Shenyang J-5

J-5

Picture - Shenyang J-5

Role: Fighter aircraft
National origin: People's Republic of China
Manufacturer: Shenyang Aircraft Corporation
First flight: 19 July 1956
Introduction: 1956
Retired: 1992 (China)
Status: Trainers in service
Primary users: People's Liberation Army Air Force North Korean Air Force Pakistan Air Force Vietnamese People's Air Force
Number built: 1,820+
Variants: Mikoyan i Guryevich MiG-17

The Shenyang J-5 (Chinese: 歼击机-5; pinyin: Jianjiji-5; literally "Fighter-5"), originally designated Dongfeng-101 - (East Wind-101), and also Type 56 before being designated J-5 in 1964, is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5' was exported as the F-5. NATO reporting name "Fresco".

The MiG-17 was license-built in China, Poland and East Germany into the 1960s, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) obtained a number of Soviet-built MiG-17 Fresco-A day fighters, designated J-5 in the early 1950s. To introduce modern production methods to Chinese industry the PLAAF obtained plans for the MiG-17F Fresco-C day fighter in 1955, along with two completed pattern aircraft, 15 knockdown kits, and parts for ten aircraft. The first Chinese-built MiG-17F, (serialed Zhong 0101), produced by the Shenyang factory, performed its initial flight on 19 July 1956 with test pilot Wu Keming at the controls.

Plans were obtained in 1961 for the MiG-17PF interceptor and production began, as the J-5A (F-5A), shortly afterwards. At this time the Cultural Revolution was at its height, causing much disruption to industrial and technical projects, so the first J-5A didn't fly until 1964, when the type was already obsolete. A total of 767 J-5's and J-5A's had been built when production ended in 1969.

Somewhat more practically, the Chinese built a two-seat trainer version of the MiG-17, designated the Chengdu JJ-5 (Jianjiji Jiaolianji - Fighter Trainer - FT-5), from 1968, by combining the two-seat cockpit of the MiG-15UTI, the VK-1A engine of the J-5, and the fuselage of the J-5A. All internal armament was deleted and a single Nudelman-Richter NR-23 23 mm cannon was carried in a ventral pack. Production of the JJ-5 reached 1,061 when production ceased in 1986, with the type exported to a number of countries.

Operational history

Picture -

The J-5 and JJ-5 saw widespread use by the PLAAF until supplanted by more capable aircraft such as the Chengdu J-7. A small number of JJ-5's remain with the PLAAF. China and Pakistain both currently fly JJ-5 trainers. The single seat J-5 and the Soviet MiG-17 still flies today in the air forces of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, North Korea, Republic of the Congo, Somaliland, Sudan, and Tanzania.

Operators

Albania

Albanian Air Force - Shenyang J-5 jets were among the first Chinese military aid to Albania, but the Albanian Air Force's deployment against the Yugoslav air incursion was relatively unsuccessful due to its subsonic speed, and the aircraft were soon reassigned once Shenyang J-6's became available. Remaining J-5's may be in storage with the Albanian military.

Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Air Force

Pakistan

Pakistan Air Force - The FT-5 was acquired for use as an advanced jet trainer aircraft and is still in service. PAF pilots flew MiG-17/J-5 fighters in air combat missions for Syria during some of the Arab-Israeli conflicts.

People's Republic of China

People's Liberation Army Air Force - Retired since 1992.
People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force - Retired since 1992

North Korea

North Korean Air Force-Used as attack aircraft and trainers

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Air Force - J-5 were used as jet familiarisation trainers for Sri Lankan Air Force pilots.

Sudan

Sudanese Air Force - The Sudanese Air Force J-5 have been used for ground attack missions against rebels with limited air defences. Both MiG-17s and J-5s fly with the Sudanese air force.

Somalia

Somali Air Corps - Like most aircraft in the Somali Air Corps inventory, the majority of the J-5 were lost during the Ogaden War, in which more than 75% of the Somali Air Force was decimated by the Cuban supported Ethiopian Air Force.

Tanzania

Tanzanian Air Force - The Tanzanian Air Force used J-5s were for ground attack missions during the Uganda-Tanzania War. J-5 is still in service.

United States

United States Air Force - In the 1980s, the United States purchased a number of J-5 aircraft, along with J-2 aircraft from China via the Combat Core Certification Professionals Company. These aircraft were employed in a "mobile threat test" program at Kirtland Air Force Base, operated by 4477th "Red Hats" Test and Evaluation Squadron of the United States Air Force, and are now believed to be in storage.

Vietnam

Vietnamese Air Force - The Vietnamese Air Force used J-5s alongside the Soviet supplied MiG-17s for interception missions until the 1990s when they were retired, along with the remaining MiG-19's, being replaced with newer MiG-21s and Su-27s.

Zimbabwe

Air Force of Zimbabwe - The J-5s in the Zimbabwe Air Force were first piloted by Pakistani pilots.

Variants

Type 56 - pre-service designation for the J-5.

Dongfeng-101 - original service name for the J-5.

Shenyang J-5 - (Jianjiji-5 - fighter) Chinese production aircraft re-designated in 1964. 767 built, all single seat variants.

Shenyang J-5A - licence production of the Radar-equipped Mig-17PF.

Chengdu JJ-5 - (Jianjiji Jiaolianji - fighter trainer) A twin-seat trainer version of the J-5 designed and developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Combined the J-5 airframe, J-5A airbrakes and the tandem twin-seat cockpit section of the JJ-2 (MiG-15UTI). Export versions designated FT-5.

Shenyang J-5 torpedo bomber - A single aircraft modified to carry a single torpedo under the fuselage centreline. Central cannon was removed, as was some fuel storage capacity. Trials showed performance degradation was too great and further work was abandoned.

Specifications (J-5)

Data from Gordon,Yefim & Komissarov, Dmitry. Chinese Aircraft. Hikoki Publications. Manchester. 2008. ISBN 9 781902 109046

General characteristics

Crew: (JJ/5 - 2) 1
Length: (JJ-5 - 11.5 m/37 ft 9 in)(J-5A - 11.36 m/37 ft 4 in) 11.09 m (36 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 9.628 m (31 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 5½ in)
Wing area: 22.6 m² (790 ft²)
Empty weight: (JJ-5 - 4,080 kg / 8,994 lb) (J-5A - 4,151kg / 9,151 lb) n.a. kg (n.a. lb)
Gross weight: (JJ-5 - 6,215 kg / 13,700 lb) 6,000 kg (13,230 lb)
Powerplant: 1 x— Wopen WP-5, (JJ-5(WP-5D) - 22.27 kN/5,000 lbf) 25.5 kN (5,730 lbf) thrust

Performance

Maximum speed: @ 5,000 m (JJ-5 - 1,048 km/h / 651 mph)(J-5A - 1,145 km/h/711 mph) 1,130 km/h (702 mph)
Range: with drop tanks @ 10,000 m (JJ-5 - 1,230 km/764 mi) (J-5A - 1,730 km/1,075 mi) 1,424 km (1,037 miles)
Service ceiling: (JJ-5 - 14,300 m/46,900 ft) (J-5A - 16,300 m/53,500 ft) 16,500 m (54,000 ft)
Rate of climb: @ 5,000 m (JJ-5 - 27 m/s/5,315 ft/min) (J-5A - 55 m/s/10,830 ft/min) 65 m/s (12,795 ft/min)

Armament

1 x Type 37 37 mm aircraft cannon.
2 x Type 23-1 23 mm aircraft cannon.
(JJ-5 - 1 x Type 23-1 23 mm aircraft cannon)
(J-5A - 3 x Type 23-1 23 mm aircraft cannon)

Related development

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
PZL-Mielec Lim-6

Comparable aircraft

Dassault Mystx¨re IV
Hawker Hunter

Taylor, Michael J.H. . “ Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. ISBN 0 517 69186 8
Gordon,Yefim & Komissarov, Dmitry. Chinese Aircraft. Hikoki Publications. Manchester. 2008. ISBN 9 781902 109046
http://www.designation-systems.net/non-us/soviet.html#_Listings_Fighter

Shenyang J-5 Pictures

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Source: WikiPedia