Warplanes: November 25, 2001

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China is developing a new fighter known as the FC-1 (Super-7). The first prototype is to be completed in early 2003 and fly that year. The FC-1 prototype will have an Israeli-built EL/M-2032 fire control radar, although the 100 production fighters probably will not. The FC-1 will use Russian RD-93 Turbofan engines. Longitudinal controls will be fly-by-wire, but lateral controls will use the traditional hydraulics. The aircraft can use most Russian and all Chinese aerial and air-to-ground weapons including the new Chinese laser-guided glide bomb with a range of 20km.--Stephen V Cole