JF-17 Thunder Discussions

[Zahnatom]

So what are the future plans for this module

[hugodm9]

Is there plans for a new pilot model? 

[okopanja]

6 hours ago, hugodm9 said:

Is there plans for a new pilot model? 

Why?

[hugodm9]

 

4 hours ago, okopanja said:

Why?

Looks a bit outdated compared to the F16/F18 pilot model, but it's just a detail

[FlankerFan35]

JF-17C has received PL-10s in active service.








Hopefully someday these end up on BLK I/II and we can get them.

Edited September 18, 2024 by FlankerFan35

[Red_Dragon]

Can someone help me? I didn't manage to figured out from guides..  What is the function of this

Backup SAIU Selector ? 

Edited September 29, 2024 by Red_Dragon

[Rudel_chw]

7 minutes ago, Red_Dragon said:

Can someone help me? I didn't manage to figured out from guides..  What is the function of this

Backup SAIU Selector ? 

 

 

I have not used it, but from the chinese manual:

 

1.19.5. Backup function When the SAIU fails, the pilot can turn the SAIU backup control switch to the BOMB, IR or GUN position. It can be used for bomb dropping, infrared bomb launching or aircraft gun shooting in backup state.

OFF: off

BOMB: bomb backup mode

IR: Infrared combat bomb backup mode

GUN: Cannon backup mode

[Napillo]

20 hours ago, Red_Dragon said:

Can someone help me? I didn't manage to figured out from guides..  What is the function of this

Backup SAIU Selector ? 

 

It doesn't work right, it's supposed to add an additional display, so like you always have that sight on, but devs didn't implement it correctly. I filed an issue with it a while back.

[ThunderWT]

Please tell me, is there any way to change the CM-802AKG guidance mode? Now it is not very convenient to aim the missile by giving it direct instructions (they are too sharp). I have heard that there is another way to manually set it.

[tekwoj]

On 10/5/2024 at 12:44 PM, ThunderWT said:

Please tell me, is there any way to change the CM-802AKG guidance mode? Now it is not very convenient to aim the missile by giving it direct instructions (they are too sharp). I have heard that there is another way to manually set it.

Look in special options -> JF-17. There's a dropdown with traction and designate IIRC the names.

[Bigity]

HMD HMD

 

Seriously though, are we missing anything planned or is it more of a holding pattern and see if anything changes in RL with the jet that might be replicated in DCS?

[Red_Dragon]

I noticed a very strong sideways deviation of the aircraft during takeoff if I use large (1100) drop tanks along with missiles and a tactical data container. This influence becomes so strong during takeoff that takeoff becomes really dangerous. I wonder if I'm the only one with this problem? Maybe I shouldn't use the big tanks along with the weapons may be the plane gets too heavy?

Edited February 23 by Red_Dragon

[tekwoj]

11 minutes ago, Red_Dragon said:

I noticed a very strong sideways deviation of the aircraft during takeoff if I use large (1100) drop tanks along with missiles and a tactical data container. This influence becomes so strong during takeoff that takeoff becomes really dangerous. I wonder if I'm the only one with this problem? Maybe I shouldn't use the big tanks along with the weapons may be the plane gets too heavy?

I might have had same thing, but I'm sure at least once it was because I haven't noticed I've put an empty tank on one wing and a full one on the other.

[SOLIDKREATE]

Really think about getting this bird so far. Seems a bit down on power but that GB-6 is looking like reason enough. I love the way it handles too. 

[Mike_Romeo]

On 3/30/2025 at 8:04 AM, SOLIDKREATE said:

Really think about getting this bird so far. Seems a bit down on power but that GB-6 is looking like reason enough. I love the way it handles too. 

The JF-17 is a neat little aircraft that comes with it pro and cons.

main cons:
-heavily underpowered
-no hmd
-no short range HOBS missiles
-very extremely limited ammount of pylons. multirole yes, multi mission no
-horrible bad gun and gunsight (for a2a)
-heavily underpowered

pros:
-Best long range air to air missiles (SD-10)
-Extreme wide array of weapons including the best air to ground weapons (besides MiG-21 nuke)
-on of the highest sustainable turn rate
-most modern weapons and cockpit
-best redfor aircraft
-many limits making it more challenging and fun to fly
-very easy to learn and fly
-feature completed
-dtc that allows you waypoint and weapon programming via f10 map
-lot of lovely details like groundcrew knocking at the canopy when you try to update dtc with closed cockpit

But after all I think the cons add good challenge making the Jeff more fun

Has anyone seen the official paintkit or manual somewhere btw ? Im angry that we still dont have that for over 5 years now.

Edited April 8 by Mike_Romeo

[Ignition]

On 4/8/2025 at 1:13 PM, Mike_Romeo said:

The JF-17 is a neat little aircraft that comes with it pro and cons.

main cons:
-heavily underpowered
-no hmd
-no short range HOBS missiles
-very extremely limited ammount of pylons. multirole yes, multi mission no
-horrible bad gun and gunsight (for a2a)
-heavily underpowered

pros:
-Best long range air to air missiles (SD-10)
-Extreme wide array of weapons including the best air to ground weapons (besides MiG-21 nuke)
-on of the highest sustainable turn rate
-most modern weapons and cockpit
-best redfor aircraft
-many limits making it more challenging and fun to fly
-very easy to learn and fly
-feature completed
-dtc that allows you waypoint and weapon programming via f10 map
-lot of lovely details like groundcrew knocking at the canopy when you try to update dtc with closed cockpit

But after all I think the cons add good challenge making the Jeff more fun

Has anyone seen the official paintkit or manual somewhere btw ? Im angry that we still dont have that for over 5 years now.

Another CON is you lose a com antena while using Datalink.

Another PRO is the SPJ improves the SA, it's like the TEWS in the F-15E

[Napillo]

18 hours ago, Ignition said:

Another CON is you lose a com antena while using Datalink.

Not really - if you have another JF-17 in the game, you can use that com to communicate with the other Jeffs. It does work as a voice as well as data channel.

[zerO_crash]

The JF-17, if not anything else, is interesting because it gives insight into the engineering mentality of China. While the project is described as being a Chinese-Pakistani cooperation, the fact is that some aero-design input was made by US (Super-7). A further refinement was made by Russians (JF-17), and finally, China assembled the aircraft (including internals) to the spec. outlined by Pakistan within; budget, purpose and Chinese export-targeted avionics & weapons sensors. I have looked over the internal components of the JF-17, and it's all Chinese make. I recognize panels from within the cockpit which are used in other Chinese aircraft. TBH., I am curious to what capacity Pakistan helped, because neither do/did they have an industry advanced enough to produce the electronics required, nor do/did they have technical capacity. At most, given that the aircraft software is built on C++ (I have 2 relevant sources confirming that), it might be that they joined in on some software coding, but I honestly doubt it, all things considered. Even the first series of test flights, were performed by Chinese test pilots in China. In addition, all the armament is US/Chinese (excluding RA'AD, which came much later and likely utilizes foreign components). Again, I view it as a primarily Chinese build, that got exported along with the technology transfer to Pakistan. Even the engine, which sets the boundaries for what an aircraft can and cannot do, is Russian.

 

The sentiment left then is that while Pakistan/Myanmar uses the airframe, it seems that it is a multinational, and primarily Chinese, product designed for the export market. Given how much capability the aircraft has, how advanced certain aspects of it are, yet certified for export, it certainly gives an idea around how far China has moved ahead in aviation technology. To me personally, as a red pilot, that is very interesting as it presents a different mentality and methodology of achieving the same/similar results, as compared to the west. The plane is incredibly nimble, and has plenty of power. The problem is typically that people overload it, trying to do multiple missions at one time. That's not what a multirole airframe is meant for. Instead, it's having an airframe that accepts a wide array of mission, making it a economically a viable aircraft, but still respecting the one-mission-at-a-time operations. If you are wise with your loadout, and bother going out of afterburner once in a while, you really won't need external fueltanks all that often. Neither do you need to weigh down every pylon each time. A composition of BRM-1 pods, along with TGP and two IRs for defense goes a long way. That's 40 individual targets picked off, if you so desire. Also interesting, is how digital this plane is, compared to most of the aircraft that we have. It is highly digital, with few things mechanical, yet it's very intuitive. For example, the layout for weapon programming, seems to be the same for all weapons. Consider now how widely different the suite of a Viper/Hornet/Eagle are when changing between JDAMs and Mk. bombs alone... It might be because I'm partly Russian, but on a objective note, some of the design choices of the west, while interesting, seem expensive and inefficient to me. Why even bother with so many different setups, when it all could be baked into one fine list and that's all....? Again, splendid airframe, and likely the closest that we'll get to a J-10 that we'll get (for a long time). 

 

 

For those further interested in the airframe, and where it came from;

Start with reading up on Chinese FC-1 (also known as Super 7, or Sabre II). An interesting thing here, is how similar the finished product of FC-1 resembles the Romanian IAR95, visually. 

Edited Thursday at 07:32 PM by zerO_crash