CV-17 Shandong (002 carrier) Thread I ...News, Views and operations
- Thread starter Jeff Head
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According to Andrei Fomin's book on Su-33, front launching position will do 25-28 tons of MTOW. He also states empty weight of Su-33 is 19.6 tons, which is more than is usually stated. (interstingly, KNAAPO and Sukhoi websites do not disclose empty weight)
So... if using 27 tons and, say, 19 tons for J-15, we're at some 8 tons. If one wanted to carry those 8 weapons, pylon weight should be added as well. Probably 120-150 kg for 4 AAM pylons, and another 400-600 kg for heavier pylons. After pilot, oil, gun ammo, etc we're probably at some 4,0 to 4,2 tons of fuel. Since he also claims 9500 kg of fuel and 3000 km ferry range, that'd work out to some 1200 km of ferry range (give or take), So perhaps 400-500 km combat radius in such configuration, achieved from the front launching positions?
So... if using 27 tons and, say, 19 tons for J-15, we're at some 8 tons. If one wanted to carry those 8 weapons, pylon weight should be added as well. Probably 120-150 kg for 4 AAM pylons, and another 400-600 kg for heavier pylons. After pilot, oil, gun ammo, etc we're probably at some 4,0 to 4,2 tons of fuel. Since he also claims 9500 kg of fuel and 3000 km ferry range, that'd work out to some 1200 km of ferry range (give or take), So perhaps 400-500 km combat radius in such configuration, achieved from the front launching positions?
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
What’s the heaviest configuration of J15 we have seen?
Its hard to tell since you can't see the amount of fuel that a jet carries.
So a jet carrying 4 air-air missiles maybe heavier than one carrying 2 extra anti-shippers.
Heaviest that I've deduced through timing takeoff is about 29 tons.
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
yes but I meant by external load
I'd believe the figures in the Fomin's book more. Even though the table does even mention Fomin's work. But their conclusions are a bit off.
In the above table, made by the person who I don't know how credible they are, the weapon pylons' weight is never accounted for.
Sadly i can't read Russian, but the ranges too seem off. Official ferry range as per knaapo and sukhoi is 3000 km. So a clean plane could do at best 1500 km of (non combat) radius. Yet here we have planes carrying 3 tons of weapons as having 1500 km combat radius? It'd be less due to weight and drag and it'd be less due to various combat maneuver allowances. So 1000 km might be more applicable. Similar issues beset other stated ranges.
And onyx was never integrated on Su-33. Even if it was, it could, at best, be carried just one on the centerline, like Su30MKI carries Brahmos.
In the above table, made by the person who I don't know how credible they are, the weapon pylons' weight is never accounted for.
Sadly i can't read Russian, but the ranges too seem off. Official ferry range as per knaapo and sukhoi is 3000 km. So a clean plane could do at best 1500 km of (non combat) radius. Yet here we have planes carrying 3 tons of weapons as having 1500 km combat radius? It'd be less due to weight and drag and it'd be less due to various combat maneuver allowances. So 1000 km might be more applicable. Similar issues beset other stated ranges.
And onyx was never integrated on Su-33. Even if it was, it could, at best, be carried just one on the centerline, like Su30MKI carries Brahmos.
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