Kinetic Aircraft 1/48 Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark Kit

The Shenyang J-15, also known as Flying Shark is a 4.5 generation, twin-jet, all-weather, carrier-based fighter aircraft in development by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and the 601 Institute for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s aircraft carriers. Rumors initially claimed the aircraft was to be a semi-stealth variant, yet later reports indicate the aircraft is based on the Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-33 and is fitted with domestically produced radars, engines, and weapons. An unfinished Su-33 prototype, the T-10K-3, was acquired from Ukraine in 2001 and is said to have been studied extensively, with development on the J-15 beginning immediately afterward. While the J-15 appears to be structurally based on the Su-33, the indigenous fighter features Chinese technologies as well as avionics from the J-11B program. In February 2018, criticism of the aircraft appeared in several Chinese media outlets including Xinhua and China’s main military newspaper, contending the shortcomings of the aircraft are obvious since it actually should belong to the 3rd generation of fighters.