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PL-5

The PL-5 [Pili = Thunderbolt, or Pen Lung = Air Dragon] missile was a second generation missile based on the PL-2. It characteristically was smaller in diameter and was light weight, just like the PL-2. The PL-5B, however, was more technologically advanced in comparison to the PL-2. The Thunderbolt-5 is the second-generation air-to-air missile weapon system developed by China. The missile was mainly used for the J-9 aircraft, and the main target of attack is the US-made F-4 fighter. It is worth mentioning that in the development of the Thunderbolt-5, China first adopted the design idea of ??a double-barrel, that is, a semi-active radar guidance-Thunder-5A (later stopped development) and infrared guidance were used on a body. Method-Thunderbolt-5B, in order to attack the target with two different conductors of the missile at the same time, improve the success rate of the target.

Developed by Institute No. 605 beginning in 1966 with the construction of two prototype demonstrators. Additional test missiles were built in 1967 up to 1971. Unfortunately, the Cultural Revolution hampered its development. Research resumed in 1982, in which the design of the missile was finally tested.

The missile consists of a control cabin, a fragmented warhead, a fuze system, a solid rocket launcher, and four wing surface components with a gyro mounted on the wing tip. The Thunder-5B missile is equipped with two fuzes-infrared fuze and radio fuze. The former is equipped with an anti-fragmentation warhead, and the latter is a continuous rod type. Compared with Thunder-2, Thunder-5 uses compressed air cooling guidance. The head replaces the electric cooling of the Thunderbolt-2, the device is still lead sulfide, and its design index is the interception distance of 15 kilometers for the F-4 fighter (15,000 kilometers in height).

Due to the delay of Thunderbolt-5B, China improved the Thunderbolt-2 in the late 1970s and developed it into a Thunderbolt-2B air-to-air missile supporting the J-8A all-weather fighter. The main improvement of the seeker is the use of semiconductor-cooled lead detectors. The optical system uses field lenses and immersion lenses to improve the detection distance, tracking angular velocity and anti-sun jamming ability. At the same time, it improves infrared proximity fuze and PL. -5B missile wing gyro rudder. The modification solves the two key problems of the PL-2 missile's poor anti-sun jamming ability and fuze early explosion and further improves the other tactical technical indicators.

The PL-5B initially suffered problems of the fuse prematurely bursting, however such problems were solved. By 1986, the design of the PL-5B missile was certified.

The PL-5E [Pili = Thunderbolt, or Pen Lung = Air Dragon] air-to-air missile has a maximum mobility overload of 40g, exceeding the 35g of the AIM-9L of the United States. Mobility overload a unit for measuring the mobility of aircraft. The larger the value the better the aircraft can adapt to violent mid-air mobility. An air-to-air missile with a great overload means that the attacked side is less likely to escape the attack). The speed of the missile is Mach 2.5 (2.5 times sound speed) and its maximum range is 14,000 meters.