The supports at the front right now are not necessarily the final position of the bow.
Supports can be increased to as much as the dry dock allows. We don't know yet.
00X/004 future nuclear CATOBAR carrier thread
- Thread starter AETHER
- Start date
The supports at the front right now are not necessarily the final position of the bow.
Supports can be increased to as much as the dry dock allows. We don't know yet.
The relatively blunt taper of the keel block arrangement at the front suggests to me a relatively slow merchant ship hull with high block coefficient , not a high speed warship hull with a sharper bow entry and low block coefficient.
The thing is we probably have the most circumstantial evidence that it's not a merchant ship because it is being constructed at a very slow pace compared to typical merchant ships. Perhaps that's just wrong because it's some experimental new design but still, it seems more likely that if this is not a warship it's some kind of unusual special purpose ship like the floating power plant or nuclear icebreaker or something than a run of the mill civilian merchant ship.
Its pointless to read anything into current keel block arrangements, as we already noted. I'm not sure why people keep making assertions on things we literally do not know. Keel blocks are exactly that. Stuff that supports laying out modules. They can be added, taken away, moved around.
We ought to cast our minds back to the construction of the Shandong and remember that it was only after a very clear and obvious hangar section appeared that the nature of the ship being constructed was agreed to be confirmed (and this after some time of many rumors circulating, more than we have now). Of course, the pictures then of the dockyard were a lot clearer than what we get now, but we should hold until similar structures appear on this ship.
The problem is not awaiting confirmation that this is a carrier. I think most people are fairly on the same page about not jumping the gun too much and leaving it as a possibility (though some may view it as a "likelihood").
The problem is whether there is anything at this stage which can rule out the possibility that this is a carrier, which is what keeps the more recent discussions going.
And as multiple people have pointed out, things like module positions, keel block length, up to this point in time are not decisive or useful in decisively ruling out the possibility that this is a carrier, so it would be helpful for people to wait until there was something more decisive (in either direction) before reinvigorating the discussion.
If new images don't show us anything new, then if everyone is on the same page then the correct collective response to new pictures would be dignified silence.
Last edited:
his account is locked. so you have take screenshot of this tweet and then post it here.Another great insight from @foolsball.
Dalian shipyard shots basically confirm it’s a carrier: support columns for the flight deck in the dock. Hull is short, but seems >1 ship. The debated boxy block is visible, purpose still unclear.
Civilian ships sometimes use support columns, but I've only seen such heavy-duty support columns during the construction of the Shandong.
I recall @Chaos314159 pointing this out (the support pillars) around the time first images were noticed.
lcloo
Major
Some terminology of aircraft carrier, these are not dirctly related to 004 but are useful to identify parts of an aircraft carrier and equipment in a drydock.
What are the tall support pillars that support the over-hang during the construction of aircraft carrier in dry dock?
The tall support pillars used to hold up overhanging sections—like the angled flight deck—during the construction of an aircraft carrier in dry dock are typically referred to as:
- Sponson
- A sponson is a projection from the side of a ship, often used to support weapons, equipment, or structural features like the flight deck.
- On aircraft carriers, sponsons may support the angled deck or house defensive systems.
- Angle Deck
- This is the slanted portion of the flight deck that allows simultaneous takeoff and landing operations.
- It’s not part of the hull per se, but it’s supported by structural extensions from the hull, often via sponsons or cantilevered beams.
- Overhang
- While not a formal naval architecture term, "overhang" is sometimes used informally to describe any part of the ship that juts out beyond the main hull structure.
- In technical terms, these are usually described as cantilevered structures or deck extensions.
- Cantilever
- This refers to a beam or structure that is anchored at only one end and extends outward.
- The angled flight deck is often supported by cantilevered beams extending from the hull.
- Flight Deck Extension
- This is a general term for any part of the flight deck that extends beyond the hull’s vertical sides.
- These extensions are crucial for aircraft operations and are structurally reinforced.
What are the tall support pillars that support the over-hang during the construction of aircraft carrier in dry dock?
The tall support pillars used to hold up overhanging sections—like the angled flight deck—during the construction of an aircraft carrier in dry dock are typically referred to as:
Temporary Shoring Structures or Dry Dock Support Towers
These structures serve critical roles during shipbuilding:- Shoring Towers
- These are temporary vertical supports designed to bear the weight of overhanging sections during construction or maintenance.
- They prevent structural sagging or deformation before permanent internal supports are installed.
- Dry Dock Pillars / Dock Furniture
- In dry dock terminology, “dock furniture” includes all the blocks, towers, and supports used to stabilize the ship.
- These tall supports are part of the dry dock’s infrastructure and are customized for each vessel’s geometry.
- Cantilever Support Frames
- For angled decks or flight deck extensions, cantilevered sections may be temporarily supported by steel frames or scaffolding towers anchored to the dry dock floor.
- Falsework
- A general construction term for temporary structures used to support a permanent structure while it is not self-supporting.