AIDC F-CK Indigenous Defence Fighter
he AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo (經國, named after late ROC President Chiang
Ching-kuo), also known as the Indigenous Defence Fighter, is a
military aircraft produced by the Aerospace Industrial Development
Corporation based in Taichung for the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Air Force. First introduced to active service in 1994, many aspects
of the aircraft were based upon the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Its cost
is believed to be US$24 million per plane.[1]
History
AIDC began the IDF development project in 1982 following the
ROCAF's failure to purchase the F-16 from the United States as a
result of PRC diplomatic pressure. The project was divided into
four sections in 1983:
* Ying-yang (鷹揚
: Development of the
airframe. Cooperation with General Dynamics.
* Yun-han (雲漢: Development of the
aircraft powerplant and propulsion. Cooperation with Hughes
Aircraft.
* Tien-lei (天雷: Development of the
avionics system. Cooperation with Westinghouse Electric
Corporation.
* Tien-jian (天劍: Development of
air-to-air missiles. AIDC in-house project.
The IDF was designed with the Shenyang J-8 in mind as a possible
foe, and was intended to have performance on par with the F-16
Fighting Falcon and Mirage 2000. The greatest difficulties were
encountered between 1986 and 1989 by the propulsion group in
attempting to develop or acquire advanced jet engines suitable for
a fighter aircraft. There is also speculation that the use of
weaker engines was due to political rather than technical reasons.
Regardless of the reason, the final version of the F-CK-1 was
relatively underpowered, despite its light weight.
The first successful test flight was made in 1989, and the first
successful firing of the Tien-Jian II (Sky Sword II) air to air
missile in 1992. The ROCAF established its first F-CK-1 squadron
the following year.
The ROCAF's initial order of 250 aircraft was cut to 130 in 1991
following deals for F-16s & Mirage 2000-5s with the U.S. and
France. The last IDF rolled off the production lines in
1999.[2]
Upgrade programs to the avionics and weapons systems are proposed
or ongoing as of 2006. Proposed upgrades include increasing fuel
capacity by 771 kg, improved avionics, electronic-warfare
capabilities and new weapon systems.[3]
Specifications (F-CK-1)
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General characteristics
* Crew: 1-2
* Length: 14.21 m (46 ft 7 in)
* Wingspan: 9.46 m (31 ft 0 in)
* Height: 4.42 m (14 ft 6 in)
* Wing area: 24.2 m² (260 ft²)
* Empty weight: 6,500 kg (14,300 lb)
* Loaded weight: 9,072 kg (20,000 lb)
* Maximum Take-Off Weight: 12,000 kg (27,000 lb)
* Powerplant: 2× TFE1042-70
o Dry thrust: 27 kN (6,000 lbf) each
o Thrust with afterburner: 42 kN (9,500 lbf) each
Performance
* Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
* Range: 1,100 km (600 nm, 680 mi)
* Service ceiling: 16,800 m (55,000 ft)
* Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
* Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
Armament
* Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 cannon
* Missiles:
* 2× Sky Sword I
* 2× Sky Sword II
* Wan Chien cluster bomb
Avionics
* Radar: 1× GD-53 X-band pulse doppler
* Effective scanning range:
o Look down: 39 km (24 mi)
o Look up: 57 km (35 mi)
Sources:[4] [5] [6]
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Operators
* Taiwan
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References
1. ^ "Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter." Military :: World ::
Taiwan :: Weapons. GlobalSecurity.org. URL accessed on
2006-05-14.
2. ^ "Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter." Military :: World ::
Taiwan :: Weapons. GlobalSecurity.org. URL accessed on
2006-05-14.
3. ^ "Taiwan air force preparing to test upgraded fighters -
report", AFX, April 16, 2006.
4. ^ "Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter." Military :: World ::
Taiwan :: Weapons. GlobalSecurity.org. URL accessed on
2006-05-14.
5. ^ "AIDC Ching-Kuo F-CK-1 (IDF)." Milavia. URL accessed on
2006-05-14.
6. ^ "AIDC F-CK-1A/B Ching Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter."
TaiwanAirPower.org. URL accessed on 2006-05-14.
[edit]
Related content
Comparable aircraft
* F-20
* JF-17
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ching_kuo
