CHING-KUO (IDF) INDIGENOUS DEFENCE FIGHTER, TAIWAN
The Taiwanese Ching-Kuo Fighter is developed and manufactured by
the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation based in Taichung.
The aircraft is also referred to as the Indigenous Defence Fighter
(IDF). The Ching-Kuo is an all-weather, multi-role fighter and is
built in one-seater and two-seater configurations.
The programme to develop the aircraft, known as the An Hsiang or
Safe Flight programme, started in 1982 with identification of the
requirements for an air-superiority fighter. The rollout ceremony
of the first prototype took place in December 1988, when the
aircraft was named after the late President Chiang Ching-Kuo. The
Ching-Kuo made its first flight in May 1989.
Ching-Kuo air superiority fighters have been operational in the RoC
Air Force of Taiwan (Republic of China) since January 2000 and the
last of a total of 130 entered service in July 2000. AIDC is
developing an upgrade package which includes a digital cockpit and
an upgraded radar.
WEAPONS
The aircraft has an integrated avionics and weapons control
system.
A 20mm M61A Vulcan cannon is installed on the starboard side of the
fuselage with a Photo-Sonics gun camera.
The aircraft has six hardpoints for carrying external stores, with
two under the fuselage, one under each wing and one at each
wingtip. The Tien Chien I (TC-1) or Skysword I short-range and the
Tien Chien II (TC-2) or Skysword II medium-range air-to-air
missiles are supplied by the China State Arsenals. TC-1 has a range
of 5km and has an infrared seeker. TC-2, with a range of 60km, has
active radar guidance and is armed with a high-explosive warhead
weighing 22kg.
For ground attack, the aircraft can be armed with rocket pods,
bombs, cluster bombs or air-to-surface missiles such as Maverick.
The fighter is also being adapted to carry the TC-2A air-to-surface
anti-radiation missile, which uses both active and passive radar
guidance. TC-2A is being developed by the Chung Shan Institute of
Science and Technology in Taipei. Anti-ship missiles such as the
Hsiung Feng II, similar to the Israeli Gabriel missile and supplied
by the China State Arsenals, can be carried on the fuselage or
underwing hardpoints. Hsiung Feng II has a range of 80km, carries a
dual-mode active radar and imaging infrared (III) seeker for
terminal guidance and is armed with a 225kg semi armour-piercing,
high-explosive warhead. Three Hsiung Feng II missiles can be
carried - one under the central fuselage and one under each
wing.
FUSELAGE
The airframe design was developed under the YingYan or Soaring
Eagle programme. The aircraft is of shoulder-wing monoplane
(single-wing) design, incorporating composite structure materials.
The aircraft is built to withstand 9g loading.
COCKPIT
The pressurised and air-conditioned cockpit has a Martin Baker Mark
12 zero zero ejection seat and a single-piece bubble canopy. The
cockpit is equipped with three multifunction displays and a head-up
display.
AVIONICS
The Tien Lie or Sky Thunder programme covered the development of
the avionics. The design of the avionics suite is configured in
line replaceable units (LRU) to allow for system growth and the
easy upgrade of systems as new technologies become available.
The aircraft uses a BAE Systems (formerly Lear Astronics)
fly-by-wire control system and a Northrop Grumman (formerly Litton)
inertial navigation system.
RADAR
The aircrafts radar is the Golden Dragon CD-53. The multi-mode
pulse Doppler radar has look-down, shoot-down capability and can
operate in air and sea search mode. The radar has a range over 80
nautical miles.
ENGINE
The TFE1042 engine has been developed by the International Turbine
Engine Corporation (ITEC), a joint venture between the Aerospace
Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and AlliedSignal. The
programme to develop the engine was named Yun Han or Cloud Man. The
engine, weighing 1,360lb, delivers 41.1kN maximum thrust. The
modular-designed engine has full digital electronic controls.
The kidney-shaped air intakes are mounted low on the centre section
of the fuselage, and the two engines are mounted side by side at
the rear of the fuselage. The inspection schedule calls for a
2,000-hour hot section and 4,000-hour cold section inspection
intervals. The fuel consumption is 0.81lb per hour per pound of
thrust.
The aircraft is equipped with a variable speed constant frequency
electrical power generator, which is supplied by Westinghouse.
