Second JF-17B prototype now flying

Photos emerged of the second prototype of the JF-17 Thunder’s twin-seat variant – designated JF-17B – undergoing flight tests in China.

Although the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was comfortable training JF-17 aircrews using simulators, potential third-party customers had requested a twin-seat variant for training and evaluation purposes. Production of the first JF-17B prototype began in April 2016, with the aircraft conducting its first flight a year later.

Three JF-17B prototypes are under production, two of which will join the PAF.

In addition to a tandem seat, the JF-17B incorporates several design changes to its single-seat counterpart. These include a modified vertical stabilizer, dorsal spine (potentially for fuel to compensate for the space lost from the additional seat), enlarged nose and three-axis fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system.

An alleged brochure from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) claims that the JF-17B also has a longer wingspan (by 0.5 m), potentially indicating a lower wing-loading for reduced take-off distance and increased maneuverability. The JF-17B also has a different materials proportion to the single-seat JF-17, which might indicate greater composite usage