Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Su-33>HA6405

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

China’s latest aircraft carrier, Shandong, was commissioned in December 2019 and is the first carrier completely built in China. It will join the carrier Liaoning but will be equipped with 44 J-15 aircraft, 8 more than the Liaoning. There are plans to build several more carriers over the next decade. J-15 No. 100 is the first of the service production J-15s. The newer production of the J-15 is receiving a green primer instead of the earlier yellow paint. It is believed the green is a more robust product and needed to protect against salt water.

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