Hongdu JL-10 / L-15 Falcon

History

Supersonic trainers are an integral part of every world power's military aviation regime. Supersonic trainers bridge the gap between advanced and proven mounts, giving aspiring pilots the training they need in high-speed flying and combat tactics. China wants to become increasingly independent in foreign military purchases and has now turned to Hongdu to supply the vehicle for the L-15 Falcon.

The aircraft, which has been in development since March 2014, shares the same classification as the rival Italian Aermacchi M-346, Russia's Yakovlev Yak-130 and South Korea's KAI T-50 "Golden Eagle".

Externally, the L. 15 is a compact size of the American F/A-18 Hornet without twin tails. It had wing root extensions along the cockpit walls, creating a well-contoured fuselage that contained a side-by-side twin-engine configuration.

The wing sweeps along its leading edge and decreases along its trailing edge. The wingtips can carry air-to-air missiles, and the landing gear is very traditional.

The L-15 is designed to accommodate two crew members - student and instructor or pilot and co-pilot, depending on the role. Overall length is 40 feet, with a wingspan of 31 feet and a height of 15.8 feet.

The plane has an empty weight of 9,900 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight of nearly 14,300 pounds. Power is provided by 2 x Ivchenko Progress AI-222K-25 or 2 x Ivchenko Progress AI-222K-25F Russian-made afterburner turbofan engines (via Ukraine). It has a top speed of 924 mph (about Mach 1.4), a combat radius of 345 miles and a ferry range of nearly 2,000 miles.

The L-15 can reach an altitude of 52,500 feet with a climb rate of nearly 39,350 feet per minute.

The origins of the L-15 began with the People's Liberation Army Air Force and Navy requirements for a supersonic trainer with inherent light attack capability. The aircraft has been a tried-and-true commodity for many Air Forces since the Cold War era, when dual functions of a single design became mainstream.

With state-of-the-art systems and robust capabilities, these aircraft can be used for advanced training and weapons delivery as needed. In light attack missions, the L-15 is expected to carry a variety of Chinese and Russian weapons, including missiles, precision-guided munitions, conventionally thrown bombs, missile casings and cannon casings.

Although mainly developed in China, a Russian stake in the Yakovlev project is feasible, which is related to the Chinese project due to its complexity and the use of Russian power plants. A scale model was shown at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2004, followed by an airworthy prototype the following year. The first flight was recorded on March 13, 2006. The aircraft is believed to have been officially launched between 2008 and 2010 and continued flight testing in March 2014.

In 2013, Hongdu officials confirmed during the 2013 Paris Air Show that the aircraft had been ordered by the Chinese military and foreign parties interested in procuring it.

So far, it is known that the L-15 was ordered by Zambia, and other foreign customers have also expressed interest in purchasing the trainer, which is still under development. PLAAF will use the L-15 Falcon as the "JL-10".

Specification

Basic

Production

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Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes