J-6/F-6
A J-6 fighter on display at the China Aviation Museum
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Shenyang Aircraft Corporation[1]
First flight	17 December 1958[1]
Introduced	December 1961
Retired	Late 1990s (China) Mid 2002 (Pakistan)
Primary users	People's Liberation Army Air Force Pakistan Air Force North Korea Air Force Bangladesh Air Force
Produced	1958-1981
Number built	3,000[1]
Developed from	Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19[1]
Variants	Nanchang Q-5[1]

The Shenyang J-6 (designated F-6 for export versions^[1]) (NATO-Codename Farmer) was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.

Contents 1 Design and development 1.1 Description 2 Operational history 2.1 Albania 2.2 Indo-Pakistan Wars 2.3 Vietnam War 2.4 Ogaden War 2.5 Uganda-Tanzania War 2.6 Kampuchea-Vietnam War 2.7 Iran–Iraq War 2.8 Afghan War 3 Variants 4 Operators 4.1 Current Operators 4.2 Former Operators 5 Specifications (J-6) 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Design and development

Although the MiG-19 had a comparatively short life in Soviet service, the Chinese came to value its agility, turning performance, and powerful cannon armament, and produced it for their own use between 1958 and 1981. By the end of 2005, J-6s have been retired from active combat missions. While the basic MiG-19 has been retired from all but three nations, its airframe made up the Chinese made ground attack version the Q-5 still flies for numerous nations.

The J-6 was considered "disposable" and was intended to be operated for only 100 flight hours (or approximately 100 sorties) before being overhauled. The Pakistan Air Force was often able to extend this to 130 hours, with diligent maintenance.^[2]

[edit] Description

The J-6 has a maximum speed at altitude of 1,540 km/h (960 mph), Mach 1.45. Service ceiling is 17,900 m (58,700 ft). Combat radius with two drop tanks is about 640 km (400 mi). Powerplant is two Liming Wopen-6A (Tumansky R-9) turbojet engines. In addition to the internal cannon armament, most have provision for four wing pylons for up to 250 kg (550 lb) each, with a maximum ordnance load of 500 kg (1,100 lb). Typical stores include unguided bombs, 55 mm rocket pods, or PL-2/PL-5 (Chinese versions of Soviet K-13 (NATO AA-2 'Atoll') air-to-air missiles.

[edit] Operational history

The J-6 still is in service with North Korea, Myanmar (Burma), and Sudan.

[edit] Albania

Albanian Air Force J-6s replaced the J-5 on the border to intercept Yugoslav incursions into Albanian airspace. However, the J-6 was ineffective against the faster Yugoslav MiG-21 'Fishbed'. Once the F-7A became available, the J-6 was redeployed to guard Tirana. As of 2005 all Albanian fighters where grounded due to lack of spare parts.

[edit] Indo-Pakistan Wars

The F-6 was flown by the Pakistan Air Force from 1965 to 2002, the aircraft design undergoing around 140 modifications to improve its capabilities in the interception and close air support roles. The PAF F-6 fighters participated in the Indo-Pak War 1971 against India, scoring approximately 6 confirmed aerial victories. These included one Indian Mig-21, which was believed by many to be a superior aircraft to the F-6 at the time. The three Pakistani J-6 squadrons flew nearly a thousand sorties, ^[3] during which the PAF lost 3 F-6 to ground fire and one in aerial combat. An F-6 was also lost to friendly fire.^{[4] [5]} One of the F-6 pilots shot down was Wajid Ali Khan, who was taken as a POW and later became a Member of Parliament in Canada.

[edit] Vietnam War

After secretly test flying a Pakistan Air Force F-6 in 1965, the United States concluded that the J-6 and MiG-19 were more formidable fighter aircraft than the the more modern and powerful MiG-21 'Fishbed', as well as the older MiG-17 'Fresco' and its Chinese version, the J-5. The supersonic speed advantage provided by the MiG-21's more modern turbojet engine was found to be not as useful in combat as originally thought, because aerial dogfights at the time were conducted almost entirely in the sub-sonic speed regime. The J-6 (and hence the MiG-19 also) was found to be more manoeuvrable than the MiG-21 and, although slower, its acceleration during dogfights was considered adequate. The North Vietnamese Air Force fielded at least one unit of J-6 during the war, the 925th Fighter Regiment, beginning in 1969.^[6]

[edit] Ogaden War

Somalian J-6 participated in the Ogaden War and suffered greatly because the superior opposition faced (Cuban pilots fought for Ethiopia). Over 75% of the Somali Air Force was destroyed in the war but some J-6s and survived until the country turned into turmoil in the early 1990s.

[edit] Uganda-Tanzania War

During the Uganda-Tanzania War, Tanzanian J-6 was tasked to handle any possible Ugandan fighters which consisted of MiG-15 and MiG-17, while F-7A was tasked to handle more advanced aircraft of Ugandan ally, such as the Libyan Tupolev Tu-22 'Blinder'.

[edit] Kampuchea-Vietnam War

In the era of Khmer Rouge control of Cambodia, Khmer J-6s participated in Kampuchea-Vietnamese border clashes for ground attacks. During the Vietnamese invasion in 1978, none of the Cambodian aircraft dared to take-off to challenge the invading Vietnamese aircraft. The Vietnamese captured a number of J-6s and put them on public display.

[edit] Iran–Iraq War

The J-6's participation in the Iran–Iraq War were mostly ground attack sorties performed by both Iranian and the Iraqi J-6 units.

[edit] Afghan War

The Pakistan Air Force used the J-6 in action against its original designers, the Soviet Union, and the jet claimed half a dozen air to air victories. ^[7]

[edit] Variants

• Shenyang J-6 - (a.k.a. Type 59 , Dongfeng-102 , Product 47 and F-6) Despite having no suffix to the designation, the J-6 appeared after the initial production of the J-6A had begun. The J-6 was equivalent, but not identical, to the MiG-19S.^[1]

• Shenyang J-6A - (a.k.a. Type 59A , Dongfeng-103 , Jianjiji-6 Jia) - Early production from 1958 to 1960 was sub-standard and not accepted by the PLAAF. Production was halted, the jigs scrapped, and production re-started with assistance from the USSR. The J-6A was equivalent to the MiG-19P but not identical. The maiden flight was made by Wang Youhuai on 17 December 1958.^[1]

• Shenyang J-6A - Production of the J-6 restarted after new assembly jigs, and other assistance, acquired from the USSR. Similar to MiG-19PF, an all-weather radar-equipped interceptor with two NR-30 30mm cannon. Exported as the F-6A.^[1]

• J-6B - (a.k.a. Type 59B , Dongfeng-105 and Jianjiji-6 Yi) Similar to MiG-19PM "Farmer-D", interceptor with two PL-1 (Chinese version of Soviet K-5 (AA-1 'Alkali') beam-riding air-to-air missiles; it is unclear if the J-6B retains its cannon. Only 19 J-6B's were built before the programme was terminated^[1].

• J-6C - (a.k.a. Jianjiji-6 Bing, Product 55 and F-6C)Day fighter version with three 30mm cannon and braking parachute at the base of the rudder^[1].

• Shenyang J-6I - Single-seat day-fighter prototype with fixed shock cone on the intake splitter plate^[1].

• Shenyang J-6II - Single-seat tactical fighter prototype with adjustable shock cone ona raeked back intake splitter plate^[1].

• Shenyang J-6III - Advanced version of the J-6A with radome on the splitter plate (rather than the shock cone centerbody) for Chinese-made radar. May also have been designated J-6 Xin^[1].

• Shenyang/Tianjin JJ-6 - (Jianjiji Jiaolianji - fighter trainer, a.k.a. Product 48 and FT-6) Chinese designed two-seat trainer, stretched 84 cm (33.1 in) to accommodate second seat, armed with one 30 mm cannon^[1].

• Shenyang JZ-6 - (Jianjiji Zhenchaji - reconnaissance fighter) Dedicated reconnaissance version with fuselage camera pack replacing cannon. As of April 2006, it was reported that the PLAAF 3rd Recon Regiment, 26 Air Division based in Nanjing MR, is the last regiment to actively fly the JZ-6 refusing to convert to JZ-8F.^[8] Exported as theShenyang FR-6.

• Shenyang/Tianjin JJ-6 Testbed - Ejection seat testbed that succeeded H-5 ejection seat testbed^[1].

• Xian BW-1 - Fly-by-wire flying controls test-bed for the Xian JH-7 flying control system^[1].

• Guizhou J-6A - J-6A aircraft up-graded to carry two PL-2 (Pi Li - Thunderbolt) Infra-Red homing Air to Air Missiles(AAM's). The first flight was on 21 December 1975.

[edit] Operators

There are currently 4 active operators of the Shenyang J-6 out of 15.

[edit] Current Operators

 People's Republic of China

• People's Liberation Army Air Force - retired J-6 from combat duties at 2005, although they are still used as remote control target drones. A very small number of the twin-seat JJ-6 variant remain in use for pilot training missions, they are in the process of being replaced by the JL-8 trainer.
• People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force

 Iran

• Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force - operates 18 aircraft

 Myanmar

• Myanmar Air Force - used successfully in ground attack missions

 North Korea

• North Korea Air Force - operates 100 aircraft as trainers

[edit] Former Operators

 Albania

• Albanian Air Force - 82 J-6C models, retired as of 2005

 Bangladesh

• Bangladesh Air Force - retired

 Cambodia

• Royal Cambodian Air Force

 Egypt

• Egyptian Air Force - replaced by F-16

 Iraq

• Iraqi Air Force - retired

 Pakistan

• Pakistan Air Force - retired as of 2002, replaced with Chengdu F-7P and F-7PG

 Somalia

• Somali Air Corps

 Sudan

• Sudanese Air Force - used in ground attack missions with limited success

 Tanzania

• Tanzanian Air Force

 Vietnam

• Vietnam People's Air Force

 Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe Air Force - initially piloted by Pakistani pilots
• Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force - operates 18 aircraft

 Myanmar

[edit] Specifications (J-6)

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 12.5 m (41 ft)
• Wingspan: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
• Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 25.0 m² (270 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,447 kg (11,983 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 7,560 kg (16,632 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Liming Wopen-6A (Tumansky RD-9B) afterburning turbojets, 36.78 kN (8,267 lbf) each
• Fuel capacity: 1,800 kg (3,960 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,540 km/h (960 mph)
• Range: 640 km (400 mi); combat 2,200 km (1,375 mi)
• Service ceiling: 17,900 m (58,700 ft)
• Rate of climb: 180 m/s (35,425 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 302.4 kg/m² (61.6 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.86
  

Armament

• 3x 30 mm NR-30 cannons (70 rounds per gun for wing guns, 55 rounds for fuselage gun)
• Up to 250 kg (550 lb) of unguided bombs or rockets pods, or PL-2/PL-5 (Chinese versions of Soviet K-13 (NATO AA-2 'Atoll') air-to-air missiles on 4 underwing pylons

[edit] See also

Related development

• MiG-19
• Nanchang Q-5
  

Comparable aircraft

• F-100 Super Sabre
• Super Mystère
  

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft
  

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Shenyang J-6 fighter photo collection and introduction in Chinese

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