1/72 Trumpeter Hongdu JL-8 PLAAF

Gooday everyone,

Sorry for the recent inactivity, I've been busy trying to construct all my models before I head out west in a weeks time and that is a lot of models (With more expected in the mail :$).

Anyways, so what that means is that on August 12th, the second season of modeling will come to a close, and that also means I have begun working on the final post for season 2. It will be more than one model and I have already built all the models I expect to post for it so all I need is the right wording.

1/72 Trumpeter Hongdu JL-8 PLAAF

 

For this batch I have decided to start off with one of my smaller and more favored aircraft, the nimble  Hongdu JL-8. I found this guy at Aviation World near the Toronto Pearson airport and was at first skeptical about purchasing it, but after I did and built it I was happy I decided to do so.

 The one thing I like about Trumpeter is that their planes always go together without so much as a hitch or snag and this little guy was no exception. And easy assembly was only made better by the white spray paints willingness to cooperate.

The fuselage is overall White with Red underside and control surfaces. The engine is Gun Metal while the interior is Neutral Grey.The engine nacelles are silver


This little aircraft serves the same purpose as the CT-133 or the Hawk. It is an intermediate jet trainer that some of its users have used as an attack aircraft.

I personally think this plane is really cute and that the red on white really looks good. The main users are the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (China) and the Pakistani Air Force. In fact, the PAF uses their JL-8's not just as trainers and attack aircraft, but also in their aerobatic teams (Like the Snowbirds or Blue Angels.)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (in tandem)
• Length: 11.6 m (38 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 9.63 m (31 ft 7 in)
• Height: 4.21 m (13 ft 9 in)
• Empty weight: 2,687 kg (5,924 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 4,330 kg (9,546 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Garrett TFE731-2A-2A turbofan, 16.01 kN (3,600 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 0.75 (800 km/h, 498 mph)
• Range: 2,250 km (1,398 mi)
• Service ceiling: 13,000 m (42,651 ft)
• Wing loading: 254.40 kg m^-2 ()
• Max. airframe load factor: +7.33 g / -3.0 g

Armament

• Guns: 1× 23 mm cannon pod (mounted on centreline hardpoint)
• Hardpoints: 5, total capacity 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) external fuel and ordnance:
• 4× under-wing, capacity 250 kg each
• 1× under-fuselage (23 mm cannon pod mount) 
• Rockets: 57 mm unguided rocket pods, capacity 24 rounds (2 x pods with 12 rounds each)
• Air-to-air missiles: PL-5, PL-7
• Bombs: 200 kg, 250 kg unguided bomb, BL755 cluster bomb
• Others: 
• 2× 80 gal fuel drop-tanks mounted on outboard under-wing hardpoints 

Avionics

• EFIS

(Info provided by Wikipedia)