|Type 90-1|Type 130-2}}
{{main|PL-2|PL-5B}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs + 2 x PL-2 missiles (500 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs + 2 x PL-5B missiles (500 kg total)
* 4 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (1,500 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x PL-2 missiles (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x PL-5B missiles (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x PL-2 missiles
* 4 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x PL-2 missiles + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x PL-2 missiles
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 16 x Type 130-2 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 14 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x PL-2 missiles
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 28 x Type 90-1 rockets

The J-7E has a lot of ordnance options to choose from. Several loadouts contain PL-2 missiles, and while the stock option of twin PL-2s is better than nothing, these primitive IR missiles are unlikely to hit anything in top-tier battles besides extremely complacent targets and should be avoided once the PL-5Bs are researched. The PL-5B is the first competitive missile available to any PLAAF fighter in War Thunder and is a strong selling point of the J-7E compared to its predecessors. It is listed as having a 30 G overload, equal to the [[Matra R550 Magic 1|Magic 1]], and has a wide acquisition envelope like the [[AIM-9G]]. The no launch limiter of PL-5B means that you can fire as soon as the target is still within the acquisition radius. The J-7E lacks any radar-guided missiles and cannot surprise targets in head-on engagements.

The J-7E's ordnance improvements are not limited to air-to-air combat. For ground attack, it has access to 250 kg and 500 kg bombs like the J-7II, but it now uses much improved Type 90-1 and Type 130-2 rockets as seen on the [[Q-5A]] instead of the weak 57 mm HF-5 rockets. It also has a ballistic computer and two hardpoints per wing, giving the J-7E the best ordnance capacity and highest precision of the PLAAF fighters. The 90 mm Type 90-1 rockets are equivalents of the US FFAR rockets and nothing special. The 130 mm Type 130-2 rockets have HE warheads and direct impacts will easily dispatch light tanks and SPAAs. Against top-tier MBTs, accurate hits to the turret and hull roof armor will work the best, as side impacts can be inconsistent. The Type 130-2s are launched in pairs, so two rocket pods will provide 4 salvos and four rocket pods will provide 8.

Multirole loadouts combining missiles and rockets, missiles and bombs, or bombs and rockets are available. They may be useful in mixed battles, for example bringing two Type 130-2 rocket pods or two 500 kg bombs to destroy ground targets while retaining a pair of PL-5Bs for fending off enemy aircraft.

== Usage in battles ==


The J-7E is something like a hybrid between a MiG-21 and an F-5 in terms of flight performance and role. It obviously is an evolution of the Fishbed and enjoys many of the MiG-21's strengths in top speed, acceleration, and climb. At the same time, the new design corrects many of the MiG-21's vices and it ends up being a very nimble dogfighter that can turn well and maintain its energy like an F-5. This gives it flexibility in terms of how to approach combat. At the beginning of a match, the J-7E can sideclimb and make its way to medium or high altitude, then cruise into battle at supersonic speeds. Distracted targets at similar altitudes are prime missile targets. When it is time to join the furballs below, the J-7E can swoop in on vulnerable targets and put its agility to use.

Gunning straight into battle at lower altitudes from the start of a match, which is customary for Fishbeds, is also an option. Start to "patrol" for anyone who is possibly in their tunnel vision (where a person has only a little FOV due to his speed), then go ahead and assault them with your powerful PL-5B AAMs. They can make short work of the enemies with its 30G overload and excellent acceleration. If you only have PL-2s, which are barely better than no missiles, or even worse, only the cannon left, be very cautious on when should you fire a burst or launch the missiles. If you wasted the chance, pilots could meet their demise pretty quick if your team is on the disadvantage. And it should be reminded that unless really necessary or it is one-on-one dual with your enemy, in most cases '''do not''' dogfight for very long times to avoid presenting a slow and easy target for outside enemies to pick off. But if you have to, bleed the opponent's energy as much as you could: your higher thrust-to-weight ratio and double-delta shine here, assisting in getting on the enemy's six and staying there.

The new PL-5B introduced to the PLAAF arsenal can on paper pull 30 G upon its targets, which makes it extremely efficient when dueling with enemies who are not paying enough attention. But all this come at a price: you only have the starboard Type 30-1 cannon as the last ditch weapon, and thus you have only 60 rounds just like the original [[MiG-21F-13]]. Players who have experience with the [[J-6A]] and [[J-7II]] should have a good idea of the cannon's ballistics, but the off-center placement may take some getting used to. In this case, pilots should pick enemies who have recently maneuvered, then go straight upon them and aim a bit to the left to compensate the gun's placement; a burst from 30 mm can tear down anything that flies with some precision.

Countermeasures and a radar warning receiver allow the J-7E to have good defensive capabilities, but the aircraft only has a ranging radar instead of a proper search radar. This means that the RWR is the primary source of information on enemy positions besides the in-game spotting mechanic. Remember that some aircraft like the [[F-5C]] do not have a radar at all and those that do can still turn their radar search off to preserve stealth. The J-7E does not have any radar guided missiles and the primitive radar is not relevant during active combat.

=== Enemies worth noting ===

* [[F-5E|F-5]] series: F-5s are always a tough enemy to deal with due to its smaller size and above average manoeuvrability, making him the arch-enemy of J-7E. But thanks to your overall higher thrust-to-weight ratio and double-delta, you can still do some dogfight with him but be caution with your next step: one small wrong move can mean your quick demise. The best solution to handle F-5s are your PL-5Bs, if they are careless enough, they will not have the chance to fly back to the airfield since they have already been shattered by the explosive mass of the missile. If missile is not an option, keep as fast as you could and leave the airspace for another attack run; only hitting him when the tides of battle really allows you to do so.

* [[Mirage IIIE|Mirage III]] series: they have the infamous [[Matra R550 Magic 1|Magic R.550]] and [[Matra R530]] at their disposal and these missiles can send anything that flies back to the hangar with ease. Their high angle of attack also worth mentioning since they can still sacrifice some more speed in the short run and hit you with the cannons. In this case, keep your speed, try to bleed their energy and avoid their Magics with flares, without them, the J-7E with its higher acceleration and energy retention can duel the Mirage III with relative ease.

* [[J35D]]: Currently the only other fighter in War Thunder with a double-delta wing, the Draken has incredibly low wing loading, a good thrust-to-weight ratio, and powerful RB24J missiles that are functionally identical to AIM-9Js. Its missiles are not quite as potent as the Magics used by the Mirages, but the plane can pull off some very impressive manoeuvres, so be cautious when dogfighting with a Draken for the first few turns and be prepared to drop flares if necessary. The Draken's design is a double edged sword however, because the entire aircraft being a lifting body means that it acts like an enormous airbrake during hard turns, losing immense speed. The tailed double-delta configuration of the J-7E is more balanced and its superior energy retention will give a careful pilot the upper hand in an extended engagement. The J35D also lacks flares, is a large target, and has an even more awkward gun placement than the J-7E, so it's not particularly threatening when its speed is gone.

* [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|F-4 Phantoms]]: Other than the [[F-4C]]: All top-tier Phantoms are large, bulky planes that will suffer heavily in a dogfight with the J-7E, but they are fast and may be able to outrun the J-7E and other Fishbeds at low altitude courtesy of their higher rip speeds (less so for the FGR/FG if they are carrying gun pods). Careful Phantom pilots will maintain their energy and repeatedly sling missiles at the J-7E while avoiding dogfights, and they also carry plenty of flares to avoid return fire from PL-5Bs. The British Phantoms boast pulse-doppler radars that can guide AIM-7 Sparrows against ground clutter while staying at high altitude. The J-7E has a radar warning receiver and an impressive supply of countermeasures for a light fighter, so long range Sparrow shots can be detected and evaded, but such launches are still annoying to deal with and can wear down the J-7E. Coordinate with teammates, trash their Sparrow shots to force them to switch to short-range IR missiles, and bait them into close quarters engagements where the J-7E excels. The German [[F-4F]] lacks radar-guided missiles despite being otherwise modern, so it is less of a threat.
* [[JA37C|JA37C Viggen]]: Another very iconic jet from Sweden and it is among the most advanced and manoeuvrable jets; the first mass-produced jet that ever comes with a canard. With one of the highest climb rate thanks to its aerodynamic design and powerful engine, as well as an advanced radar with look-down capabilities, this jet among with Phantoms are tough targets to engage. So a good way to avoid quick demise from their Skyflash missiles is to stay as low as you could, where its radar couldn't detect with ease, and try to take a detour behind the enemy lines where they will be concentrated on your teammates, then strike them when they are unaware of it. If that is not the case and you have gone into a dogfight with it, do not head-on as you are a piece of cake to Skyflash. Keep also your speed and manoeuvres in check, bite on its tail as much as you can, since there's a risk for the J-7E to overshoot and get shot by the Viggen's 30 mm cannons.
* [[MiG-23 (Family)]]: The family of late Warsaw Pact variable-swept wing aircraft in-game, the Floggers, have a higher thrust than J-7E does and it does come with better avionics and head-on capable R-60M missiles (MiG-23M and MiG-27M) which can make short work of careless players. The R-24T on the MiG-23MLD are also worth mentioning as they have quite a long radius, are IRST-guided and won't trigger your RWR. But the good news is that in many cases, if the enemy player didn't pay enough attention to tailing J-7E, they are still easy preys to your missiles or sometimes your 30 mm cannons, with such a large airframe, hits can be achieved with ease; but do note that some experienced players will manually control the swept angle of the wings and keep in dogfight for quite a while.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* New engines with higher thrust and overall acceleration thanks to the lighter weight than Soviet MiG-21s.
* Unique double-delta wings that gives impressive maneuverability and energy retention at its tier.
* Is the first Chinese aircraft with a multifunctional HUD, and also the first PLAAF aircraft with CCIP.
* Comes with RWR and 72 countermeasures.
* PL-5B missiles can make very short work of your enemies with its 30G overload.
* Good selection of ground attack weaponry, including powerful 130 mm rockets

'''Cons:'''

* Single gun on starboard with only 60 rounds.
* Lacking of any form of advanced radars and radar-guided weaponry.

== History ==

The CAC J-7 Fishbed (alternatively called a Fishcan to differentiate from the [[MiG-21 (Family)|Soviet built ones]]) has entered PLAAF service since late 1960s, but due to the political turmoil and lack of documents due to Sino-Soviet split, it was until the mid-1970s where the [[J-7II]] has a steady pace of manufacture. The 4th major revision of this airframe, J-7IV, aka J-7E, needs to trace back to the 1980s.

In the early 1980s, Mainland China had better relationships with European countries who seek to open up their military equipment market; thus during these days the older J-7II received a overhaul upgrade coded J-7B (or F-7M in foreign market) with British electronic equipment provided by GEC Marconi; while at the same time Chinese got their hands on a few [[MiG-21MF (Germany)|MiG-21MF]] from Egypt for upgrading the PLAAF fleet with a faster and radar-equipped aircraft, which later became the J-7C/D. They however failed to meet PLAAF's requirements on low speed dogfight doctrine and only a mere 54 of these aircrafts were manufactured, though they were impressed by the R-13-300 engines on them and thus it became the Shenyang Liming WP-13 engine.

Although all these must be supported with a higher military budget (which wasn't available in the 1980s due to the economic reform) and during the late 1980s, most of the budget went to the later J-10 "Firebird"; while there were the mass of the older Shenyang [[J-6A|J-6]] fleet that needed replacement and PLAAF was in dire need for a fighter that came with ground-attacking capabilities (even the Shenyang J-8II was among the modified aircraft), so the CAC (Chengdu Aircraft Corp.) decided to made an upgrade on J-7 based on the opinion from foreign users, especially in terms of manoeuvrability .

Thus, the J-7IV (that later became the J-7E) program started in 1987 and by May 1991, it made its first flight and 2 years later it came into PLAAF commission.

The main improvement was the manoeuvrability, with the new WP-13 engine and the iconic double-delta designed by Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学 in Xi'an, Shaanxi) with a slat that can be lowered to 25° (and in fact the first PRC fighter with slats) that really helped its manoeuvrability - in a PLAAF's exercise in 1993, it was concluded that it was 43% better than older J-7II, as well as longer range with additional fuel tanks at the cost of giving up the port side cannon due to decreasing usage of cannons. Other improvements included additional pair of pylon, domestic avionics with a HUD, as well as some of the cockpit gauges were digital.

These 260 J-7Es built from 1994 to 2001 became the gap filler for PLAAF in the struggling days during the heat of 2nd Taiwan Strait Crisis; in 2006, based on the later F-7PG that came with an Italian radar (later domestic radar); the ultimate Fishbed of Mainland China- the J-7G came into service, with HMDs and latest avionics. Both serving as a supplementary jets to frontline airfields and cheaper solution to fill the gap until newer J-10C and J-11 series replace them.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=j_7e Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uPiZbwP0IUA|'''My Definite Favourite - J-7E Red Skies''' - ''DEFYN''|yQfhODlSmJo|'''The Shooting Range #257''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|cSY9Dymym9A|'''The Most Underrated Plane Of Patch 2.7: J-7E''' - ''Spit_flyer''}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/526070-chengdu-j-7e/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Chengdu}}
{{China jet aircraft}}

J-7E

2022-04-24T18:13:10Z

U92536795: /* Pros and cons */ Corrected some descriptions after the change of PL-5B overload and thrust

{{About
| about = Chinese jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other MiG-21 versions
| link = MiG-21 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=j_7e
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=Cockpit_j_7e.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]].

Based on the already well-developed [[J-7II]] and its modifications (J-7IIH/B/M; C/D), the J-7E offers a very different way to upgrade a [[MiG-21 (Family)|Fishbed]] from the Soviet approach - not only does it have a more powerful engine and additional fuel, it also comes with the iconic Chinese Fishbed's double-delta wing with slats, making it a formidable competitor in terms of overall manoeuvrability and especially at lower speeds, which no Soviet Fishbed can ever offer. With its newer PL-5B missile and large countermeasure capacity, the J-7E can prove its abilities over its competitors and use its amazing manoeuvrability to dominate close-quarters engagements in the hands of a good pilot.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The J-7E's airframe looks similar to the [[J-7II]] aside from the double delta wings, having a small nose and a thin fuselage spine like the early [[MiG-21F-13]] the J-7II was developed from. This contrasts with the Soviet MiG-21s, where from the [[MiG-21PFM]] onward, the noses and fuselage spines were enlarged to house search radars and hold additional fuel, respectively. To compensate for the increased weight and aerodynamic penalties, Soviet designers installed increasingly powerful engines. Even though the J-7E's new WP-13F (reverse engineered R-13-300 with some newer technologies) engine lags behind the [[MiG-21SMT]] and [[MiG-21bis]]'s engines in terms of maximum thrust, the J-7E actually weighs less than the [[MiG-21MF (Germany)|MiG-21MF]] and can make the most of its engine power. The acceleration and climb are not on the level of the legendary MiG-21bis but still competitive for a top rank fighter.

Thanks to the new engine and the slat-equipped double-delta wings, the J-7E has one of the most impressive manoeuvrability among all the current top-tier aircraft. The turn time is a whopping 29 seconds even when stock in RB, leaving most its competitors (other than F-5 family) behind by at least 3 seconds. Low-speed manoeuvrability and high-speed energy retention are greatly improved, addressing long-standing issues with the Fishbed family and presenting a pleasant surprise to new pilots. It is possible to make sustained high-G turns at above 1,000 km/h IAS without losing much airspeed at all and maintain good nose authority during spiral climbs or dogfights at near-stall speeds. The slats still work at 900 km/h, which helps with gun snapshots or missile leading at high speeds. The wing loading is lower than most contemporaries other than the [[J35D]] and [[Mirage IIIC]], which feature full tailless delta wings. The J-7E is very solid in close combat and can compete with Mirages and F-5s while dancing around heavier aircraft like [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|Phantoms]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,187 || 2,156 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 28.5 || 29.0 || 153.3 || 144.6 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,255 || 2,230 || 27.3 || 28.2 || 187.2 || 178.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 525 || 450 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 600 || < 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Shenyang Liming WP-13F || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,712 kg || colspan="2" | 310 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 1,200 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 6,306 kg || 7,176 kg || 7,692 kg || 9,500 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,100 kgf || 6,666 kgf
| 1.06 || 0.93 || 0.87 || 0.70
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,100 kgf (0 km/h) || 7,132 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.13 || 0.99 || 0.93 || 0.75
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


The J-7E comes with a 10 mm plate behind pilot's head and a 16 mm plate behind the ejection seat. While it doesn't prove to be much of a concern of cannons, it does help to stop some smaller-calibre gunfire. There is also a 60 mm windshield that is durable enough to take some shots than all the remaining part of the aircraft. The armour still doesn't count for much considering that top-tier aircraft primarily rely on missiles and tend to have very powerful guns, so avoid being hit.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 30-1 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 30 mm Type 30-1 cannon, belly-mounted (60 rpg)
** 1 x 30 mm Type 30-1 cannon + 72 x countermeasures

Because the addition of a new fuel tank to the lower left side of the aircraft and compensation for the weight of newer missiles, unlike its predecessor, the J-7E has only a single Type 30-1 cannon on the starboard side. It does have good ballistics and firepower (a few hits will rip apart most aircraft), but for pilots without good aiming skills the stingy 60-round ammo capacity will be very painful. Experienced pilots may prefer it over the 23 mm cannon used by most Soviet Fishbeds due to its accuracy and stopping power. In SB, the J-7E comes with a HUD and the ranging radar is linked to it, making it somewhat useful to track down enemies and gun them down with a bit more precision. However, pilots do need to compensate the offset of the starboard gun and aim a bit towards the left when shooting at closer ranges.

Belt selection is largely up to personal taste but the "Armoured Targets" belt is generally the most consistent, often dealing hefty kinetic damage to enemy aircraft. The APHE rounds have about 60 mm of penetration but it is not advised to use the gun against ground targets in mixed battles; they can be effective against thinly armoured targets, but the limited ammunition should be reserved for aircraft and going on gun runs is very dangerous against top-tier SPAA vehicles.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|250-3 (250 kg)|500-3 (500 kg)|Type 90-1|Type 130-2}}
{{main|PL-2|PL-5B}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs + 2 x PL-2 missiles (500 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs + 2 x PL-5B missiles (500 kg total)
* 4 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (1,500 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x PL-2 missiles (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x PL-5B missiles (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x PL-2 missiles
* 4 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x PL-2 missiles + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x PL-2 missiles
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 16 x Type 130-2 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 14 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x PL-2 missiles
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 28 x Type 90-1 rockets

The J-7E has a lot of ordnance options to choose from. Several loadouts contain PL-2 missiles, and while the stock option of twin PL-2s is better than nothing, these primitive IR missiles are unlikely to hit anything in top-tier battles besides extremely complacent targets and should be avoided once the PL-5Bs are researched. The PL-5B is the first competitive missile available to any PLAAF fighter in War Thunder and is a strong selling point of the J-7E compared to its predecessors. It is listed as having a 30 G overload, equal to the [[Matra R550 Magic 1|Magic 1]], and has a wide acquisition envelope like the [[AIM-9G]]. The no launch limiter of PL-5B means that you can fire as soon as the target is still within the acquisition radius. The J-7E lacks any radar-guided missiles and cannot surprise targets in head-on engagements.

The J-7E's ordnance improvements are not limited to air-to-air combat. For ground attack, it has access to 250 kg and 500 kg bombs like the J-7II, but it now uses much improved Type 90-1 and Type 130-2 rockets as seen on the [[Q-5A]] instead of the weak 57 mm HF-5 rockets. It also has a ballistic computer and two hardpoints per wing, giving the J-7E the best ordnance capacity and highest precision of the PLAAF fighters. The 90 mm Type 90-1 rockets are equivalents of the US FFAR rockets and nothing special. The 130 mm Type 130-2 rockets have HE warheads and direct impacts will easily dispatch light tanks and SPAAs. Against top-tier MBTs, accurate hits to the turret and hull roof armor will work the best, as side impacts can be inconsistent. The Type 130-2s are launched in pairs, so two rocket pods will provide 4 salvos and four rocket pods will provide 8.

Multirole loadouts combining missiles and rockets, missiles and bombs, or bombs and rockets are available. They may be useful in mixed battles, for example bringing two Type 130-2 rocket pods or two 500 kg bombs to destroy ground targets while retaining a pair of PL-5Bs for fending off enemy aircraft.

== Usage in battles ==


The J-7E is something like a hybrid between a MiG-21 and an F-5 in terms of flight performance and role. It obviously is an evolution of the Fishbed and enjoys many of the MiG-21's strengths in top speed, acceleration, and climb. At the same time, the new design corrects many of the MiG-21's vices and it ends up being a very nimble dogfighter that can turn well and maintain its energy like an F-5. This gives it flexibility in terms of how to approach combat. At the beginning of a match, the J-7E can sideclimb and make its way to medium or high altitude, then cruise into battle at supersonic speeds. Distracted targets at similar altitudes are prime missile targets. When it is time to join the furballs below, the J-7E can swoop in on vulnerable targets and put its agility to use.

Gunning straight into battle at lower altitudes from the start of a match, which is customary for Fishbeds, is also an option. Start to "patrol" for anyone who is possibly in their tunnel vision (where a person has only a little FOV due to his speed), then go ahead and assault them with your powerful PL-5B AAMs. They can make short work of the enemies in an ideal case but do keep an eye on the insane acceleration of the missile. If you only have PL-2s, which are barely better than no missiles, or even worse, only the cannon left, be very cautious on when should you fire a burst or launch the missiles. If you wasted the chance, pilots can meet their demise pretty quick if your team is on the disadvantage. And it should be reminded that unless really necessary or it is one-on-one dual with your enemy, in most cases '''do not''' dogfight for very long times to avoid presenting a slow and easy target for outside enemies to pick off. But if you have to, bleed the opponent's energy as much as you could: your higher thrust-to-weight ratio and double-delta shine here, assisting in getting on the enemy's six and staying there.

The new PL-5B introduced to the PLAAF arsenal can on paper pull 20 G upon its targets. As discussed earlier, it is unwise to use the PL-5B as a close range dogfight missile in the same way as the AIM-9J. It is definitely leagues ahead of the PL-2 and can still work in a pinch, but long range shots against unaware opponents are safer kills. The PL-5B can send careless enemies straight back to the hangar upon a successful impact with its higher explosive equivalent load. But all this come at a price: you only have the starboard Type 30-1 cannon as the last ditch weapon, and thus you have only 60 rounds just like the original [[MiG-21F-13]]. Players who have experience with the [[J-6A]] and [[J-7II]] should have a good idea of the cannon's ballistics, but the off-center placement may take some getting used to. In this case, pilots should pick enemies who have recently manoeuvred, then go straight upon them and aim a bit to the left to compensate the gun's placement; a burst from 30 mm can tear down anything that flies with some precision.

Countermeasures and a radar warning receiver allow the J-7E to have good defensive capabilities, but the aircraft only has a ranging radar instead of a proper search radar. This means that the RWR is the primary source of information on enemy positions besides the in-game spotting mechanic. Remember that some aircraft like the [[F-5C]] do not have a radar at all and those that do can still turn their radar search off to preserve stealth. The J-7E does not have any radar guided missiles and the primitive radar is not relevant during active combat.

=== Enemies worth noting ===

* [[F-5E|F-5]] series: F-5s are always a tough enemy to deal with due to its smaller size and above average manoeuvrability, making him the arch-enemy of J-7E. But thanks to your overall higher thrust-to-weight ratio and double-delta, you can still do some dogfight with him but be caution with your next step: one small wrong move can mean your quick demise. The best solution to handle F-5s are your PL-5Bs, if they are careless enough, they will not have the chance to fly back to the airfield since they have already been shattered by the explosive mass of the missile. If missile is not an option, keep as fast as you could and leave the airspace for another attack run; only hitting him when the tides of battle really allows you to do so.

* [[Mirage IIIE|Mirage III]] series: they have the infamous [[Matra R550 Magic 1|Magic R.550]] and [[Matra R530]] at their disposal and these missiles can send anything that flies back to the hangar with ease. Their high angle of attack also worth mentioning since they can still sacrifice some more speed in the short run and hit you with the cannons. In this case, keep your speed, try to bleed their energy and avoid their Magics with flares, without them, the J-7E with its higher acceleration and energy retention can duel the Mirage III with relative ease.

* [[J35D]]: Currently the only other fighter in War Thunder with a double-delta wing, the Draken has incredibly low wing loading, a good thrust-to-weight ratio, and powerful RB24J missiles that are functionally identical to AIM-9Js. Its missiles are not quite as potent as the Magics used by the Mirages, but the plane can pull off some very impressive manoeuvres, so be cautious when dogfighting with a Draken for the first few turns and be prepared to drop flares if necessary. The Draken's design is a double edged sword however, because the entire aircraft being a lifting body means that it acts like an enormous airbrake during hard turns, losing immense speed. The tailed double-delta configuration of the J-7E is more balanced and its superior energy retention will give a careful pilot the upper hand in an extended engagement. The J35D also lacks flares, is a large target, and has an even more awkward gun placement than the J-7E, so it's not particularly threatening when its speed is gone.

* [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|F-4 Phantoms]]: Other than the [[F-4C]]: All top-tier Phantoms are large, bulky planes that will suffer heavily in a dogfight with the J-7E, but they are fast and may be able to outrun the J-7E and other Fishbeds at low altitude courtesy of their higher rip speeds (less so for the FGR/FG if they are carrying gun pods). Careful Phantom pilots will maintain their energy and repeatedly sling missiles at the J-7E while avoiding dogfights, and they also carry plenty of flares to avoid return fire from PL-5Bs. The British Phantoms boast pulse-doppler radars that can guide AIM-7 Sparrows against ground clutter while staying at high altitude. The J-7E has a radar warning receiver and an impressive supply of countermeasures for a light fighter, so long range Sparrow shots can be detected and evaded, but such launches are still annoying to deal with and can wear down the J-7E. Coordinate with teammates, trash their Sparrow shots to force them to switch to short-range IR missiles, and bait them into close quarters engagements where the J-7E excels. The German [[F-4F]] lacks radar-guided missiles despite being otherwise modern, so it is less of a threat.
* [[JA37C|JA37C Viggen]]: Another very iconic jet from Sweden and it is among the most advanced and manoeuvrable jets; the first mass-produced jet that ever comes with a canard. With one of the highest climb rate thanks to its aerodynamic design and powerful engine, as well as an advanced radar with look-down capabilities, this jet among with Phantoms are tough targets to engage. So a good way to avoid quick demise from their Skyflash missiles is to stay as low as you could, where its radar couldn't detect with ease, and try to take a detour behind the enemy lines where they will be concentrated on your teammates, then strike them when they are unaware of it. If that is not the case and you have gone into a dogfight with it, do not head-on as you are a piece of cake to Skyflash. Keep also your speed and manoeuvres in check, bite on its tail as much as you can, since there's a risk for the J-7E to overshoot and get shot by the Viggen's 30 mm cannons.
* [[MiG-23 (Family)]]: The family of late Warsaw Pact variable-swept wing aircraft in-game, the Floggers, have a higher thrust than J-7E does and it does come with better avionics and head-on capable R-60M missiles (MiG-23M and MiG-27M) which can make short work of careless players. The R-24T on the MiG-23MLD are also worth mentioning as they have quite a long radius, are IRST-guided and won't trigger your RWR. But the good news is that in many cases, if the enemy player didn't pay enough attention to tailing J-7E, they are still easy preys to your missiles or sometimes your 30 mm cannons, with such a large airframe, hits can be achieved with ease; but do note that some experienced players will manually control the swept angle of the wings and keep in dogfight for quite a while.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* New engines with higher thrust and overall acceleration thanks to the lighter weight than Soviet MiG-21s.
* Unique double-delta wings that gives impressive maneuverability and energy retention at its tier.
* Is the first Chinese aircraft with a multifunctional HUD, and also the first PLAAF aircraft with CCIP.
* Comes with RWR and 72 countermeasures.
* PL-5B missiles can make very short work of your enemies with its 30G overload.
* Good selection of ground attack weaponry, including powerful 130 mm rockets

'''Cons:'''

* Single gun on starboard with only 60 rounds.
* Lacking of any form of advanced radars and radar-guided weaponry.

== History ==

The CAC J-7 Fishbed (alternatively called a Fishcan to differentiate from the [[MiG-21 (Family)|Soviet built ones]]) has entered PLAAF service since late 1960s, but due to the political turmoil and lack of documents due to Sino-Soviet split, it was until the mid-1970s where the [[J-7II]] has a steady pace of manufacture. The 4th major revision of this airframe, J-7IV, aka J-7E, needs to trace back to the 1980s.

In the early 1980s, Mainland China had better relationships with European countries who seek to open up their military equipment market; thus during these days the older J-7II received a overhaul upgrade coded J-7B (or F-7M in foreign market) with British electronic equipment provided by GEC Marconi; while at the same time Chinese got their hands on a few [[MiG-21MF (Germany)|MiG-21MF]] from Egypt for upgrading the PLAAF fleet with a faster and radar-equipped aircraft, which later became the J-7C/D. They however failed to meet PLAAF's requirements on low speed dogfight doctrine and only a mere 54 of these aircrafts were manufactured, though they were impressed by the R-13-300 engines on them and thus it became the Shenyang Liming WP-13 engine.

Although all these must be supported with a higher military budget (which wasn't available in the 1980s due to the economic reform) and during the late 1980s, most of the budget went to the later J-10 "Firebird"; while there were the mass of the older Shenyang [[J-6A|J-6]] fleet that needed replacement and PLAAF was in dire need for a fighter that came with ground-attacking capabilities (even the Shenyang J-8II was among the modified aircraft), so the CAC (Chengdu Aircraft Corp.) decided to made an upgrade on J-7 based on the opinion from foreign users, especially in terms of manoeuvrability .

Thus, the J-7IV (that later became the J-7E) program started in 1987 and by May 1991, it made its first flight and 2 years later it came into PLAAF commission.

The main improvement was the manoeuvrability, with the new WP-13 engine and the iconic double-delta designed by Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学 in Xi'an, Shaanxi) with a slat that can be lowered to 25° (and in fact the first PRC fighter with slats) that really helped its manoeuvrability - in a PLAAF's exercise in 1993, it was concluded that it was 43% better than older J-7II, as well as longer range with additional fuel tanks at the cost of giving up the port side cannon due to decreasing usage of cannons. Other improvements included additional pair of pylon, domestic avionics with a HUD, as well as some of the cockpit gauges were digital.

These 260 J-7Es built from 1994 to 2001 became the gap filler for PLAAF in the struggling days during the heat of 2nd Taiwan Strait Crisis; in 2006, based on the later F-7PG that came with an Italian radar (later domestic radar); the ultimate Fishbed of Mainland China- the J-7G came into service, with HMDs and latest avionics. Both serving as a supplementary jets to frontline airfields and cheaper solution to fill the gap until newer J-10C and J-11 series replace them.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=j_7e Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uPiZbwP0IUA|'''My Definite Favourite - J-7E Red Skies''' - ''DEFYN''|yQfhODlSmJo|'''The Shooting Range #257''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|cSY9Dymym9A|'''The Most Underrated Plane Of Patch 2.7: J-7E''' - ''Spit_flyer''}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/526070-chengdu-j-7e/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Chengdu}}
{{China jet aircraft}}

J-7E

2022-04-24T18:11:02Z

U92536795: /* Suspended armament */ Since the thrust and overload of PL5B have been fixed, some of the descriptions should be fixed

{{About
| about = Chinese jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other MiG-21 versions
| link = MiG-21 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=j_7e
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=Cockpit_j_7e.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese jet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Red Skies"]].

Based on the already well-developed [[J-7II]] and its modifications (J-7IIH/B/M; C/D), the J-7E offers a very different way to upgrade a [[MiG-21 (Family)|Fishbed]] from the Soviet approach - not only does it have a more powerful engine and additional fuel, it also comes with the iconic Chinese Fishbed's double-delta wing with slats, making it a formidable competitor in terms of overall manoeuvrability and especially at lower speeds, which no Soviet Fishbed can ever offer. With its newer PL-5B missile and large countermeasure capacity, the J-7E can prove its abilities over its competitors and use its amazing manoeuvrability to dominate close-quarters engagements in the hands of a good pilot.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The J-7E's airframe looks similar to the [[J-7II]] aside from the double delta wings, having a small nose and a thin fuselage spine like the early [[MiG-21F-13]] the J-7II was developed from. This contrasts with the Soviet MiG-21s, where from the [[MiG-21PFM]] onward, the noses and fuselage spines were enlarged to house search radars and hold additional fuel, respectively. To compensate for the increased weight and aerodynamic penalties, Soviet designers installed increasingly powerful engines. Even though the J-7E's new WP-13F (reverse engineered R-13-300 with some newer technologies) engine lags behind the [[MiG-21SMT]] and [[MiG-21bis]]'s engines in terms of maximum thrust, the J-7E actually weighs less than the [[MiG-21MF (Germany)|MiG-21MF]] and can make the most of its engine power. The acceleration and climb are not on the level of the legendary MiG-21bis but still competitive for a top rank fighter.

Thanks to the new engine and the slat-equipped double-delta wings, the J-7E has one of the most impressive manoeuvrability among all the current top-tier aircraft. The turn time is a whopping 29 seconds even when stock in RB, leaving most its competitors (other than F-5 family) behind by at least 3 seconds. Low-speed manoeuvrability and high-speed energy retention are greatly improved, addressing long-standing issues with the Fishbed family and presenting a pleasant surprise to new pilots. It is possible to make sustained high-G turns at above 1,000 km/h IAS without losing much airspeed at all and maintain good nose authority during spiral climbs or dogfights at near-stall speeds. The slats still work at 900 km/h, which helps with gun snapshots or missile leading at high speeds. The wing loading is lower than most contemporaries other than the [[J35D]] and [[Mirage IIIC]], which feature full tailless delta wings. The J-7E is very solid in close combat and can compete with Mirages and F-5s while dancing around heavier aircraft like [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|Phantoms]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 12,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 2,187 || 2,156 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 28.5 || 29.0 || 153.3 || 144.6 || rowspan="2" | 750
|-
! Upgraded
| 2,255 || 2,230 || 27.3 || 28.2 || 187.2 || 178.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="6" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear !! Drogue chute
|-
| X || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || ✓ 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || N/A || 525 || 450 || ~11 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 650 || < 600 || < 790 || N/A
|-
|}

==== Engine performance ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine
! colspan="4" | Aircraft mass
|-
! colspan="2" | Engine name || Number
! colspan="2" | {{Annotation|Basic mass|Mass of the aircraft with pilot and engine oil, but no fuel or weapons load}} || colspan="2" | Wing loading (full fuel)
|-
| colspan="2" | Shenyang Liming WP-13F || 1
| colspan="2" | 5,712 kg || colspan="2" | 310 kg/m2
|-
! colspan="3" | Engine characteristics
! colspan="3" | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) || rowspan="2" | Max Takeoff Weight
|-
! Weight (each) || colspan="2" | Type
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel
|-
| 1,200 kg || colspan="2" | Afterburning axial-flow turbojet
| 6,306 kg || 7,176 kg || 7,692 kg || 9,500 kg
|-
! colspan="3" | {{Annotation|Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)|The maximum thrust produced by each engine, while mounted in the aircraft. NOTE: Thrust varies significantly depending on speed & altitude.}}
! colspan="4" | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
|-
! Condition || 100% || WEP
! 8m fuel || 20m fuel || 27m fuel || MTOW
|-
| ''Stationary'' || 4,100 kgf || 6,666 kgf
| 1.06 || 0.93 || 0.87 || 0.70
|-
| ''Optimal'' || 4,100 kgf (0 km/h) || 7,132 kgf (1,200 km/h)
| 1.13 || 0.99 || 0.93 || 0.75
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


The J-7E comes with a 10 mm plate behind pilot's head and a 16 mm plate behind the ejection seat. While it doesn't prove to be much of a concern of cannons, it does help to stop some smaller-calibre gunfire. There is also a 60 mm windshield that is durable enough to take some shots than all the remaining part of the aircraft. The armour still doesn't count for much considering that top-tier aircraft primarily rely on missiles and tend to have very powerful guns, so avoid being hit.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Ballistic Computer]]
|-
! CCIP (Guns) !! CCIP (Rockets) !! CCIP (Bombs) !! CCRP (Bombs)
|-
| {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}}
|-
|}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|Type 30-1 (30 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* A choice between two presets:
** 1 x 30 mm Type 30-1 cannon, belly-mounted (60 rpg)
** 1 x 30 mm Type 30-1 cannon + 72 x countermeasures

Because the addition of a new fuel tank to the lower left side of the aircraft and compensation for the weight of newer missiles, unlike its predecessor, the J-7E has only a single Type 30-1 cannon on the starboard side. It does have good ballistics and firepower (a few hits will rip apart most aircraft), but for pilots without good aiming skills the stingy 60-round ammo capacity will be very painful. Experienced pilots may prefer it over the 23 mm cannon used by most Soviet Fishbeds due to its accuracy and stopping power. In SB, the J-7E comes with a HUD and the ranging radar is linked to it, making it somewhat useful to track down enemies and gun them down with a bit more precision. However, pilots do need to compensate the offset of the starboard gun and aim a bit towards the left when shooting at closer ranges.

Belt selection is largely up to personal taste but the "Armoured Targets" belt is generally the most consistent, often dealing hefty kinetic damage to enemy aircraft. The APHE rounds have about 60 mm of penetration but it is not advised to use the gun against ground targets in mixed battles; they can be effective against thinly armoured targets, but the limited ammunition should be reserved for aircraft and going on gun runs is very dangerous against top-tier SPAA vehicles.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|250-3 (250 kg)|500-3 (500 kg)|Type 90-1|Type 130-2}}
{{main|PL-2|PL-5B}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs + 2 x PL-2 missiles (500 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs + 2 x PL-5B missiles (500 kg total)
* 4 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (1,500 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x PL-2 missiles (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs + 2 x PL-5B missiles (1,000 kg total)
* 4 x PL-2 missiles
* 4 x PL-5B missiles
* 2 x PL-2 missiles + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x PL-2 missiles
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 16 x Type 130-2 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 14 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 8 x Type 130-2 rockets + 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x 250 kg 250-3 bombs (500 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x 500 kg 500-3 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x PL-2 missiles
* 14 x Type 90-1 rockets + 2 x PL-5B missiles
* 28 x Type 90-1 rockets

The J-7E has a lot of ordnance options to choose from. Several loadouts contain PL-2 missiles, and while the stock option of twin PL-2s is better than nothing, these primitive IR missiles are unlikely to hit anything in top-tier battles besides extremely complacent targets and should be avoided once the PL-5Bs are researched. The PL-5B is the first competitive missile available to any PLAAF fighter in War Thunder and is a strong selling point of the J-7E compared to its predecessors. It is listed as having a 30 G overload, equal to the [[Matra R550 Magic 1|Magic 1]], and has a wide acquisition envelope like the [[AIM-9G]]. The no launch limiter of PL-5B means that you can fire as soon as the target is still within the acquisition radius. The J-7E lacks any radar-guided missiles and cannot surprise targets in head-on engagements.

The J-7E's ordnance improvements are not limited to air-to-air combat. For ground attack, it has access to 250 kg and 500 kg bombs like the J-7II, but it now uses much improved Type 90-1 and Type 130-2 rockets as seen on the [[Q-5A]] instead of the weak 57 mm HF-5 rockets. It also has a ballistic computer and two hardpoints per wing, giving the J-7E the best ordnance capacity and highest precision of the PLAAF fighters. The 90 mm Type 90-1 rockets are equivalents of the US FFAR rockets and nothing special. The 130 mm Type 130-2 rockets have HE warheads and direct impacts will easily dispatch light tanks and SPAAs. Against top-tier MBTs, accurate hits to the turret and hull roof armor will work the best, as side impacts can be inconsistent. The Type 130-2s are launched in pairs, so two rocket pods will provide 4 salvos and four rocket pods will provide 8.

Multirole loadouts combining missiles and rockets, missiles and bombs, or bombs and rockets are available. They may be useful in mixed battles, for example bringing two Type 130-2 rocket pods or two 500 kg bombs to destroy ground targets while retaining a pair of PL-5Bs for fending off enemy aircraft.

== Usage in battles ==


The J-7E is something like a hybrid between a MiG-21 and an F-5 in terms of flight performance and role. It obviously is an evolution of the Fishbed and enjoys many of the MiG-21's strengths in top speed, acceleration, and climb. At the same time, the new design corrects many of the MiG-21's vices and it ends up being a very nimble dogfighter that can turn well and maintain its energy like an F-5. This gives it flexibility in terms of how to approach combat. At the beginning of a match, the J-7E can sideclimb and make its way to medium or high altitude, then cruise into battle at supersonic speeds. Distracted targets at similar altitudes are prime missile targets. When it is time to join the furballs below, the J-7E can swoop in on vulnerable targets and put its agility to use.

Gunning straight into battle at lower altitudes from the start of a match, which is customary for Fishbeds, is also an option. Start to "patrol" for anyone who is possibly in their tunnel vision (where a person has only a little FOV due to his speed), then go ahead and assault them with your powerful PL-5B AAMs. They can make short work of the enemies in an ideal case but do keep an eye on the insane acceleration of the missile. If you only have PL-2s, which are barely better than no missiles, or even worse, only the cannon left, be very cautious on when should you fire a burst or launch the missiles. If you wasted the chance, pilots can meet their demise pretty quick if your team is on the disadvantage. And it should be reminded that unless really necessary or it is one-on-one dual with your enemy, in most cases '''do not''' dogfight for very long times to avoid presenting a slow and easy target for outside enemies to pick off. But if you have to, bleed the opponent's energy as much as you could: your higher thrust-to-weight ratio and double-delta shine here, assisting in getting on the enemy's six and staying there.

The new PL-5B introduced to the PLAAF arsenal can on paper pull 20 G upon its targets. As discussed earlier, it is unwise to use the PL-5B as a close range dogfight missile in the same way as the AIM-9J. It is definitely leagues ahead of the PL-2 and can still work in a pinch, but long range shots against unaware opponents are safer kills. The PL-5B can send careless enemies straight back to the hangar upon a successful impact with its higher explosive equivalent load. But all this come at a price: you only have the starboard Type 30-1 cannon as the last ditch weapon, and thus you have only 60 rounds just like the original [[MiG-21F-13]]. Players who have experience with the [[J-6A]] and [[J-7II]] should have a good idea of the cannon's ballistics, but the off-center placement may take some getting used to. In this case, pilots should pick enemies who have recently manoeuvred, then go straight upon them and aim a bit to the left to compensate the gun's placement; a burst from 30 mm can tear down anything that flies with some precision.

Countermeasures and a radar warning receiver allow the J-7E to have good defensive capabilities, but the aircraft only has a ranging radar instead of a proper search radar. This means that the RWR is the primary source of information on enemy positions besides the in-game spotting mechanic. Remember that some aircraft like the [[F-5C]] do not have a radar at all and those that do can still turn their radar search off to preserve stealth. The J-7E does not have any radar guided missiles and the primitive radar is not relevant during active combat.

=== Enemies worth noting ===

* [[F-5E|F-5]] series: F-5s are always a tough enemy to deal with due to its smaller size and above average manoeuvrability, making him the arch-enemy of J-7E. But thanks to your overall higher thrust-to-weight ratio and double-delta, you can still do some dogfight with him but be caution with your next step: one small wrong move can mean your quick demise. The best solution to handle F-5s are your PL-5Bs, if they are careless enough, they will not have the chance to fly back to the airfield since they have already been shattered by the explosive mass of the missile. If missile is not an option, keep as fast as you could and leave the airspace for another attack run; only hitting him when the tides of battle really allows you to do so.

* [[Mirage IIIE|Mirage III]] series: they have the infamous [[Matra R550 Magic 1|Magic R.550]] and [[Matra R530]] at their disposal and these missiles can send anything that flies back to the hangar with ease. Their high angle of attack also worth mentioning since they can still sacrifice some more speed in the short run and hit you with the cannons. In this case, keep your speed, try to bleed their energy and avoid their Magics with flares, without them, the J-7E with its higher acceleration and energy retention can duel the Mirage III with relative ease.

* [[J35D]]: Currently the only other fighter in War Thunder with a double-delta wing, the Draken has incredibly low wing loading, a good thrust-to-weight ratio, and powerful RB24J missiles that are functionally identical to AIM-9Js. Its missiles are not quite as potent as the Magics used by the Mirages, but the plane can pull off some very impressive manoeuvres, so be cautious when dogfighting with a Draken for the first few turns and be prepared to drop flares if necessary. The Draken's design is a double edged sword however, because the entire aircraft being a lifting body means that it acts like an enormous airbrake during hard turns, losing immense speed. The tailed double-delta configuration of the J-7E is more balanced and its superior energy retention will give a careful pilot the upper hand in an extended engagement. The J35D also lacks flares, is a large target, and has an even more awkward gun placement than the J-7E, so it's not particularly threatening when its speed is gone.

* [[F-4 Phantom II (Family)|F-4 Phantoms]]: Other than the [[F-4C]]: All top-tier Phantoms are large, bulky planes that will suffer heavily in a dogfight with the J-7E, but they are fast and may be able to outrun the J-7E and other Fishbeds at low altitude courtesy of their higher rip speeds (less so for the FGR/FG if they are carrying gun pods). Careful Phantom pilots will maintain their energy and repeatedly sling missiles at the J-7E while avoiding dogfights, and they also carry plenty of flares to avoid return fire from PL-5Bs. The British Phantoms boast pulse-doppler radars that can guide AIM-7 Sparrows against ground clutter while staying at high altitude. The J-7E has a radar warning receiver and an impressive supply of countermeasures for a light fighter, so long range Sparrow shots can be detected and evaded, but such launches are still annoying to deal with and can wear down the J-7E. Coordinate with teammates, trash their Sparrow shots to force them to switch to short-range IR missiles, and bait them into close quarters engagements where the J-7E excels. The German [[F-4F]] lacks radar-guided missiles despite being otherwise modern, so it is less of a threat.
* [[JA37C|JA37C Viggen]]: Another very iconic jet from Sweden and it is among the most advanced and manoeuvrable jets; the first mass-produced jet that ever comes with a canard. With one of the highest climb rate thanks to its aerodynamic design and powerful engine, as well as an advanced radar with look-down capabilities, this jet among with Phantoms are tough targets to engage. So a good way to avoid quick demise from their Skyflash missiles is to stay as low as you could, where its radar couldn't detect with ease, and try to take a detour behind the enemy lines where they will be concentrated on your teammates, then strike them when they are unaware of it. If that is not the case and you have gone into a dogfight with it, do not head-on as you are a piece of cake to Skyflash. Keep also your speed and manoeuvres in check, bite on its tail as much as you can, since there's a risk for the J-7E to overshoot and get shot by the Viggen's 30 mm cannons.
* [[MiG-23 (Family)]]: The family of late Warsaw Pact variable-swept wing aircraft in-game, the Floggers, have a higher thrust than J-7E does and it does come with better avionics and head-on capable R-60M missiles (MiG-23M and MiG-27M) which can make short work of careless players. The R-24T on the MiG-23MLD are also worth mentioning as they have quite a long radius, are IRST-guided and won't trigger your RWR. But the good news is that in many cases, if the enemy player didn't pay enough attention to tailing J-7E, they are still easy preys to your missiles or sometimes your 30 mm cannons, with such a large airframe, hits can be achieved with ease; but do note that some experienced players will manually control the swept angle of the wings and keep in dogfight for quite a while.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* New engines with higher thrust and overall acceleration thanks to the lighter weight than Soviet MiG-21s.
* Unique double-delta wings that gives impressive manoeuvrability and energy retention at its tier.
* Is the first Chinese aircraft with a multifunctional HUD, and also the first PLAAF aircraft with CCIP.
* Comes with RWR and 72 countermeasures.
* PL-5B missiles, if used properly, can make very short work of your enemies with its 20G overload.
* Good selection of ground attack weaponry, including powerful 130 mm rockets

'''Cons:'''

* Single gun on starboard with only 60 rounds.
* Lacking of any form of advanced radars and radar-guided weaponry.
* PL-5B flight can be erratic, making its use as a standoff or dogfighting missile rather unreliable.

== History ==

The CAC J-7 Fishbed (alternatively called a Fishcan to differentiate from the [[MiG-21 (Family)|Soviet built ones]]) has entered PLAAF service since late 1960s, but due to the political turmoil and lack of documents due to Sino-Soviet split, it was until the mid-1970s where the [[J-7II]] has a steady pace of manufacture. The 4th major revision of this airframe, J-7IV, aka J-7E, needs to trace back to the 1980s.

In the early 1980s, Mainland China had better relationships with European countries who seek to open up their military equipment market; thus during these days the older J-7II received a overhaul upgrade coded J-7B (or F-7M in foreign market) with British electronic equipment provided by GEC Marconi; while at the same time Chinese got their hands on a few [[MiG-21MF (Germany)|MiG-21MF]] from Egypt for upgrading the PLAAF fleet with a faster and radar-equipped aircraft, which later became the J-7C/D. They however failed to meet PLAAF's requirements on low speed dogfight doctrine and only a mere 54 of these aircrafts were manufactured, though they were impressed by the R-13-300 engines on them and thus it became the Shenyang Liming WP-13 engine.

Although all these must be supported with a higher military budget (which wasn't available in the 1980s due to the economic reform) and during the late 1980s, most of the budget went to the later J-10 "Firebird"; while there were the mass of the older Shenyang [[J-6A|J-6]] fleet that needed replacement and PLAAF was in dire need for a fighter that came with ground-attacking capabilities (even the Shenyang J-8II was among the modified aircraft), so the CAC (Chengdu Aircraft Corp.) decided to made an upgrade on J-7 based on the opinion from foreign users, especially in terms of manoeuvrability .

Thus, the J-7IV (that later became the J-7E) program started in 1987 and by May 1991, it made its first flight and 2 years later it came into PLAAF commission.

The main improvement was the manoeuvrability, with the new WP-13 engine and the iconic double-delta designed by Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学 in Xi'an, Shaanxi) with a slat that can be lowered to 25° (and in fact the first PRC fighter with slats) that really helped its manoeuvrability - in a PLAAF's exercise in 1993, it was concluded that it was 43% better than older J-7II, as well as longer range with additional fuel tanks at the cost of giving up the port side cannon due to decreasing usage of cannons. Other improvements included additional pair of pylon, domestic avionics with a HUD, as well as some of the cockpit gauges were digital.

These 260 J-7Es built from 1994 to 2001 became the gap filler for PLAAF in the struggling days during the heat of 2nd Taiwan Strait Crisis; in 2006, based on the later F-7PG that came with an Italian radar (later domestic radar); the ultimate Fishbed of Mainland China- the J-7G came into service, with HMDs and latest avionics. Both serving as a supplementary jets to frontline airfields and cheaper solution to fill the gap until newer J-10C and J-11 series replace them.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=j_7e Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|uPiZbwP0IUA|'''My Definite Favourite - J-7E Red Skies''' - ''DEFYN''|yQfhODlSmJo|'''The Shooting Range #257''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:27 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|cSY9Dymym9A|'''The Most Underrated Plane Of Patch 2.7: J-7E''' - ''Spit_flyer''}}

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/526070-chengdu-j-7e/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Chengdu}}
{{China jet aircraft}}

PL-5B

2022-04-24T18:06:22Z

U92536795: /* Usage in battles */ The Mass and thrust of PL5B have already been fixed, so it no longer suffers from these problems

== Description ==

[[File:WeaponImage PL-5B.png|thumb|left|420px|The PL-5B missile (scale is approximate)]]
{{Break}}
The PL-5B is a domestic heat-seeker AAM developed by the PRC by Institute 612, Ministry of Aviation Industry (now Luoyang Electro-optics Technology Development Centre). A vast improvement over the previous model, the [[PL-2]], with a higher tracking rate and overload.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|j_7e}}
* {{Specs-Link|j_8b}}

== General info ==


* Length: 3.128 m
* Maximum overload: 30G
* Lock distance from rear-aspect: 5.5 km (3.42 mi)
* Max range: 16 km (9.94 mi)
* Warhead: 4.76 kg HBX, equivalent to 7.62 kg TNT

=== Effective damage ===

The warhead of PL-5B was filled with 4.76 kg of HBX, equivalent to 7.62 kg of TNT, and comes with a proximity fuse that helps to blast enemy aircraft into pieces.

=== Comparison with analogues ===

At the same tier, the AIM-9J and the AIM-9P are very common and the PL-5B in many ways is similar to them in terms of explosive mass and overload, its acceleration speed is a two-bladed sword- on one hand, it caused overshoot due to its immense acceleration to top speed in merely a second; on the other hand, this acceleration also helped to shoot down enemies who had bailed from their manoeuvre, they would have a hard time dodging a missile travelling at Mach 2.2.

== Usage in battles ==

PL-5Bs can be used in 2 ways: surprising the enemy and long-range snipes. Due to its massive acceleration, the PL-5B can reach a higher top speed than conventional missiles at lower altitudes. For example, whereas an AIM-9P/9J would take 3 to 4 seconds to reach its target from 2 km on the deck at high speeds, the PL-5 covers this same distance in less than 2 seconds. Since the pylon for PL-5B does not suffer from overload limitation at launch, players can keep the target on track while leaving enough overload for the missile to track targets at around 1.5 km (anywhere closer will drastically decrease the odds to payback on your foe), so surprising enemies who just missed their shots upon you or those who are chasing teammates and didn't pay enough attention to your existence is suggested to maximize PL-5B; alternatively, the immersive acceleration and speed also means PL-5B can even surprise targets at even up to 6 km given the missile does constantly tracking on your designated target.

'''Pros:'''

* Higher explosive mass among the same tier IR AAMs that can make short work of enemies
* Excellent 30G overload
* Missile without launch overload limits such as AIM-9G and SRAAM
* Immense acceleration
* Higher range than most conventional IR missiles except the AIM-9D/G

'''Cons:'''

* Somewhat sensitive to the sun and flares

== History ==

The PL-5B started its development during the 1970s in parallel with its "brother", the PL-5A SARM when Mainland China was in crisis (the Cultural Revolution). While it had already done aerial simulation tests in September of 1972, it came into service in 1986 while the PL-5A had been cancelled 3 years prior due to outdated technology.

After 2 decades of development and the technologies learned from foreign IR AAMs, CATIC introduced the latest export-intended version of this missile- PL-5EII, with a brand new multi-band tracker and ability to lock from front-aspect, enhancing this missile to a new level.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]