Chengdu/shenyang J-7

[Flying Penguin]

Hi all,

Yesterday I was visiting the Sichuan Museum of Science & Technology in Chengdu and one of the exhibits in the aviation hall was a Chengdu/Shenyang J-7 in a rather funky paint scheme so I thought I'd take some photos and share in case anyone is interested... Unfortunately beyond it being a J-7 I can't say much, as no information was provided beyond "this is a J-7", perhaps someone with more experience of Mig-21's and derivatives could help?

It was the only real 1:1 aircraft on display, although funnily enough, multiple models of sci fi ships deserved a place in the aviation hall for some reason??

Larger versions and further photos (including detail shots) can be found here on my Flickr page...

Also, If you ever have the chance to go to Chengdu, YL Model is a lovely little shop, with great prices on Trump kits especially: Link

Address: 成都市外曹家巷41号附5号 (just print and show to a taxi driver! )

Cheers

Jamie

p.s. Please let me know if this doesn't work properly, am currently posting from behind the Great Firewall of China so I can't actually view the pictures after I uploaded to Flickr...

Edited February 21, 2010 by Flying Penguin

[Col.]

I take it this is a copy of the MiG-21 MF variant from my limited understanding of the various sub-types?

Interesting scheme, not one I've ever seen before, although I guess the large logo below the cockpit suggests a test 'plane of some sort.

[Flying Penguin]

Hi Col,

Yes, I believe they are all derived from the MF.

As for the scheme, when I see a new scheme in a museum, especially a non aviation specific one, my "flight of fantasy" detector goes haywire, however this machine was reasonably well stenciled (see the link if you are interested) so I think it's real, but any comment by me on what AVIC 1 means would be pure speculation...

Edit: AVIC 1 is the shorthand for China Aviation Industry Corporation (link) however I'm not sure of the link to this particular jet.

Cheers

Jamie

Edited February 21, 2010 by Flying Penguin

[Col.]

Thanks for doing that detective work Jamie, have a Fujimi MF in the stash and been wondering about a different scheme for it. As you say, if there are a good sellection of stencils on the airframe this is more likely to be a genuine scheme and not something dreamed up in the museum workshops.

[Daniel]

Jamie,

Very interesting, I travel to China a lot to work with AVIC. Do you know any model shops in Beijing?

Dan

[jaguarfan]

Excellent large photos, many thanks for posting

cheers Bob

[Flying Penguin]

Deino on ARC has been able to provide some more info on this particular airframe:

Actually this particular machine with the no. 151 is the first prototype of the J-7III - later renumbered to J-7C - which is actuall based on the MiG-21MF. CHina received some of them via Egypt during the eraly (? not sure) 1980s and tried to build their own version based on that.

In the end the J-7C didn't meet the requirements and CAC went back to the drawing board for their next generation Fishbed ... which became the J-7E.

To keep them in service, they were updated to J-7IIIA = J-7D standard but again not ver succesful.

Daniel - I don't know of any off hand, however tonight I'll try persuade my wife to browse SonicModel and the Chinese equivalent of eBay again and translate a few more shops for me, that's how I found YL Models, I'll let you know what we (she really....) finds...

Cheers

Jamie

[Flying Penguin]

Daniel,

A few leads for Beijing:

XinShi Models

These guys seem to have a number of shops in Beijing, their addresses are listed here and their web store is here. It seems they do "real" models rather than simply R/C.

Now some of the smaller shops, these can be found using TaoBao. Here is the search we used to locate aircraft related shops: Trumpeter J-10 models in Beijing

Not all of them will have physical shops, however at least one listed a store address:

Shop name: 星辰宇模型软件中心

Address: 北京市西城区新街口东街水车胡同甲26号(积水潭医院南门向东100米)

Telephone: 83224761 13901377035 13611199898

Source

I suggest if you are in Beijing on work you see if you can persuade a colleague to call up and confirm details, but they seem legit enough from my very limited local knowledge. Sticking the address into google maps as-is gives a location just off Xinjiekou E Street, but I'd get a local to check, again, my faith in Google is not great...

Apologies for the rambling nature of the recommendations, but I hope this helps

Cheers

Jamie

Edited February 22, 2010 by Flying Penguin

[Daniel]

Daniel,

A few leads for Beijing:

XinShi Models

These guys seem to have a number of shops in Beijing, their addresses are listed here and their web store is here. It seems they do "real" models rather than simply R/C.

Now some of the smaller shops, these can be found using TaoBao. Here is the search we used to locate aircraft related shops: Trumpeter J-10 models in Beijing

Not all of them will have physical shops, however at least one listed a store address:

Shop name: 星辰宇模型软件中心

Address: 北京市西城区新街口东街水车胡同甲26号(积水潭医院南门向东100米)

Telephone: 83224761 13901377035 13611199898

Source

I suggest if you are in Beijing on work you see if you can persuade a colleague to call up and confirm details, but they seem legit enough from my very limited local knowledge. Sticking the address into google maps as-is gives a location just off Xinjiekou E Street, but I'd get a local to check, again, my faith in Google is not great...

Apologies for the rambling nature of the recommendations, but I hope this helps

Cheers

Jamie

Jamie,

Thanks for your help, I will do some investigating... I am in Beijing next month and have a free weekend. I do not have any colleagues in Beijing to help, as I use it as a base to visit the rest of the country, but I am sure I can get someone to write down the addresses for me in Chinese, which I am sure you are aware is key to getting anywehere.

Ramblings - no that is fine, I am used to working in China now.

Dan

[Flying Penguin]

I am sure I can get someone to write down the addresses for me in Chinese, which I am sure you are aware is key to getting anywehere.

I like to call it "part of the fun..."

Let me know how you get on, if any are good I'll pop in when I'm next in Beijing

Cheers

Jamie

[Daniel]

Part of the fun until you get thrown out of the taxi queue at midnight in Nanjing becuase you are holding up the entire queue with your frantic hand signals trying to describe your hotel because you have lost the business card with the address on...

...oh the fun...

I'll let you know how I get on.

Dan

[Flying Penguin]

Part of the fun until you get thrown out of the taxi queue at midnight in Nanjing becuase you are holding up the entire queue with your frantic hand signals trying to describe your hotel because you have lost the business card with the address on...

Then it becomes character building

[dahut]

this machine was reasonably well stenciled (see the link if you are interested) so I think it's real,

I'd have to admit is was real, too. Very cool scheme, possibly a display job and not "real"