When the United States refused to sell F-20 and F-16 aircraft to the ROCAF they decided they
would produce their own. The AIDC (Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation) F-CK-1 is
an air superiority jet fighter capable of multi-role tasks. The aircraft was named Ching-Kuo after
the late President Chiang Ching-Kuo but commonly referred to as the IDF (Indigenous Defence
Fighter). The first flight of the FSD (Full Scale Development) was on May 28, 1989 and entered
service in 1994. The 131st and last F-CK-1 was manufactured in 1999.

The first of three prototypes of the F-CK-1A known as “Ching Kuo” (F=Fighter, CK = Ching
Kuo, 1 = first domestically developed fighter) was rolled out on December 10, 1988. On May 28,
1989 the first FSD took to the air. The aircraft was given a red, white and blue paint scheme
with 10001 on the vertical tail and serial number 77-8001 (77= the year it was built -1977 on
Taiwan calendar, 1988 on the Gregorian calendar) below it.

Specification IDF F-CK-1 “Ching-Kuo”

Manufacturer - Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC)
Role – Air Superiority Fighter and/or Multi-role tasks
Production – 131

Crew
1 x A an C variant
2 x B and D variants

Dimensions
Length – 14.21 m    (46 ft 7 in)
Wing Span – 9.46 m   (31 ft 0 in)
Height – 4.42 m    (14 ft 6 in)

Performance
Engines
2 x Honeywell F125-70 turbofans
Dry Thrust - 27 kN/6,000 lbf per engine
With Afterburners - 42 kN/9,500 lbf per engine
Maximum Speed – Mach 1.8
Range – 1,100 km   (600 nmi / 680 mi)
Service Ceiling – 16,800 m   (55,000 ft)

Weight
Empty – 6,500 kg   (14,300 lb)
Loaded – 9,072 kg   (20,000)
Maximum Take Off – 12,000 kg   (27,000 lb)

Armament
Internal - 1 x M61A1 6 barreled 20 mm Gatling cannon
Hardpoints – 6 x plus wingtips
Maximum Weapon Load: 3,901kg   (8,600 lb)
Assorted Weapons – AAMs / ASMs / AGMs / PGMs / bombs / FFAR pods

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