Sorry for a noob question. What is the fantail balcony?
CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Intrepid
Major
An aircraft engine test facility.
May I know where exactly the location? Thank you in advance.
Intrepid
Major
The Soviet's cancel super carrier had limited catapult on the angle deck. The theory was that stobar was more reliable for getting their fighters for their doctrine of warfare. It is not unreasonable that the Chinese planners allocated space for this potential limited EMCAT upgrade.
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
I doubt any conversion will ever take place
CV16 and CV17 will remain STOBAR
003 CATOBAR
advantage of STOBAR is that with less maintenance both can be deployed at short notice
CV16 and CV17 will remain STOBAR
003 CATOBAR
advantage of STOBAR is that with less maintenance both can be deployed at short notice
Thanks for the sharing. So this is one of the main purpose of the open air area at the back of that ship.
MwRYum
Major
More like, they need to have at least one CV on active duty roster, as conversion will inevitably take the said ship offline for perhaps a few years.
And by the time when Liaoning and/or Shandong is/are available to go on "extended leave", there's probably enough Type 003 CVs and even Type 004 to take the baton...you'd be looking something like 10+ years later at the earliest. While Shandong will be up for mid-life upgrade and perhaps suitable for major reworks, Liaoning will be a 40+ years old hull by then, eventhough for the first 20+ years of her life were spent at port, depreciation still applies. Unless China can produce EMAL system in modular blocks that can be installed into existing hulls with minimum amount to rework on existing hull(s) - which is unlikely - at some point Liaoning will have be up for retirement, at the PLAN fleet air arm will inevitably consolidated to CATOBAR operation type.
Befitting CV 16 and 17 as CATOBAR makes no sense, since it would involve rebuilding the bow and installing EMALS in a ship not designed for it, which means not just installing the cats but major upgrades to the ship's power grid and other significant modifications. CATOBAR carriers are basically designed around their catapults, whether EMALS or steam. Given the cost and difficulty involved, PLAN would better off just building replacements from the keel up instead of engaging in such expensive and difficult conversations.
Intrepid
Major
Yes. And, as far as I know, the US Navy is the only aircraft carrier force that can air-ship replacement engines to their aircraft carriers.
The good old C-2A could do and now the CMV-22B as well.