JL-9G - Chinese Naval Trainer Aircraft

[ORAC]

Chinese equivalent of the T-45? Note the cat hook on the nose wheel. It is only a single wheel though, I suppose it might change between the prototype and production model.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guizhou_JL-9

Alert 5 » Folding wing on JL-9? Carrier-base variant? - Military Aviation News (http://alert5.com/2016/12/22/folding-wing-on-jl-9-carrier-base-variant/)

http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/640.jpg

http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/643.jpg

[West Coast]

Gear doesn't look robust enough for carrier ops with student naval aviators, if that's one of the intended jobs. Sweep looks pretty rakish for carrier ops as well.

Looks like the love child of a one night stand between a MiG-21 and a F-5.

[NoHoverstop]

You may be right that it's a catapult attachment point, but I don't think it is.

1. The Chinese do not have any catapult-equipped aircraft carriers. They might have them in mind, but are a long way off, so it seems odd to have a training aircraft ready now.

2. The towing bit, if it pivots down at all, would get nowhere near deck level. In my experience, the bit of the catapult that sticks above deck level, doesn't stick up very far.

3. The single nose-wheel, from my limited observation of catapult ops of nose-tow and bridle-launched aircraft, suggests it isn't the former*

4. As does the complete lack of a drag-link (or whatever it's called) between the nose-leg and fuselage. I suppose the Chinese may have put the world's stongest mounting at the top of the nose-leg, made the leg itself out of nano-tube reinforced unobtainium and have a ready-market for one-careful-owner bent nose-legs, but I think more probably there's another answer.

There are no really evident bridle pick-up points on the wings though. So it might be a naval trainer, but so was the Jetstream T2

Note the cat hook on the nose wheel

[Fonsini]

The beauty of the thing will be in its price. Especially with all that 1970s kit at the hot end and the huge availability of F-7 spare parts.

[ORAC]

West Coast,

You can also add the location of the air brake, But there has to be a reason for the wingfold - and it fits in with past announcements.

[Just This Once...]

Is there a picture of the wing fold somewhere as it does not look like one in the pictures above?

Indeed, apart from the intake it looks like an unremarkable design.

[ORAC]

More obvious on this shot. Expand and look about halfway along the right wing where it changes colour.

http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/641.jpg

[Just This Once...]

Nope, not convinced that is a wing-fold.

[ORAC]

Looks very similar to that on the Mig-29K to me.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/images/stories/news/2015/august/MiG-29K_%20carrier-based_multirole_fighter_aircraft_Russia_Navy.jpg

[Just This Once...]

Not really if you think of the size difference between the 2 aircraft. The thin wing of the JL-9 would not provide the internal volume required for such a sleek installation of the wing-fold mechanism.

Sorry, just not seeing what you are seeing. Aside from the intake it looks like a rather conventional 1970's design.

http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/38692_407568_257282-500x406.jpg

[ExRAFRadar]

This type thread is the reason I come here. Have a :D

[cattletruck]

From whom did the Chinese steal the secret manufacturing process of holding the wings straight until the glue dries. :}

[Just This Once...]

Well I think we can guess where the trick intake design came from:

FAST HISTORY: LOCKHEED?S DIVERTERLESS SUPERSONIC INLET TESTBED F-16 | AviationIntel.com (http://aviationintel.com/fast-history-lockheeds-diverterless-supersonic-inlet-testbed-f-16/)

http://aviationintel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/lockheed_F-16DSI_divertless_supersonic_inlet_3.jpg

[zero1]

The intake is a bit strange with the big hump in front of it. Perhaps it will reduce the pressure zone prior to the air entering the intake?

[ORAC]

Effectively a static cone - aka the Lightning radome, or on this case replacing the original Mig-21 radome.