Chengdu, the Chinese fighter manufacturer, is developing the F-7MF as an insurance against the uncertainties surrounding the same manufacturer's FC-1, which is intended to be a joint programme with Pakistan.
Revealed for the first time at the Zhuhai air show earlier this month (Flight International, 14-20 November), the F-7MF is the latest in a long line of Chinese developments of the Mikoyan MiG-21C Fishbed airframe.
Chengdu says the F-7MFwas conceived two years ago as an attempt to develop a high technology fighter for export; insurance should the FC-1's problems end the programme. The FC-1 - also known as the Super-7 -has been plagued by disagreement between Pakistan and China, and Western government embargoes against the supply of mission systems.
The manufacturer says the first prototype will fly next year, which, if true, would constitute remarkable speed by Chinese standards.
F-7MF development is supported by the J-7FS testbed. The J-7FS emerged in 1998 and was used to test the chin air intake and engine (Flight International, 22-28 July 1998). The F-7MF has, however, a shorter inlet.
The J-7MF's powerplant will be a variant of the 14,600lb (65kN) thrust Liyang WP13F. The double delta wing developed for the J-7E/F-7MG is also used on the F-7MF but two small canards have been added to the forward fuselage.
The cockpit will include a head-up display and two head down displays, while the aircraft will be equipped with an 80km (45nm) range multimode pulse-doppler radar, and seven pylons with a 3t load. Chengdu predicts a 2,600kmrange, Mach 1.8 maximum speed, 52,500ft (16,000m) ceiling and a 650m take-off run.
Source: Flight International