Air International 1980-09
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??? - Fantan: A Sino-Soviet melange
Kiang 5 tactical strike fighters of the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army serve both in overall natural metal finish, as illustrated
A fully-armed Kiang 5 ground attack fighter of the Air Force of the People’s Liberation Army with 551-lb (250-kg) bombs on the external fuselage stores stations and rocket pods on the projecting inboard wing pylons. The widely-spaced nosegear doors, clearly seen in this photograph, are likely to have highly adverse effects on directional stability in the gear-down configuration.
This photograph of the Kiang 5 shows clearly the asymmetrical arrangement of the nosegear doors, the starboard-mounted gun camera, the di-electric panels for the radar altimeter, the three-rod IFF antennae and the large optical panel offset to port. The barrel of the starboard 30-mm wing root cannon can be seen. The 167 Imp gal (760 I) drop tanks on the pylons outboard of the maingear attachment points are normally carried at all times, but can be replaced by ordnance for short-range missions.
Kiang 5 tactical strike fighters of the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army serve both in overall natural metal finish and in camouflage, as seen here. The half-and-half planview illustrates only the starboard side of the aircraft