AIDC AT-3

AT-3 Tzu Chung
AT-3s of the Thunder Tigers Squadron
Role	Trainer
National origin	Taiwan
Manufacturer	Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation
First flight	16 September 1980
Introduction	1984
Status	Active
Primary user	Republic of China Air Force
Produced	1984-1989
Number built	62

The AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung (traditional Chinese: 自強; simplified Chinese: 自强; pinyin: Zìqiáng) ("Self Reliance") is an advanced jet trainer operated by the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF). A total of sixty-two aircraft were manufactured by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation of the Taiwan in collaboration with American aircraft manufacturer Northrop between 1984 and 1990. Two A-3 single-seat attack version were also built.

Design of the advanced jet trainer began in 1975 with a conventional low-wing configuration with a tricycle undercarriage, tandem seat cockpit, and twin turbofans mounted in nacelles on either side of the fuselage. After the design was approved in 1978, two prototypes were produced. The first aircraft rolled out on 17 July 1980 and made its maiden flight on 16 September 1980. Further evaluation resulted in a contract for 60 AT-3As for the ROCAF.

The AT-3 is a low-wing monoplane with a straight wing and a conventional slab tailplane. The AT-3 has five weapon mounts (one centerline, two inboard underwing, two outboard underwing) and wingtip launch rails. There are two Zero-zero Martin-Baker 10 ejection seats in the tandem dual-control cockpit of production models. The rear seat (the Instructor position) is elevated 30 cm to allow better over-the-nose visibility. There's a rarely used small bomb bay feature in the aircraft, now mostly holding an auxiliary fuel tank. AT-3 has two Honeywell/Garrett TFE731-2-2L non-afterburning turbofan engines, producing a total thrust of 3178 kg (31.1 kN; 7000 lb). It is able to carry various size iron bombs, rocket pods, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and locally produced TC-1 IR Air-to-air missiles.

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