The Shenyang J-15 is a 4th generation, twinjet, all-weather, carrier-capable multirole fighter in development by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and the 601 Institute for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s aircraft carriers.
Shenyang J 15 Flying Shark at Liaoning aircraft carrier 7
credit: PLA
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The Shenyang J-15, also known as the Flying Shark is a carrier-borne air superiority fighter. Its development was hulled in controversy. Russia claims that the Chinese have breached intellectual property agreements by building their type of Russian Sukhoi Su-33 fighter jet. This occurrence lead to the end of negotiation between the two powerful countries in 2006.
In 2006, the J-15 program officially began. On August 31, 2009, the first prototype conducted its first flight and was believed to be fitted by Russian-inspired AL-31 turbofan engines. In July 2010, videos and still images of the aircraft in flight were reported, having similar standard airframe design as the Su-33. On May 6, 2010, the J-15 took its first takeoff from a simulated ski-jump.
On November 25, 2012, it successfully accomplished its first takeoff and Landing on Liaoning, the first aircraft carrier of China. On November 4, 2012, a twin-seat version conducted its maiden flight. The original WS-10 engines proved to be not reliable under oceanic conditions, and the initial J-15s were powered by Russian-made AL31F. After some years, WS-10 entered production and the later versions of the aircraft were slowly replaced with enhanced WS-10.
The Shenyang WS-10 afterburning turbofan engines powered the J-15. Each engine produces a maximum thrust of 30,000 lbf. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 1,301 knots and a ferry range of 1,900 nautical miles. It can fly up to 66,000 feet and can climb at a rate of 64,000 feet per minute.
The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 33,000 kg and a maximum landing weight of 24,000 kg. It has a maximum payload of 15,000 kg and a fuel capacity of 3,700 gallons.
The J-15 has an exterior length of 21.9 meters, a height of 5.92 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 1.8 meters. It has a wheelbase of 5.9 meters, a wingspan of 14.7 meters, and a wing area of 62.04 square meters. It can be loaded with a 1×30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon with 150 rounds, air-to-air and anti-ship missiles, various bombs, and rockets.
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