How China Built their Air Force from "borrowed" Foreign Tech

In this video we explore China's long history of ripping off foreign tech to develop their own aircraft. Both with and without permission of those foreign countries to do so.
In this video we rank all of the operational Chinese fighter jets in the Chinese Air Force. The J-7, JH-7, J-8, J-10, J-11, J-15, J-16 and J-20.
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Footage Referenced:
All military aircraft footage courtesy The Department of Defense www.dvidshub.net/
Spacecraft Footage courtesy of NASA: images.nasa.gov/
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[@xiaogangdasha]

Interesting video, no bias. Support from 🇨🇳👍

[@AviationAustin]

Thank you! I try my best to not biased.

[@iamza.]

Did you take this comment from someone else? Kidding, kidding!

[@jasons44]

Yea Bragg up that communist stolen design

[@aluminium1035]

it's not knockoffs and in fact, i think china's pretty smart with borrowing foreign designs and putting it in their own planes because why take the time to develop your own design when an already proven design that u can just borrow in a fraction of the time needed to make an indigenous design

[@AviationAustin]

Yes why make money when you can just take it from someone else? 😅 Just kidding. That is one way of looking at it. You could say that's what engineering is. Taking existing knowledge to make something better.

[@wisenG771]

@@AviationAustin Dumb KZbinr

[@gerard4039]

From where do you think the US got their aircraft and tickets technology !!! They got it from Germany after WW2 !!! So yea every new superpower just build on the falling superpower , it’s a continuity !!! It seems peoples forget history so that they could be seen as gods !!! Who invented mathematics as we know it today !!! Algebra , and where is he from !!! Muslim from Iran !!! And who was using gun powder and paper , porcelaine for thasaunds of years before the west event heard about it !!!!! China … peoples are so ignorent today , they arrogance and greed stop theme from seeing further than their noise !!!! Yes the west will fall , it will become like Africa of today ( a third world ) , that’s a certitude , new powers will rise up , it’s just the way the world goes , the world is billions of years old , and the little men think he’s in contrôle !!! Pathetic .

[@adamfrazer5150]

It's a sound process - I mean, there's no scruples in war 🙍 so why not allow the initial developments and airframes to get them past the conceptual work. I'm surprised though, they've done a lot of indigenous work too - some competitive - seeming designs 👍

[@nanjiang1953]

@@AviationAustin Military equipments do not have patents so copy is not a problem. All modern rockets/missiles are copied from Nazi Germany what say you?

[@junyutan2172]

The jh7 looks more like the sepecat jaguar imo

[@Weider63]

He is not that smart

[@LodewijkVrije]

50 j-20's even 3 months ago estimated numbers were much higher. and now with Zuhai 2022 over, its confirmed that over 200 J-20's have been produced. at least 208 airframes have been built if the production numbers are still counted as accurate information. as for the whole part about the Su-57 it depends on how you look at it in terms of which program being older. i think they are about the same age. but the J-20 uses the Mig-1.44 design (yes really, just look at some pictures on google) blended with their own J-9V-b (which was a tailless delta wing design) meanwhile the Su-57 seems to be a blend between what Sukhoi and Mig initially entered for the design contract. also there are at least 11 flying Su-57's 2 delivered on Christmas day 2020, 2 delivered in april 2021, 2 delivered in december 2021, 6 prototypes were converted to "production standard" which is something the Russians do. 1 of those crashed.

[@ajaychawla1000]

I never thought of Chinese jets this way. Inspite of the fact that most of Chinese fighter jets are copy of Russian jets, j20 is only functional 5th generation fighter jet outside of USA. That's quite impressive. But what about their market outside china.

[@AviationAustin]

You mean their efforts to sell their aircraft? They haven't been very successful.

[@doctorj1607]

They used to be successful, but their market share is dropping

[@AviationAustin]

For sure. The J-7 was particularly successful abroad. I suspect because of it's affordability.

[@doctorj1607]

@@AviationAustin binkovs battlegrounds did a video on this very subject not so long ago.

[@worldwanderer91]

J-20s are exclusive to the Chinese military. The J-31s are rumored to be for export sells as well as rumored to be carrier-capable

[@angelotero4118]

Hey Austin! It's been a while since I've been occupied with school. I commented on your last video regarding the top gun Maverick review I believe. And I appreciate the time you took to respond. You should post more! Your videos are always amazing.

[@AviationAustin]

It's been a few months I know...but i just moved, got a new job, and started a master's program. So I've been busier than normal. Haha. More coming soon

[@FrotanInferno]

Hey I’ve seen your video on how to become an aerospace engineer from the networking/placement perspective but have you considered making a video on how you found it best to study as an aerospace engineer? eg type of note taking, using textbooks, certain methods or topics etc. There’s a lot of content to learn right from the start and I was wondering how someone who’s been there and succeeded does it. I really enjoyed and learned from your basics of missiles video.

[@AviationAustin]

I have made 2 videos about becoming an aerospace engineer. Have you seen both?

[@FrotanInferno]

@@AviationAustin Yes I saw the ‘How to become an aerospace engineer” and the the “How I became an aerospace engineer” but since I’m doing aerospace in Europe sadly some of the organizations you recommended joining for experience like AAIA don’t have any events available to me. I was wondering if you’ve done any videos on how you studied for aerospace or if there’s any books/resources you would recommend that you use when you need to learn new or old knowledge that you forgot. I’d also like to ask if you would consider yourself an astronautical or aeronautical engineer?

[@AviationAustin]

Aerospace encompasses both. So I can do either or. I'll consider doing a study tips video though.

[@austin.5947]

I must say, it’s definitely interesting to see another Austin who likes all things aerospace. But we also look incredible similar. 👀

[@foxywinterfox7575]

When it comes for the Chinese jets, you forgot to mention the FC-1 Fierce Dragon/JF-17 Thunder and the upcoming J-35. Those were other Chinese made jets were got included.

[@AviationAustin]

I didn't include any prototypes, non fully operational, or trainer aircraft. But maybe sometime in the future

[@aluminium1035]

@@AviationAustin but he was saying why did u not include the FC-1/JF-17, it's currently used by pakistan and china and i can definitely tell u that it's fully operational

[@AviationAustin]

I don't think China uses any FC-1s this list is only Chinese fighter jets

[@foxywinterfox7575]

@@AviationAustin it does makes sense the FC-1/JF-17 haven't used by China since they already have the J-10 operational. Anyway, as the Chinese Aviation had a expansion over the Flanker Family for the Chinese for boosting their fleet.

[@itsalmostfun8567]

When I asked you about ranking Gen1-5 Jets and you said you made a chinese vid about it Your an honest man

[@AviationAustin]

I'm here to serve 😂

[@iamrmdp17]

Correction: there are at least 120 to 150 J20 already in service.

[@AviationAustin]

What did I say? 🤔

[@iamrmdp17]

@@AviationAustin 50!

[@AviationAustin]

Hmm I believe I meant 150. Good catch

[@AviationAustin]

Chinese fighter jets ranking is live! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnrbpaian5iti9k Do agree with the rankings so far? What aircraft do you want me to rank next?

[@ajaychawla1000]

Can you make a video on Indian fighter jet, Tejas mk1 and mk2. We have only 2 jets yet HAL HF Marut and Tejas, it shouldn't take much time to cover both of them but I think most of the enthusiasts are interested in Tejas only.

[@AviationAustin]

I'll look into it

[@olderchin1558]

Why are cost score so low for the Chinese plane, they are significantly cheaper than any similar planes out there.

[@AviationAustin]

How do you know the cost?

[@olderchin1558]

@@AviationAustin you have got a point there but you are estimating everything here anyways. The JF17 block 3 is being sold for about 38 mil and the J10C is using similar avionics and is also single engine with roughly the same avionics. Even with imported LEAP engines and US avionics and landing gears and a bunch of other stuff, the C919 is priced at 100mil compared to a similar 320 from Airbus for 120mil. China claims close to 100% local made parts in the latest fighters, probably true since they don't buy any more engines from Russia. Generally engineers in China are paid about a third to half of that of a US EU engineer. Cost of living in China is about a third of that in the US. I would estimate China cost for building fighters to range from 60 to 70% of that in the US. And if you believe China steals everything then probably less than half.

[@edwingan1988]

In war if it is no shame to kill your enemy, copying him is so smart

[@AviationAustin]

Is China at war? I didn't know that

[@edwingan1988]

Are these not made for war?

[@AviationAustin]

When was the last time China was in a war?

[@thatoneangryissuesgirl2005]

Chinese aircrafts are not very reliable, many operators in the East and Middle East bought chinese planes and had parts and maintenance problems, making the plane spend days in repair.

[@AviationAustin]

Not surprising

[@Cruixale]

Why nothing about Europeans Jets? I Believe Both Thyphoon, Rafale and Grippen where pretty innovative and have many strong points

[@AviationAustin]

Haven't gotten to Europe yet. Just US and Chinese fighters

[@captjinxmarine9832]

They do lack the capability of creating an engine that doesn’t blow up after eighty hours.

[@constantinethecataphract5949]

They still need to use Russian engines.

[@Dantm928]

As chinese, I don't blame you for your jugements as this is the commonplace outside of china and the low avalibility of military information.(And I do not explicitly state you're wrong to be clear) But it will be nice if you'd like to dig further into our forums(which is really not hard and is very informative to say the least) and do a more detailed coverage of our airforce if you are interested. Especially since you didn't mention all the different varients and the changes we made to aircrafts or the ordinance it was designed to carry. The part about copying was probably the worst, I cannot understand how you would consider a plane as a copy if it doesn't even share the same external layout or function, not to mention out of all the subsystems that make up an aircraft airframe makes up at max 20% of the plane. JH-7 was specifically designed to be used for anti-ship missions at low atltitude, it was never equiped for ground strikes untill later varients were avalible. Personally speaking, I think our airforce and country as a whole is horribly mistaken in its reputation for only capable of copying things and have nothing original at all especially since it is 2024. It is only because no one had been in our place. We're a independent force struggling between two superpowers with constant threat from all directions whilst fielding equipment sometimes 30 years behind our enemies for much of our history after the birth of PRC. USSR once threatened to nuke us, Americans were circling us from the east and south. We took direct copies, reverse-engineered, and developed our own verisons of things all while hastily catching up the world powers, find pictures of chinese city in 1980 and compare it to american city and you'll see how far we're behind then. It is true we may be making copies and knockoffs, but that was all we had, we needed something to protect our values and interests. You cant really just say we're completly ethicless copycats out of some evil hollywood movie. I think we had proven ourselves from what used to be a semi-coloney to today a major world force. I can confidently tell you that China isn't what you imagine, just do some reasearch in our language to find out. For a start, you can check out www.zhihu.com/question/40790575, or you can find your own sources.

[@AviationAustin]

I can't do research in your language. And based on what you're telling me about the information it sounds unreliable anyways. Forums are not really a good source of information. As far your fear of the US encircling you I can confidently say we have no intention of attacking or invading China. The reason for our presence is predominantly to prevent Chinese aggression against Taiwan. Our presence is a deterrence not a threat to your sovereignty. And personally I think you have developed beyond just copying technology. But you have repeatedly taken technology without permission. Including recently with espionage. Not to say you're the only ones to do that. But, I will say the J-20 may use some of the ill gotten technology, but at least it looks more innovative than other platforms. And I believe it's already superior to the Su-57. Good luck and hope you know that most Americans have think fondly of the Chinese people, just not so fondly of your government.

[@Dantm928]

@@AviationAustin I'd like to thank you for replying to me in the first place. Also it is worth noting that I mentioned fourms as a place to start with as it does lead to more promising information...our military keep outdated hardware classified so it is hard to find much of offical things on anything remotly recent. If you want to keep up with the newest things or more detailed information I'd say its a good place to start, or atleast in our loal web. Not to mention some uploaders has gone as far as taking pictures from military bases to get solid evidence and getting arrested for that matter, it may take some time but there is return. Also worth noting is our internet is filled with people that feel against our country or feel the other countries are better, that makes certain information more believable. Personally I think it is comparable to Warthunder leaking info... it is enhanced by the fact that we're half sealed from the global web which results in more people elaborating on things they probably shouldn't be. Organizing open info well can certainly get you alot of good and reliable information. Maybe using deepl or other translations would help? I've seen the same done with our content creators on bilibili.

[@Dantm928]

@@AviationAustin As for opinions on global relations etc. I think it is the same for both side, we're too used to recieve negative information about the other side (which isn't totally false most of the time) that we also feel the same for the americans, just like how you may feel about us. That is something I wouldn't want to change on too much.

[@natecook3616]

I’d like to see one on the KC-135R

[@vctor6768]

I think the j7 looks more like the Jaguar than the F111

[@PrinceJonathan-mp4tl]

Great video !

[@AviationAustin]

Thanks!

[@asiftalpur3758]

jfc Austin I'm ngl but you literally don't know anything about aviation. I had to stop when you compared the JH-7 to the Vark. Lil bro that's a jaguar larp 😭💔

[@adamfrazer5150]

CCP says: "That's okay, I'll just have some of yours." 😬

[@divyanshusharma6525]

please suggest any good book of aerospace engineering . which is complete in itself

[@AviationAustin]

I'm not much of a reader.

[@divyanshusharma6525]

Any basic

[@LegionOfShrooms]

SuperHornet is the same as a Hornet except SuperHornet holds more fuel.

[@AviationAustin]

Not the same. Many more differences than just fuel

[@themastermagicians2745]

cup’s motto: JUST COPY IT 🤪🤣😂

[@ScoobyDoo-zp1sq]

Amazing high school presentation. Well done young lad 👍

[@AviationAustin]

I feel like this is an insult

[@jerald9739]

your videos is great anyways bro keep uploading 👀👍

[@AviationAustin]

Thank you!

[@hurricaneace143]

Closer to 12 operational su-57s

[@brianjiang2287]

FB-7 copied from F-111 ? are you kidding? 🙃

[@anotherlin]

It bears more ressemblance to a Panavia Tornado minus the variable swept wing...

[@MarcBossYT]

Cool

[@Maxtherocketguy]

Under Martian,huge,supereme*

[@olderchin1558]

These are war planes. Why wouldn't any country buy, copy, lie, cheat, borrow or steal to fight a war. Most countries in the world buy their fighter jet from others. Ethics has never been a valued virtue in war. I think China should work with Russia to develop and produce the SU57, it is a great looking plane with fantastic flight characteristics. The only trouble with the plane is Russia's industrial capacity. It is a great design, suitable to replace the SU-27 family of planes. China should also put the J35 in production, learn from Elon Musk.

[@AviationAustin]

Your speaking of the ethics of the military, I'm talking about the merit of innovation. Stealing technology does not warrant acclaim.

[@永恒之路]

They may not have the best technology, but they have the greatest civilization.

[@AviationAustin]

China has the greatest civilization? The country with no civil rights? The country enacting ethnic cleansing? The country that actively suppresses free expression and speech. I don't think so.

[@永恒之路]

@@AviationAustin civilization is not the same as a country

[@AviationAustin]

Their civilization has allowed the worst human atrocities ever to occur in their country. I'd say they're pretty closely intertwined

[@永恒之路]

@@AviationAustin Different expirience, points of view, knowledge , i dont see any reason to discuss about right and wrong. I watch you beacause of your good content about planes and engineering not for politics.

[@AviationAustin]

@piotrliu605 well that's why I leave it out of the videos. Enjoy the channel!

[@markli247]

lmao, u know nothing about Chinese military equipment. But then, that's great

[@Darko-kn6il]

This video is definitely have no idea of what his saying, how can you say those are copies if they are license produce lol...if it's license produce they can just modify or upgrade those aircraft into another variant which is based from the aircraft that where license from them but then again if you really know what you are talking reverse engineering is a lot harder than developing your own.

[@laosasean8482]

US also copied look at F-35 B or VSTOL is copied of Yak-141. Y-20 is high wing, while C-17 so is totally different aircrafts

[@kaidentjosaas7731]

The F-35B was a modification to the original design of the F-35, which had no STOVL capabilities. While the F-35C, designed for the US Navy's fleet carriers, has a bigger wingspan bulkier landing gear and more fuel capacity than the other variants. The aforementioned B variant was designed to be able to be operated off of Amphibious Assault Ships and specifically the QE2 class of Carriers for the Royal Navy. The Yak-141, had it not been cancelled, is STOVL because Russia had no choice. At the time the only operable Carriers were Heli-carriers, like the Kiev class. Admiral Kuznetsov, while not only being plagued with problems western Carriers didn't experience. Had a dedicated airwing being the far more maneuverable, faster, and destructive Su-33. The Soviet carrier also had the far more versatile Ka-27 Helicopter on board which took care of any need for ASW. As such the Soviet, soon to be Russian Navy had little use for the Yak-141. With the retirement of the Kiev Class carriers in 1995 Yak-141's fate was sealed, dooming it to being cancelled. Later the Admiral Kuznetsov received MiG-29Ks, and MiG-29KUBs killing the chance of the project ever being revived. TL:DR. F-35B serves a dedicated role it was built for, the Yak-141 was a proposed bandage that never got boxed, let alone used.

[@laosasean8482]

@@kaidentjosaas7731 Even 5 years old kid can tell that F-35B STOVL was copied of Yak-141

[@kaidentjosaas7731]

@@laosasean8482 Seeing as you’re completely incapable of forming a valid point without stating the obvious. I believe I have nothing more to say to you. All you are doing is coping right now. The F-35B is not a copy of the Yak-141, that’s as dumb as saying the Yak-141 is a copy of the Harrier.

[@laosasean8482]

@@kaidentjosaas7731 are you Indian? F-35B is copycat of Yak-141 even Lockheed admitted that they paid Russian $400 million to get the copied right from Yakolev

[@coyoteeffect]

​@@laosasean8482 wait until y'all hear about the Convair Model 200 Lockmart never copied off Yakovlev; Yak _went_ to Lockmart, who got the design working - the only thing that the Yak contributed was data on the swiveling rear engine

[@oscarcollier5141]

Worst video of "Aviation Austin".

[@AviationAustin]

Really? Why? What's your favorite?

[@sbkarajan]

F-15, F-14 are knock off of MIG-25, seriously. F-4 Phantoms were no match to much faster and far more maneuverable MIG-21, it did not even bothered to put machine guns. Kill ratio of the long range missile America put on the F-4 was far less than 10%, basically a joke. F-14 was a missile carrying truck, slow and stalled all the time, its engine was a piece of s... junk. No American fighter aircraft built before year 2000 could reach Mach 2, so the US just lied that they could. B-2 is a knock off of HO-229 F-35B is a design borrowed from YAK-141. BTW, F-22 can go has high as 58,000 ft only, not really catching up with Chinese Balloons? MIG-25, according to real pilots who flew it, can reach 100,000 ft with ease. Man, Chinese were commuting in bicycle just 30 years ago, and do you expect to not learn, but start to create on their own from the onset? In the meanwhile, America just lies about inventions and its achievements and fool the world?

[@sbkarajan]

And did you know that China is the largest economy in the world already, perhaps twice the size of US economy, right now? Take a look at this fun stat. The sales of luxury cars in 2021: Benz: 758,863 sold in China, 276,102 in the US BMW: 846,237 sold in China, 336,644 in the US Audi: 701,289 sold in China, 196,038 in the US Porsche: 95,671 sold in China, 70,025 in the US America gave up producing anything, so it has claimed it's the richest country by just spending with borrowed money. How does that work? Anyhow, China produces everything, for the world in the past decades, and then it spends LOT more than the US does. So, how can the US have bigger economy? It cannot, and does not.

[@sbkarajan]

The GDP us cooks up, is total bool. GDP per capita, where capita is everybody including baby, the US claims it's $75k. Then, per HH, it produces $22.5k? Since the US is a net importer, HH income should be even bigger than that. Does average US household (of 3 people) make more than $22.5k? Is $22.5k annual salary common in the US? Nope, not at all. Thus it's total boooooool. On the other hand, Chinese GDP per capita is $13k. So per household, it's $39k. That is very much inline with Chinese income now. Many new college graduates in computer science and engineering make $60k-70k. Since Chinese salary got very high these days, a lot of Taiwanese and South Koreans go to China to work. And their GDP is supposed to be 3 times that of China, and the salary there are often less!!! LOL!

[@sbkarajan]

Videos by WALK EAST. Please do watch and learn how Chinese cities look like now. Compared to the NYC and LA, they are out of this world, this planet. It will blow your mind, China is far richer than America, right now. You are completely brainwashed by the US MSM.

[@AviationAustin]

You think the US stats are bull? But you believe the CCP?😅 Oof. You might want to fact check that. China doesn't even believe Chinese figures

[@sbkarajan]

@@AviationAustin I don't believe any one source. I compare the claims from opposing sides, and make conclusion myself. Usually, when there is a dispute,100% of the time it's America who is lying. For example, the Vietnam war, Gulf of Tonkin incident was a lie and a war broke out that killed at least 3 million Vietnamese. How did that many people die? Carpet bomb ring a bell? Was that a war crime? Did America invade Iraq based on a lie? Why did America invade Panama and arrested, locked up politicians and kidnap its president? In Nicaragua? Did Reagan tell the truth? Does America ever tell truth?

[@amjaddanish61]

Totally wrong

[@AviationAustin]

Insightful