Trumpeter 1/48 JJ-7A Trainer

The J-7 trainer variants are the Chinese-developed trainer versions for domestic Chinese use, and this series is supplied to both the PLAAF and PLANAF.

JJ-7: Based on J-7II but is 40% different than J-7II, equipped with a domestic HTY-2 ejection seat, Type 226 ranging radar, and other domestic Chinese systems. Guns are deleted but belly pylon can carry semi-buried twin 23 mm gun. The program formally began on January 4, 1984, with state certification received on February 4, 1988.

JJ-7A: Improved JJ-7 including more advanced avionics such as HUD and FJ-1 data recorder. Improved air conditioning system. Development began in Feb 1994, with state certification received on Dec 7, 1996. Visually these differ from the MiG-21UM by having two ventral fins.

Export versions of this aircraft are the FT-7 which has its avionics matched to the variant of F-7 sold to that nation.

This is one of Trumpeter's newer releases and while I cannot verify it, I'd be willing to bet that it shares a few of its sprues with other J-7 kits. The kit has a nicely done cockpit tub that has raised detail and includes decals for the instrument panels and side consoles. The seats are somewhat generic and the cockpit would benefit from resin replacements with more detail. Cockpit side panels are separate items that attach with fairly large glue points.

The kit comes with rubber/vinyl main tires and personally, I'd rather have plastic as sometimes the vinyl will crack with age. Once the landing gear is built, next are the wings. There is a small p.e. fret for a fence that fits on the wing. Instructions would have you attach the main gear before attaching the wings to the fuselage. I'd leave those off until after painting. Back at the fuselage halves, the main gear wells need to be assembled and then attached to the appropriate fuselage half.

Then the nose gear well and strut are assembled. This is followed by the centerline speed brake which can be posed raised or lowered. This is followed by the exhaust. Finally, all these items along with the cockpit can be installed and the fuselage halves closed.

The next steps are the installation of the ventral fins, the nose intake, the forward speed brake (which can be posed open or closed), nose gear doors, main gear inner doors, various intakes, and the windscreen and canopies. Only now are the wings and tailplanes glued on along with wing and fuselage pylons. There is a centerline fuel tank as well as missiles and rocket pods to use on these pylons. A nice addition are canopy masks.

The instruction sheet is typical landscape format that is somewhat standard for Trumpeter kits. Markings options are all a light grey with nose numbers in either red or yellow. A variety of additional numbers are provided if you wish something different from the two standard ones provided. Lots of stencils are also provided. The sheet is nicely printed and should be trouble free.

Overall, it looks like a nice kit. Perhaps a bit esoteric for many modelers, but it should not be a difficult build.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chengdu_J-7_variants

December 2025