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Al Fresco Chinese Style - the Shenyang JJ-9 and J-9
Foo-DogWhen the Soviet MiG-19 fighter was introduced onto Chinese production lines as the J-6 (
Jianjiji 6), it was clear to Shenyang designers that the days of their J-5 copy of the MiG-17 fighter were ending. Meanwhile, rival Factory No. 132 (Chengdu) had begun production of a J-5 based two-seat trainer derivative - the JJ-5 (
Jianjiji Jiaolianji 5). [1] Chengdu were also about to introduce the advanced MiG-21F fighter to their production lines as the Mach 2-capable J-7
Fishbed. Shenyang was being squeezed out.
With the J-6 fighter about to be out-classed by the Chengdu J-7, Shenyang designers turned their attention to designing a superior J-5 based fighter trainer. In contrast with Chengdu's rather derivative design, the Shenyang JJ-9 concept mated J-5 components with more advanced features. The JJ-9 retained only the wings and empennage of the J-5 fighter. A new, slimmer fuselage was evolved to accomodate a Liming Wopen-6C axial-flow turbojet in the interest of commonality with the twin-engined J-6 fighter. [2] The WP-6C was a non-afterburning development of the Tumansky RD-9, producing 6,600 lbf in full military power. [3] Side engine intakes were used which allowed a lower forward cockpit for the student pilot (with a commensurately improved forward view for the instructor compared with the pitot-intaked JJ-2 and JJ-5).
The JJ-9 was ordered off the drawing board but only a dozen pre-production examples entered service with the air wing of the PLA in late 1967. Some minor development 'bugs' had to be worked out but, overall, the JJ-9 was a complete success. However, for reasons of its own, the PLA chose to replace the JJ-2s with simpler Chengdu JJ-5s. Orders for the Shenyang JJ-9 were cut back to a minimum with the developed JJ-9A model being cancelled outright.
(
Top) The final pre-production Shenyang JJ-9 fighter-trainer in service with a PLAAF test unit.
Fortunately, a single-seat fighter derivative was in the works - the J-9. Shenyang received permission to continue development of this fighter for potential export to client states (such as Albania). As an export fighter, the J-9 was considered a J-5
Fresco replacement intended to be technologically simpler than the J-6
Farmer.
Later assigned the Western codename
Foo-Dog, [4] the J-9 introduced the Liming Wopen-6D engine with a modest afterburner, bringing thrust up to 7,950 lbf for short bursts. Compared with the J-5, gun armament was reduced to only two 23mm Norinco Type 23-1 (Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23) cannons. This was made up for by installing twin launch rails for Zhuzhou PL-2 air-to-air missiles. [5] Radar ranging was provided by the rather unimaginatively named 'CL' set (from
Ce-jÜ Lei-da or 'ranging radar' in Chinese). [6]
Progress on the Shenyang J-9 was brisk with the new fighter incorporating improvements planned for the unbuilt JJ-9A trainer (most obviously, the revised auxiliary air intakes for the Wopen-6D). Compared with the JJ-9, the J-9's cockpit was repositioned (to free space for the Type 23-1 guns and their ammunition). At the request of the PLAAF, the J-9 also incorporated the canopy from the J-7 fighter. [7] The prototype J-9 flew in the Summer of 1968.
Since the J-9 wings and empennage used the same jigs as the J-5, the production line change over to the new fighter was comparatively quick. Procurement discussions were underway with Albanian officials but these would be interrupted by a new directive from Beijing. Effective immediately, all J-9 production was to be redirected to the People's Republic of Vietnam. The highly manoeuvrable, missile-armed
Foo-dog was going to war.
(
Bottom) '3061', a Shenyang F-9
Foo-Dog-A of the Vietnamese 923rd Fighter Regiment based at Tho Xuan in September 1969. This aircraft carries Russian-made R-3S missiles. [8]
_________________________
[1] The Chengdu design grafted the two-seat cockpit from the earlier JJ-2 trainer (a Soviet MiG-15UTI copy) onto the J-5 airframe.
[2] A secondary goal was to allow Liming to cease production of Klimov-based centrifugal-flow turbojets while joining Chengdu Aircraft Engines in producing the new WP-7 engine for the J-7 fighter.
[3] Compared with the J-5, military power was only increased by 650 lbf but this added to the performance advantage inherent in the JJ-9's reduced frontal area.
[4] The name
Foo-Dog came from the 'Lion Dog' statues displayed at the entrance to Chinese Buddhist temples. Perhaps inevitably, the J-9s were usually redubbed '
Foo-Fighters' by US forces in Vietnam.
[5] The J-5's third, Type 37 (Nudelman N-37) cannon was eliminated to save weight and simplify ammunition logistics for client state air forces. The PL-2 was a Chinese copy of the Soviet R-3S (as per MiG-17), aka AA-2
Atoll-A infrared-guided missile. An add-on belly pack was available with a single Type 37 or twin Type 23-1 guns (although the weight of this installation precluded any missile armament).
[6] The CL 'ranging radar' was a copy of the Soviet SRD-5MN
Baza-6 set intended for the Chengdu J-7.
[7] The incorporation of this MiG-21F canopy revealed PLAAF ponderings on the J-9 as a potential single-seat 'lead-in' advanced trainer for the Chengdu J-7.
[8] Chinese PL-2s were still under-going PLA trials at this time. Full production of the PL-2 at Zhuzhou would not begin until August 1970.