Pictures: JF-17B fighter/trainer complete maiden flight

The twin seater version of the Chinese FC-1/JF-17 fighter has successfully completed maiden flight on April 27, from Chengdu Aircraft ...

The twin seater version of the Chinese FC-1/JF-17 fighter has successfully completed maiden flight on April 27, from Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) plant in Sichuan, China.

Dubbed J-17B, the tandem seat fighter/trainer aircraft will significantly improve air combat training capabilities of Pakistan Air Force, currently the sole operator of the type.

An equally capable fighter aircraft, the JF-17B on its first flight was equipped with two PL-12 active radar guided long range air to air missiles on its two wing tip stations.

The JF-17B features structural and flight control improvements, compared to the single seat JF-17 fighter.

It is equipped with a new three axis fly-by-wire system, that enabled a reduced weight vertical stabilizer tail fin with increased swept angle. Current version have fly by wire only in pitch axis, with conventional controls with stability augmentation in roll and yaw axis.

Other modification include a high visibility two seat cockpit, and a deeper dorsal spine to carry increased internal fuel capacity to compensate the added weight of the trainer version.

According to AVIC, the 14.26 m long JF-17B has an increased wingspan of 9.465 m compared to the single seat version's 8.5 m wingspan, and a reduced height of 4.598 m.

It has not been revealed whether the aircraft continue to be powered by the Russian Klimov RD-93 engine or sports the Chinese built Guizhou WS-13 turbofan engine.

The JF-17 is equipped with seven weapon hard points, 4 under wing, 2 wing-tip and 1 under fuselage, that can carry a total 3600 kg weapon payload comprising air to air, air to ground missiles, air to sea missiles, anti radiation missiles and laser guided/General purpose bombs.

The single seat variant has a normal take off weight of 9,100 kg and can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.6.

The JF-17 is co-produced by CAC and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra. The present Block 2 version of JF-17 is capable of aerial refueling and has been inducted to Pakistan Air Force. Currently more than 70 Block 1 and 2 versions are operational with PAF of the 83 aircraft ordered.

The Block 3 version will be equipped with advanced features like helmet-mounted display system (HMDS), a new single panel multi-functional display (MFD), active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar and the passive infrared search and track (IRST) system.

PAF is expected to place an order for 50 Block 3 aircraft.