Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Su-33>HA6404
Su-33 Flanker D Bort 88, Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, near Syrian coast, 2016
General Background
The J-15 is a Chinese twin-engine all-weather carrier-based fighter manufactured by the
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in cooperation with the 601 Institute for the Chinese PLAN aircraft
carriers. In China the J-15 is known as the Flying Shark with a NATO designation of Flanker-X2.
The J-15 has the same basic airframe design as the Su-33. When the jet entered service in 2015
it was compared to the U.S. Navy’s two-seat FA-18 Super Hornet fighter. In 2018 it was
announced the J-15 would stop production for the J-15B.
The Aircraft
Mid October 2016 the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and seven other Russian vessels left for
the Syrian coast. On November 15 2016 the carrier and its ten Su-33 and four MiG-29KR/KUBR
aircraft took part in a large operation against ISIS in the Homs area using 500 pound bombs.
Admiral Kuznetsov returned to its home port of Severomorsk in February 2017. During the
deployment Su-33 67 Red was lost due to arrestor cable failure. One of the other nine Su-33s
was 88 Red.
Specifications :
| First Flight: | August 31, 2009 |
| In Service: | 2013 |
| Crew: | 1 – 2 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length: | 21.19 m (72 ft) |
| Wingspan: | Down – 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in) |
| Folded – 8.4 m (27.56 ft) | |
| Height – 5.9 m (19.42 ft) | |
| Weights: | Empty – 175,000 kg (38,600 lb) |
| Loaded – 27,000 kg (60,000 lb) | |
| Maximum Takeoff – 33,000 kg (72,752 lb) | |
| Performance: | Powerplants – 2 X Modified WS-10 Variants Producing 132kN Each |
| Maximum Speed – Mach 2.4 (2,940 kph 1,826 mph) | |
| Ferry Range – 3,500 km (2,175 miles) | |
| Armament: | Cannon – 1 X 30 mm GSh-30-1 With 150 Rounds |
| Munitions On 12 External Hardpoints | |
| 8 X PL-12 or R-77 And | |
| 4 X PL-9 Or R-73 Air-To-Air Missiles | |
| YJ-62 Or Kh-41 Anti-Ship Missiles | |
| YJ-91 Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles | |
| ECM Pods | |
| Various Bombs And Rockets |