Historical Photo of the Day: First Flight of the J‑8II — June 12, 1984

A milestone moment for China’s interceptor program: the J‑8II taking to the air for the first time on June 12, 1984. The redesigned nose, side‑intakes, and stretched fuselage marked a clean break from the original J‑8 

 Bonus Photo:

J‑8II in the United States, circa 1986, during the short‑lived Peace Pearl program, that brief window when Washington and Beijing were friendly enough for the U.S. to help modernize a Chinese fighter. The Cold War made for some strange aviation pairings.

J-8DH Cockpit

 

 

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Feeling nostalgic .... J-8II photos

Still in service, unlike her Luda sisters.