CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread

Intrepid

Major
By closely observing the construction process, we will have knowledge over the next few months of how many aircraft elevators and catapults 003 will receive. The number of elevators and catapults gives us a better idea of the value of the new aircraft carrier than ship length and displacement.

What we have seen so far in rumors and sketches suggests 2 or more likely 3 catapults and 3 or more likely 2 elevators.

In order to be able to introduce the technology as smoothly as possible, it makes sense to limit yourself.
 

Totoro

Major
VIP Professional
2 elevators do seem more likely than 3 at this point.
Position of the island means there isn't room for 3 elevators at roughly same distance between them on longitudinal axis. at best, the third elevator (on the port side) could fit more or less across the aft starboard elevator.
Such arrangement isn't really efficient and doesn't help much.
The US navy decided it isn't worth it and went from 4 elevators on Nimitz to 3 elevators on ford. (4 elevators had some sense in the 1970s when planes were smaller and USN used to operate 70 combat planes per carrier)

003 can't go for Ford's 3 elevator arrangement where elevator are equally distant because 003's island needs to be in the middle, due to it containing the exhaust. Due to boilers. Ford is nuclear fueled so it doesn't need such exhaust. its island could be and was moved more aft.

003 is smaller yet operating j15 which are big and j31 which are f18 sized. It probably won't have more than 36 combat planes. If so, planning 3 catapults and 2 elevators for such air wing would be optimal use of resources.
 

SAC

Junior Member
Staff member
Moderator - World Affairs
Registered Member
At this stage it appears that Carrier 003 is approximately the size of the Kitty Hawk class, perhaps slightly larger. Given this it is likely the carrier will have three lifts, one Port and 2 Starboard.
 

Mirabo

Junior Member
Registered Member
Note that 2 elevators won't be an issue if they are large enough to lift two fighters at a time.

Also, is it confirmed that 003 will have conventional propulsion considering that the white blobs are suspected to be boilers? No more retarded talk about radiation shielding and 'lack of smokestack hole' in the vain hope that it would be nuclear?
 

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
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