2nd Chinese Carrier Returns From Sea Trials

originally posted by: mightmight

Would catapults shooting aircrafts up the ramp even work? IE designing some sort of bend catapult to fit on the ramp?

I would not think so, but I also always assumed the angled deck was the only place to put the cats.

Well according to the internet it'll be J-15s. I'm sure they get around to installing the wires eventually.

They do have a STOVL aircraft in very early development stages, they can retrofit the deck five to ten years down the road if they decide to go that route. But why bother - they build it for arrested recovery and want to transition to full blown CATOBAR with the next one anyway.

Probably. The next carrier isn't being built at Dalian like this one was. The question is what is will happen at this shipyard once the 'Shandong' is completed. Will they start another CV01A or will they go for the CV02 here?

However, circling back, look at the deck, folks. Closer.

a reply to: C0bzz

They got the fuel-air mix right.

originally posted by: anzha

However, circling back, look at the deck, folks. Closer.

They don't have the arresting cables installed yet.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: C0bzz

They got the fuel-air mix right.

Wonder if it could be like my old Nissan. Didn't smoke when I got, sure did after I was done with it.

The Russian navy might not have the funds for a power plant over haul.

No clue.

a reply to: penroc3

I think I know what you are referring to but no its a just a radome at deck height. One of the other pics shows it closer up. i thought the same thing at first.

a reply to: Sammamishman

They tried to claim once that it was tradition to let people know they were coming.

I don't see any aircraft elevators.

a reply to: Sammamishman

Yet.

Look closer.

a reply to: thebozeian

aw dang it is a ray dome. i saw the missile box(i dont know whats in them) and figured that it had a ciws gun.

a reply to: anzha

A re-configured island with a smaller foot print, that translates to more deck space for a larger air wing.

Also, like the Liaoning, it also seams to be missing the deck mounted vertical missile silos that the Kuznetsov had.

a reply to: Sammamishman

first true. Not sure on the second. I'll have to look. Still not what I (and someone else) saw.

a reply to: anzha

I gave him the answer off site, and I think he's on to something with his reply as to why.

a reply to: C0bzz

Kuz in particular is fueled by some sort of soviet-era petrochemocal sludge used only by Russian vessels that makes bunker A look like avgas and is so viscous that it needs to be aggressively preheated before it goes into the boilers.

So she smokes like a coal-fired ship from WWI because she's not really that far off for one.

As for the Granit tubes, or the lack thereof, durr on my part, as I though that their a sense on the Chinese carriers was so obvious that it didn't warrant pointing out. Only the Russians would be crazy enough to stuff the carrier-killing abilities of a Kirov into an aircraft carrier, it's the same like of thinking that birthed the Kashtan and those giant LCACs that they built.

The Chinese seem to have the common sense to let cruisers do the work of cruisers while freeing up that much extra hangar deck space so that they can stuff a couple more photocopied flankers in there instead and have something resembling a real airwing.

a reply to: C0bzz

Kuz in particular is fueled by some sort of soviet-era petrochemical sludge used only by Russian vessels that makes bunker A look like avgas and is so viscous that it needs to be aggressively preheated before it goes into the boilers.

So she smokes like a coal-fired ship from WWI because she's not really that far off for one.

As for the Granit tubes, or the lack thereof, durr on my part, as I though that their absense on the Chinese carriers was so obvious that it didn't warrant pointing out. Only the Russians would be crazy enough to stuff the carrier-killing abilities of a Kirov into an aircraft carrier, it's the same like of thinking that birthed the Kashtan and those giant LCACs that they built.

The Chinese seem to have the common sense to let cruisers do the work of cruisers while freeing up that much extra hangar deck space so that they can stuff a couple more of their photocopied flankers in there instead and have something resembling a real airwing on their STOBAR toy carriers.

Pictures in OP are potato quality.

Better ones here.

eng.chinamil.com.cn...

and here

eng.chinamil.com.cn...

- The deck marketings somewhat different to Kuznetsov, but it appears the places where aircraft can take-off from are similar.
- "Something" on flight deck between the jet blast deflectors, this was present on Kuznetsov.
- Phased array radars pointing in all directions. They are not obviously dual-band but it could be the case. Kuznetsov had phased arrays too.
- Some kind of phased array on the top of the mast, on 001 this was still present and rotates, also present on Kuznetsov.
- Wind and direction systems on the island
- Bunch of antennas in domes on the island
- CCTV cameras as expected
- HF whip antennas on island and some higher frequency antennas.
- Strange looking antenna below the aft-port phased array above the air operations room or whatever they call it.
- Arresting wires clearly fitted for but not with.
- Some kind of optical system (IRST?) on the forward most point of the island, above the bridge. More are at the back on the port and starboard side.
- lifesaving rafts all along starboard side.
- Aicraft elevator fwd and aft of island.
- SeaRAM equvialents, but no CIWS equivalent. Two are on the starboard side next to the island, only count one on the starboard side but I expect at least one more. Kuznetsov has these.
- What is that rotary looking launcher aft of the SeaRAM, aft of the landing zone, on the port side? There's another on the port side and maybe more. Torpedoes? I think Kuznetsov has these.
- What's with all the rectangular structures on the flight deck with yellow and black stripes?
- Air ventilation intakes on sides of island.
- Observation "thing" on starboard side next to where arresting wires should be related to flight deck movements.
- Tie down points all over the deck as expected.

I don't see anything unexpected. Also since it's initial sea-trials, I would expect the majority of it to related to the ship itself, not air operations or radar and so forth. The ship will rarely be anywhere close to fully complete at initial sea trials. In other words, the flight deck, external communications, and weapons systems are probably only "mostly" complete.

a reply to: C0bzz
Yep I have to agree. I have taken a look at those higher res pics you linked (presumably what we are supposed to see though is in the OP's though?) and I cant see anything really obvious, Im stumped. There was a good point made about the reduced island size and no vertical launch tubes contributing to airwing size and sortie rates. She is definitely ready for arrestors too. However whatever it is Im supposed to be seeing Im not seeing it. I give up OP what is it?

BTW C0bzz, the mysterious rotary launchers you couldn't ID are purely from memory something I remember seeing on Soviet surface units back in the 80's. I think they are a type of anti-sub or anti-torpedo mortar launcher for self protection but I will need to look that up.

*Update.
Actually its a rotary rocket launcher of the RBU1000/6000/12000 family. It is as I remembered an anti-sub/torpedo self defence weapon. It works on the same principle as the WWII British developed Hedgehog system.

a reply to: C0bzz
That looks more like a weapons elevator than an aircraft elevator.
I can't see any evidence of a hanger bay.

a reply to: thebozeian

Look closer at the decks.