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Shenyang J-15 - Chinese Sea Flanker from Trumpeter


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Just finished, the new 1/72 scale J-15 from Trumpeter - complete with flight deck and crew figures........

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The only alteration I have made is to lower the nosewheel oleo to make it more compressed - the rest is straight from the box.

Ken

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Wow! Another inspirational production from The King Of The Cranes!

Most interesting to learn that Big T have re-booted their Flanker tooling with corrected gear bay alignment (albeit a little late in the day!); this is now a serious contender for my sponds. I do like the idea of the deck section included, too.

Now...where/when can we get one???! :wub:

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Most interesting to learn that Big T have re-booted their Flanker tooling with corrected gear bay alignment (albeit a little late in the day!);

I think you may have misunderstood me ?

The existing Trumpeter Flanker kits (J-11/Su-30MKK, Su-27 Early, Su-27UB etc) still have the angled wheel bays - they haven't been re-tooled.

The J-15 is a completely new mould - to cater for the canarded fuselage and bigger, folding wings.

They just happen to have got the wheel bays right on this kit (so they must be listening) - but then go and spoil it by making the wingspan 3mm too great :doh:

I wonder if there is something in the Chinese psyche/philosophy that says you cannot make something that is perfect ???

Maybe it might displease their gods - as only they can create perfection?

It's just a thought - but it might explain why every Trumpeter kit has some kind of flaw? :whistle:

Happy Flankering

Ken

PS - Hannants have them in stock - but they are quite pricey.

I suspect there will be another release - minus the flight deck - which should be cheaper.

They are certainly planning a Su-33 release in the future.

Edited by Flankerman
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I think you may have misunderstood me ?

The existing Trumpeter Flanker kits (J-11/Su-30MKK, Su-27 Early, Su-27UB etc) still have the angled wheel bays - they haven't been re-tooled.

The J-15 is a completely new mould - to cater for the canarded fuselage and bigger, folding wings.

They just happen to have got the wheel bays right on this kit (so they must be listening) - but then go and spoil it by making the wingspan 3mm too great :doh:

I wonder if there is something in the Chinese psyche/philosophy that says you cannot make something that is perfect ???

Maybe it might displease their gods - as only they can create perfection?

It's just a thought - but it might explain why every Trumpeter kit has some kind of flaw? :whistle:

Happy Flankering

Ken

PS - Hannants have them in stock - but they are quite pricey.

I suspect there will be another release - minus the flight deck - which should be cheaper.

They are certainly planning a Su-33 release in the future.

Didn't misunderstand, Ken -just expressed myself badly! After the 're-booted' bit, I should have added "for this edition". I fully realise this will not translate into earlier/later/other varieties being 'corrected', and is a side-effect of creating the sea-going Flanker. I live in the world as it is, not as I heartily wish it to be! But it makes this one a go-er for me, as I would rather like a folded one to sit alongside a 'good to go' Hasegawa kit -so the 'extra' bit of wing won't show too much! If I had to score another Hasegawa kit, Wolfpack wing & tail folds plus a chunk of carrier deck, it would all get prohibitive. Indeed, I wonder if anyone make a 1/72 Sino-Soviet deck? Presumably we're looking at 'pre-owned' Varyag/Liaoning layouts, which could double for a Kuznetsow catapault setting?

As to 'perfection', many years ago I worked for a hand-made carpet importer. Even the most high-end merchandise from what was loosely termed the 'Persian' area (this even pre-dates the Revolution in Iran!) was never 100 per cent 'accurate', ie fully symmetrical or dead even. Some of the wealthier punters couldn't live with that, but rather than suggest they opt for a cheaper machine-made item, sales guys often told them that any flaws were deliberate, because 'perfection was the sole province of Allah, and the lot of man was to strive for it whilst never achieving'...well, any modeller can identify with that! We used to get loads of Indian and Chinese goods as well, but I don't recall this being a feature of far-eastern religious philosophy -maybe just too Buddhist to give a wotsit! :winkgrin:

*Edit*: Many thanks for the Hannants link; I managed to find a few around t'web by searching for 'Chinese J-15' instead of 'Shenyang J-15'! Duh!

Edited by AngstROM
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Indeed, I wonder if anyone make a 1/72 Sino-Soviet deck? Presumably we're looking at 'pre-owned' Varyag/Liaoning layouts, which could double for a Kuznetsow catapault setting?

Olimp do a printed deck section for Kuznetsov but it doesn't include the blast deflector.

I used it to scratch an extended deck section and blast screen for my modified Hasegawa Su-33....

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Comparing with photos, the Trumpeter deck section is the starboard ski-jump area on Liaoning - which is ex-Varyag, ex-Riga and is therefore Kuznetsov class.

Trumpeter's deck could double for Kuznetsov (possibly with different markings ?) - so I might get another kit for the deck to display the Su-33 on.

I also emailed Dream Models about a PLAN-style deck tractor - and they replied that they had one planned.

Olimp already do a resin Russian deck tractor.

Ken

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Nice one Ken - lovely work, as usual.

Is that a pair of retractable "chocks" in front of the main wheels?

ATB
Rick

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Not chocks exactly - but holdback 'fingers'.

It's the Russian answer to the launch catapult - on the Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the fingers hold back the Su-33 by its main wheels, allowing it to be run up to full afterburner power.

On command, they quickly retract - allowing the Su-33 to accelerate up the ski-ramp to take off.

The Chinese Liaoning (ex Varyag) that they purchased as a hulk from Ukraine is the same class as the Kuznetsov - and has the same system.

The PLANAF J-15 is also an unlicenced copy of the Su-33 - so they are all the same.

This video shows the 'fingers' being retracted - don't blink or you will miss it!

Ken

PS - It also shows the Su-33 being fully armed taking off from the longest run - proving all those doubters who say it can't takeoff fully armed - wrong

Edited by Flankerman
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