J-15 carrier fighter thread

SAC

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The J-35 is smaller than the J-15, but certainly not significantly smaller. They pretty much have similar footprint sizes.

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Besides, on aircraft carriers, with a fixed given space, you don't just cramp stuffs into it like sardines in a tin can, as you still need to move those carrier-based aircrafts around. That's why unless in emergency mode, you don't see the Nimitzs cramping 80-100 Super Hornets in them, despite theoretically being able to do so.
Note the J-15 "folds" very well. Its width folded is less than the MiG-29K and F/A-18E/F IIRC. Of course, its length doesn't change.
 
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gelgoog

Lieutenant General
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Fundamentally, we don't know the specific extent of airframe strengthening that is needed for a ski jump takeoff, and whether that would be already present for an aircraft designed to have fuselage reinforcement for CATOBAR takeoff and recovery (J-15B and J-35/XY), or whether there are other airframe stresses for a sustained ski jump takeoff independent of fuselage reinforcement needed for CATOBAR takeoff and recovery.
...
On the other hand, if a CATOBAR compatible fighter does need additional reinforcement for ski jump takeoff, the question becomes one of whether it would be worthwhile to have developed J-15B and J-35/XY from the outset to have that ski jump specific reinforcement in addition to its obvious CATOBAR reinforcement. The obvious major benefits being that you can crossdeck, the drawbacks being a likely minor weight penalty (but where even minor weight additions are meaningful).
From what I understand a STOBAR aircraft does not need any strengthening for doing flights from a ski jump. What it will need strengthening for is so the airframe can withstand the stresses of the arrested recovery with the tail hook.

A CATOBAR aircraft will also need strengthening of the airframe so it can withstand the stresses of catapult launch. This includes strengthening of the landing gear. But this is supposedly much less of a problem with EMALS than with a steam catapult.
 

Blitzo

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From what I understand a STOBAR aircraft does not need any strengthening for doing flights from a ski jump. What it will need strengthening for is so the airframe can withstand the stresses of the arrested recovery with the tail hook.

A CATOBAR aircraft will also need strengthening of the airframe so it can withstand the stresses of catapult launch. This includes strengthening of the landing gear. But this is supposedly much less of a problem with EMALS than with a steam catapult.

No, the problem we face is we do not know whether a STOBAR aircraft requires any additional strengthening for taking off from a ski jump (independent of the strengthening to do arrested landings, which a CATOBAR aircraft has to do as well).

I'll break it down to bullet points in terms of airframe strengthening relevant to carrier landings and takeoffs:
- Both STOBAR and CATOBAR compatible aircraft will need the same kind of fuselage reinforcement for doing arrested landings
- CATOBAR compatible aircraft require nose gear launch bar and hold back faculties, as well as fuselage reinforcement for the forward "pull"/shear force of a catapult launch
- We do not know if STOBAR compatible aircraft require fuselage strengthening independent of the reinforcement for doing arrested landings, to account for the ski jump launch in a sustainable and long term fashion (e.g.: does the ski jump launch impose a vertical/upwards stress on the aircraft's landing gear and fuselage which is different in nature from the arrested landing)


The potential significance of the answer being yes or no is quite significant for how we view future airwing procurement, so we can't get away with "we suspect" or "our understanding is". We would really need definitive knowledge that likely right now only SAC and the PLANAF has, so unless there is watertight evidence, right now the best answer and only answer that we should come up with is "we don't know".
 

Gloire_bb

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- We do not know if STOBAR compatible aircraft require fuselage strengthening independent of the reinforcement for doing arrested landings, to account for the ski jump launch in a sustainable and long term fashion (e.g.: does the ski jump launch impose a vertical/upwards stress on the aircraft's landing gear and fuselage which is different in nature from the arrested landing)
No such requirement, it's quite gentle in fact.
Requirement is to somehow be able to fly at lower speed with as much weight as possible, thus the 1980s idea to give STOBAR aircraft FSW.


Nowadays, there are only around 70-75 planes / heils in a Carrier Air Wing.
Yep, but that's a savings measure.
 

Atomicfrog

Major
Registered Member
No, the problem we face is we do not know whether a STOBAR aircraft requires any additional strengthening for taking off from a ski jump (independent of the strengthening to do arrested landings, which a CATOBAR aircraft has to do as well).

I'll break it down to bullet points in terms of airframe strengthening relevant to carrier landings and takeoffs:
- Both STOBAR and CATOBAR compatible aircraft will need the same kind of fuselage reinforcement for doing arrested landings
- CATOBAR compatible aircraft require nose gear launch bar and hold back faculties, as well as fuselage reinforcement for the forward "pull"/shear force of a catapult launch
- We do not know if STOBAR compatible aircraft require fuselage strengthening independent of the reinforcement for doing arrested landings, to account for the ski jump launch in a sustainable and long term fashion (e.g.: does the ski jump launch impose a vertical/upwards stress on the aircraft's landing gear and fuselage which is different in nature from the arrested landing)


The potential significance of the answer being yes or no is quite significant for how we view future airwing procurement, so we can't get away with "we suspect" or "our understanding is". We would really need definitive knowledge that likely right now only SAC and the PLANAF has, so unless there is watertight evidence, right now the best answer and only answer that we should come up with is "we don't know".
Landing is way more punishing than lifting up from STOBAR.

But the front landing gear modifications that have been done for the CATOBAR compatible J-15 could influence his capabilities to use the STOBAR and certainly need to be tested.

If they want to be able to switch between STOBAR and CATOBAR with these, I'm quite surprised that we did not see the J-15B in test on the Liaoning or Shandong if it's the case before test flights on the Fujian.
 

Deino

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@Oneninety once again somewhat cryptically announces something!
This time an "Electric Shark", which can actually only be interpreted as news regarding the J-15D? Should the type finally be put into service after years without much information?

Or is there another explanation (other that they once again want to tease and test us only)?

(Image via @Oneninety from Weibo)

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