But steam turbines aren't the issue. Both a nuclear fueled carrier and a conventional carrier can have steam turbines. All US nuclear carriers have steam turbines. The only issue (for some) might be whether the new Chinese carrier will get nuclear reactors or gas fired boilers.
CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
As reasonable as Horobeyo's logic is, IMO at this stage we don't need any reason to "justify" the idea that 003 will be conventionally powered.
To the people who accept the rumours over the years about 003 as well as where the PLANs progress is with regards to nuclear carriers, 003 is basically confirmed to be conventionally powered.
To the people who still want to believe there is a chance that 003 might be nuclear powered, they won't be convinced until we see the island of 003 with a funnel.
So all of this speculation and imagery analysis IMO is useless, because the positions are already held and we won't see the kind of "definitive confirmation" that 003 will be conventionally powered until quite late into it's assembly when the island is complete.
If anything this kind of imagery analysis just provides unnecessary additional breathing room to the idea that 003 "might" be nuclear powered, when in reality it deserves no such room for discussion or consideration.
Imo the best way to treat the idea of 003 possibly being nuclear, is to not even acknowledge it as something that is worthy of debate or mention.
Even acknowledging it as a "possibility" makes it seem like the idea is somehow worthwhile or credible.
Better to just ignore it until we see the island with its funnel eventually, declare the matter settled, and then proceed onwards
Intrepid
Major
That is not the decision, it could be a combined nuclear and steam propulsion like the Kirov-class battlecruiser
(20 knots cruise with nuclear power and 32 knots sprints with additional steam power).... the battle never ends ...
Though I agree it's highly unlikely for 003 to be a CVN. I don't believe we have that hard of an evidence for 003 to definitely being conventional. IMHO this kind of attitude is not that much better than insisting 003 would be nuclear.
ps. Actually I don't believe we have anything that can really be regarded as "evidence" by people outside of more "rumor friendly" PLA watching community.
Pr.1144 boilers are back-up powertrain, not boost. Extremely long-lived misconception.That is not the decision, it could be a combined nuclear and steam propulsion like the Kirov-class battlecruiser
... the battle never ends ...
PLA watching IMO is 75% based on rumours, and 25% based on imagery.
Imagery should be there to confirm what we should already have determined based on rumours.
In the case of 003, let's put it this way, I think there's about basically as confirmed that 003 will be conventionally powered as the upcoming 5th gen naval fighter will be based on FC-31.
I think if we sift through topics like here in SDF (and dont get me wrong, I love to come here and read or take in new imagery), even that ratio is probably too generous.
In any case, and to stay on topic, I hope we get some boiler-shots soon.
