The Chengdu J-7D

Wiki For Chengdu J-7

The Chengdu J-7 (Chinese: ?-7; third generation export version F-7; NATO reporting name: Fishcan[1]) is a People's Republic of China fighter aircraft. It is a license-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, and thus shares many similarities with the MiG-21.[2] The aircraft is armed with short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missiles and mainly designed for short range air-to-air combat. The aircraft is also used for close air support. On 30 March 1962, the Soviet Union and China signed a technology transference arrangement pertaining to the MiG-21. Allegedly, while various kits, components, completed aircraft and associated documents were delivered to the Shenyang Aircraft Factory, the design documentation was incomplete, and Chinese designers made efforts to reverse engineer the aircraft. While the two aircraft are greatly similar, areas of difference include the hydraulic systems and internal fuel arrangements. During March 1964, domestic production of the J-7 reportedly commenced at the Shenyang Aircraft Factory, but due to various factors including the Cultural Revolution, mass production was only truly achieved during the 1980s. Numerous models of the J-7 were developed, featuring improvements in areas such as the armament, avionics, and wing design. The aircraft is principally operated by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), but numerous international operators have bought their own J-7s. Outside of China, the largest operator of the J-7 is the Pakistan Air Force. Later generation Chinese aircraft, such as the Shenyang J-8 interceptor, were developed with the lessons learned from the J-7 programme. Several nations, including Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka, deployed the type in offensive roles. In 2013, production of the J-7 was terminated after the delivery of 16 F-7BGI to the Bangladesh Air Force. Newer fighter aircraft, such as the JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter, have succeeded it in the export market. To date, large numbers of J-7s remain in service with multiple export customers,[3][4] with PLAAF set to retire the fleet in 2023.[5]Page

Wiki WarThunder Wiki for Chengdu J-7D varient

The J-7D (Chinese: ?-7D????, AKA J-7IIIA ?-7IIIA; unified NATO codename: Fishcan) was an upgrade of the previous J-7C (J-7III), which was based on Egyptian MiG-21MFs with domestic avionics and HUD. The PLAAF obtained MiG-21MF aircraft from Egypt, and due to the slow progress of the J-8 development program and the need for interceptors to counter potential Soviet threats, there were plans to replace the J-8II series with a reverse-engineered variant. Although the development of the J-7D was successful and showed improved performance in some aspects, the J-8II program and the introduction of the Su-27SL Flanker-B to the PLAAF limited the demand for the J-7D, resulting in only a few orders being placed to utilize the prebuilt airframes. Introduced in Update "Apex Predators", the J-7D offers very similar performance to the late MiG-21 series but with a better engine and increased fuel capacity. While it lacks missiles for head-on/interception missions and large-calibre rockets like S-24s, its combat capabilities are still substantial with its IR AAMs and variety of Chinese ground-attack weaponries.Page

Details

Notes

Based off my MiG-21SMT
Blueprints used

Livery Reference

Gallery

Credits

Thanks to my friend, Erc90F4RU for the incredible screenshots!