J-11
Contents
Description
The J-11 (歼-11型歼击机; NATO Codename: Flanker-B), aka Su-27SK by Sukhoi or 苏-27 in PLAAF manuals, is one of the main composition of modern PLAAF's interceptor fleet since the early 1990s as the overseas solution to upgrade the outdated-PLAAF. By 1989, soon after the improving of Sino-Soviet relationships and the nationwide riots during the economic reform, the only viable solution to upgrade PLAAF was from USSR due to the subsequence embargo imposed by NATO countries; a group of military staffs of PLAAF soon departed for USSR to import the latest interceptors of USSR. Initially, the VVS promoted the MiG-29 to Chinese generals during their visit to Kubinka Airbase, but the generals soon spotted the state-of-the-art interceptor - Su-27S - in the airbase and later crash of the Fulcrum during demonstration flight made PLAAF go for the Flanker. After series of meetings and an interesting behind-the-scene story, the deal was set to purchase the 38th and 39th batches of Su-27S at around USD $1 Billion for 24 jets (18 Su-27SK and 6 UBK twin-seater) and 22 jets respectively. After the fall of Soviet Union, PLAAF saw the possibilities to purchase the production license of Su-27SK in 1993. After threats for no further jets would be ordered from KnAAPO and a long negotiation with the now-Russia Federation, 200 Su-27SK would be assembled by SAC within 15 years since 1996; the licensed Su-27SK, now called J-11A would increase domestic production rate through the 5 batches. The design of Flanker alongside with its blueprints and punched tapes were further refined by Chinese engineers with the help of CAD, revising the redundancies on the original design and eventually set the foundation for J-11B (Flanker-L) and future Flanker derivatives.
Introduced in Update "Air Superiority" as part of the upgrade, J-11 shares identical performance to its Soviet counterpart even though being an export variant; thanks to its well refined aerodynamic design, power engines, loads of A-A weaponries and sufficiently powerful radar/IRST, J-11 leads PLAAF into the current apex of air battles. While its sheer size and inferior electronics can be a problem in different occasions, J-11 will not disappoint players with its iconic features.
General info
Flight performance
In short words: the overall flight performance is identical to Soviet's Su-27. Thanks to the well-refined airframe which took almost a decade to design, Su-27 series is famous for its great manoeuvrability even at its huge size, to put it in perspective: Su-27/J-11 is almost 4 m longer than MiG-29 series at 21 m, while it is at very similar length to PLAAF's own J-8II series, the large, trapezium wing still makes it the overall largest PLAAF interceptor up to present day (including the domestic refined J-11B and later variants). In first glance, players might consider such a huge jet doesn't have as much manoeuvrability as MiG-29 series; when they eventually have the chance to fight J-11, they will soon know that it will be a hassle to handle, thanks to the FBW systems, airframe designs and two powerful AL-31F engine that gives almost average T/W ratio at 1.0, most earlier jets from lower BR will have major problem handling J-11. When players expect to see an stall-out Flanker, what they might see is that: their own jet will be the first one to stall out before the Flanker eventually stalls out, sometimes even performing the iconic Pugachev's Cobra - where the jet can achieve up to 110° AoA at such speed while pulling the control stick and level out at the same altitude, therefore players might want to think twice before engaging J-11.
But just like what the introduction mentioned, the problem is also its sheer size. Considering for its 21x14 m size, it is also easy to land shots or missiles upon J-11 if players make an error during aerial dogfights; any damaged part of the airframe will significantly increase drag of Flanker and thus higher risk of being shot down. Be sure to utilize its manoeuvrability in solo fights, not gang fights with very little reaction time and room for errors - one wrong move can be its demise. As for the Pugachev's Cobra, it is more of aerobatics than a tactic to reverse the battle, it is never a good idea to show the largest possible surface area to enemy guns.
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at _,___ m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | ___ | ___ | 16000 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ___ |
| Upgraded | ___ | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1,540 | 700 | - | 652 | 600 | ~__ | ~__ |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 680 | < 750 | < 700 | - |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | ||||
| Saturn AL-31F | 2 | 16,990 kg | 426 kg/m2 | ||||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | |||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 13m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 44m fuel | ||
| 1,520 kg | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan | 19,810 kg | 21,184 kg | 23,281 kg | 26,390 kg | 34,489 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | ||||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 13m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 44m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | 7,450 kgf | 12,028 kgf | 1.21 | 1.14 | 1.03 | 0.91 | 0.70 |
| Optimal | 7,450 kgf (0 km/h) |
15,640 kgf (1,540 km/h) |
1.58 | 1.48 | 1.34 | 1.19 | 0.91 |
Survivability and armour
By 1980s, to further reduce the weight, most interceptors were not equipped with extra armor plates for both the pilot and critical components; this is no exception for the Flanker series, thus the pilot can face fatal hits from both autocannons or missile shrapnel.
Meanwhile, all the 5 fuel tanks onboard are self-sealed, meaning that with the help of researchable fire extinguishers, the J-11 can save itself from fatal structural failure in case of a fire.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) | Lead indicator |
 |
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Offensive armament
The J-11 is armed with:
- 1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon, wing root-mounted (150 rpg)
- 96 x large calibre countermeasures
Suspended armament
The J-11 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | |||
| 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||||
| 250 kg OFAB-250-270 bombs | 1 | 1, 2, 6 | 1, 5 | 1, 4 | 1, 2 | 1, 5 | 1, 2, 6 | 1 | |||
| 250 kg OFAB-250Sh bombs | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||||
| 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||||
| 500 kg FAB-500Sh bombs | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||||
| ZB-500 incendiary bombs | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||||
| S-8KO rockets | 20, 40 | 20, 40 | |||||||||
| S-13OF rockets | 5, 10 | 5, 10 | |||||||||
| S-25O rockets | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||||||||
| S-25OF rockets | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||||||||
| S-25OFM rockets | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||||||||
| R-27ER1 missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| R-27ET1 missiles | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| R-27R1 missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| R-27T1 missiles | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| R-73E missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,500 kg | |||||||||||
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
The J-11's arsenal is entirely Soviet, which presents interesting new opportunities for pilots used to Chinese top-tier aircraft. It is oriented as an air superiority fighter, lacking any guided air-to-ground munitions, but it has some tricks up its sleeve when the airspace is more permissive to CAS.
Two families of air-to-air missiles are available, the R-73 and the R-27. The R-73E is a functionally identical export version of the R-73 short-range, IR-guided missile seen on later Soviet aircraft like the MiG-29SMT and the Su-25T. It has a great 40 G overload, a thrust vectoring system that helps it maintain sustained hard turns, and ECCM to help resist flares. Compared to the domestic PL-8, it's generally an all-round improvement aside from the lower top speed. R-73s can be mounted on any of the six wing hardpoints.
The R-27 comes in radar-guided (R-27R1 standard, R-27ER1 extended-range) and IR-guided (R-27T1 standard, R-27ET1 extended-range) flavors and are the J-11's main armament for medium and long range combat. The "1" suffix denotes export variants, but again they happen to perform identically. The R-27ER1 is the J-11's best weapon for BVR combat, as its extreme speed and long range allow it to win jousts against targets with slower missiles. The R-27ET1 is a great option for distant sneak attacks as it does not give any RWR warning to its target. R-27s can be mounted on any of the four fuselage pylons and also the inboard wing pylons, but the catch is that the IR-guided -T1 and -ET1 can only be mounted on the inboard wing pylons, and are thus limited to at most 2.
Three types of unguided rockets are available, all carried as double racks on the inboard wing pylons. The S-8KO HEAT rocket comes in large pods and is significantly better than its domestic Chinese equivalent (Type 90-1) with greater penetration, flight speed, and capacity. However at the J-11's battle rating, such weapons are rather questionable for jet fighters as they have issues harming MBTs from the front and have a limited effective range. The S-13OF can be considered a heavier and more powerful cousin to the Type 130-2 HE rocket with a bonus of one extra rocket per pod; it can destroy light targets through splash damage at fair distances and direct hits can still crack open MBTs with some luck. The S-25O heavy bunker-buster previously featured on the Su-25 is a unique tool lacking any equivalent in the domestic Chinese arsenal; it carries only one shot per pod and packs more explosive content than a 100 kg bomb. It may seem like a crude weapon for an elegant air-superiority fighter, but in typical Soviet ground attack fashion the S-25O can blow anything on the ground to smithereens through brute force.
The J-11 is also an impressive bomb truck, ironically outclassing or matching the JH-7A fighter-bomber. Iron bombs are available in sizes of 100, 250, and 500 kg. Incendiary and high-drag bombs are available in the 500 kg size.
Usage in battles
Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".
Pros:
Cons:
History
The Komsomolets from Far East
The Su-27 (NATO: Flanker) series were one of the top secrets of the Soviet Union since its introduction in 1985 with the PVO (Su-27P interceptor), which was deemed not-for-sale during the early days of its service as the USSR promotes their MiG-29 series to their allies and potential customers. By May 1989, Mikhail Gobachev made his historical visit to Mainland China amid Chinese's nationwide protests for reform; however, the protests soon escalated to riots and resulted with the sanctions from NATO countries for any further military projects. Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, the last Minister of Defense in future, saw the possibilities to sell fighter jets to Mainland China. After the halt of J-8II Project 8-2 and the commence of Project 8-3, PLAAF has dire need for new interceptors to fill in the gap as ROCAF would soon acquire Mirage 2000-5 and F-16A Block 20; a team of general staff led by Liu Huaqing (刘华清) went to USSR in May 1990 and for the purchase of Soviet fighter jets as the Project 90-6 (906工程). During the talks, Chinese knew the existence of PVO and VVS' Flankers and changed their mind as soon as the general staffs saw the Flanker in Kubinka Airbase; soon after the crash of a MiG-29 during demonstration flight later in September, Flanker became the obvious choice for PLAAF general staffs.
There was a very interesting story behind the negotiations: according to the memories from Lin Hu (林虎), the vice-commander of PLAAF at the time, to defeat the "Ustinov's Rule", named after Dmitriy Feodorovich Ustinov (ex-Minister of Defense of USSR) where Soviet general staffs would use vodka as a way to negotiate for military aids/sales, PLAAF general staff found an officer who is "immune to alcohol" and eventually "took down" all Soviet general staffs in Beijing, earning a discounted price for the Flankers.
Soon after the negotiations, USSR general staffs said there were possibilities to export Flankers to Mainland China; before the collapse of the Red Giant, Soviet Union agreed for the sales of 18 Su-27SK and 6 of its twin-seater variant, Su-27UBK at US $1 billion as the 38th batch of Su-27 produced by KnAAPO (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant); these jets were all delivered in November 1992. Soon after the introduction of Flankers in PLAAF service, PLAAF went for the production license of Su-27S and threatened the Russians with no further orders after the 39th batch (22 jets); this later led to a long negotiation since August 1993 and eventually set the deal in December 1996, where 200 Su-27SK would be produced by SAC within 15 years. SAC would receive the CKD kits of Su-27SK from KnAAPO to be assembled locally, while future jets would be SKD kits with progressive rate on domestic parts; the Project 11 (11号工程) lead by Li Ming (李明; chief engineer of J-8II) soon received the documents in 1995 for the preparation of domestic assembly, the engineer team translated the documents for a year. With the manufacture equipment and SKD kits delivered to Shenyang in Spring of 1998, SAC assembled a complete jet with the help of Russian engineers and the first domestic assembled Su-27SK, now J-11A "Blue 39" with batch number 0001, soared into the skies on 1st September, 1998, marking one of the page of cooperation between Mainland China and Russia 4 decades after the split.
The J-11A series would be produced for another 4 batches (01xx to 04xx) before SAC finalized and digitalized the Flanker for domestic improvements, which would later known as the J-11B (Flanker-L) since 2006; while some J-11A received domestic and Belarusian upgrades for upgraded FCS and avionics. The Su-27SK and J-11A have been decommissioned by 2020s, likely been replaced by Chinese Flankers; while the Su-27UBK are still in service in small quantities as lead-in trainers for units operating Flankers.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (中航工业沈阳飞机工业(集团)有限公司) | |
|---|---|
| Jet Fighters | |
| MiG-15 | J-2* |
| MiG-17 | J-4* |
| MiG-19 | J-6A* |
| J-8 | J-8B · J-8F |
| Su-27 variants | J-11* · J-11A* |
| Export | Shenyang F-5* |
| *Licensed Note: "J-2" and "J-4" are not official designations | |
| See Also | Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau |
| China jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | J-2 · J-4 · J-6A · J-7II · J-7D · J-7E · J-8B · J-8F · J-10A · J-11 · J-11A |
| Strike aircraft | Q-5 early · Q-5A · Q-5L · JH-7A |
| Bombers | H-5 |
| France | ␗Mirage 2000-5Ei |
| USA | ␗F-84G-21-RE · ␗F-84G-31-RE · ␗F-86F-30 · ␗F-86F-40 · ␗F-100A · ␗F-100F · ␗F-104A · ␗F-104G · ␗F-5A · ␗F-5E · ␗F-16A MLU |
| USSR | ␗MiG-9 · ␗MiG-9 (l) |
| North Korea | Shenyang F-5 |
| Pakistan | A-5C · JF-17 |
