Chengdu J-7

what is it?

The Chengdu J-7 (Chinese: 歼-7; pinyin: Jiān-7; third generation export version F-7; NATO reporting name: Fishcan) is a Chinese fighter aircraft. It is a license-built derivative of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, and thus shares many similarities with that aircraft. The J-7 is armed with infrared homing air-to-air missiles and is mainly designed for short range air-to-air combat.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 jet engine · 8.3 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 2,200 km/htop speed
• size 9,100 kgmax take-off weight
• built 2,400made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 60 years ago, in 1966.
• 🏎️Top speed is 16.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 💥Faster than sound: up to Mach 1.8 (sea-level speed of sound ≈ 1,235 km/h).
• 🏔️Can fly 2.0× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1966-01

introduced

1966

status

still flying

number built

2,400

role

fighter aircraft

origin

🇨🇳 People's Republic of China

makers

Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation

engines

1× Liyang Wopen-13F / Tumansky R-13

crew

1

length

14.9 m

wingspan

8.3 m

height

4.1 m

max take-off weight

9,100 kg

top speed

2,200 km/h

range

—

ceiling

17,500 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family