CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread

KampfAlwin

Senior Member
Registered Member
If I recall Shandong's elevator is 16×16m.
Type 003 elevator's depth is around 18m so the width could be aroumd 20m or more
If Shandong‘s elevator is 16m wide, wouldn’t that mean it could fit 2 J-15s since apparently J-15 wingspan folded in 7.4m? But we always see them lift one at a time.
 

Richard Santos

Captain
Registered Member
I am not sure having extra large elevator that can hold 2 aircraft at once is necessary a significant advantage.

it directly weakens hull structure by requiring larger hull side cut outs. It directly reduces deck parking area.

it impose further constraints on how deck snd hanger arrangement by requiring area around the elevator leaving room to maneuver 2 aircraft on and off the elevator.

It seems cycling singke aircraft elevator more quickly is a better solution that making elevator bigger. modern computer controlled elevator mechanism ought to allow the elevator to reach higher peak velocity without to much acceleration or deceleration at the end of elevator travel.
 

Silkworm

New Member
Registered Member
Given the observable evidence revealed so far my horse sense is that 003 displacement is something closer to 70k tons than 90k tons.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
View attachment 73145
the length maybe around 72 meters

That's an excellent estimate of the width of the flight deck given the perspective of the picture and imo verifies the estimate done by horobeyo on twitter.
@Totoro

That said I'm unsure yet if the elevator opening has those specific proportions given this is an implantation of that deck module there, ideally if we can get a similar photo angle of the ship now that the most recent picture shows its been installed...
 
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