They have started with the stern section of the flight deck as well.
CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
They have started with the stern section of the flight deck as well.
Certainly an interesting observation - We might be able to see planes on Fujian earlier than expected.
lcloo
Captain
Application of base coating does not suggest that we might be able to see (real) planes on Fujian earlier than expected.
It depends on what they are actually applying right now. If it is anti skid they are applying prior to the first sea trial then yes that is different relative to the practice that CV-16 and CV-17 had in the lead up to their first sea trials, and yes it does bring the potential first embarkment of aircraft for CV-18 earlier than CV-16/17.
That doesn't mean anything is guaranteed, but it does meant that flight deck anti skid coating is one of those minor, smaller observable milestones that could be ticked off, and may allow aviation trials to technically occur at an earlier stage than CV-16/17 did.
A comparison I made of a good quality image of the Fujian flight deck drawing with marking mockup training site at Huangdicun (not the Wuhan EM mockup/integration site), with Shandong
Scaled by dimensions and with specific bits overlaid to confirm scaling (runway markings and J-15 size)
Side by side
Overlaid (by starboard flight deck and stern of the ships)
Original
Evidence of scaling effort
Scaled by dimensions and with specific bits overlaid to confirm scaling (runway markings and J-15 size)
Side by side
Overlaid (by starboard flight deck and stern of the ships)
Original
Evidence of scaling effort
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Given how Fujian was moved into the drydock just one week plus ago, that's a real damn fast progress.
Maybe the PLAN is in a rush to get Fujian out for sea trials...
I get the impression that sea trial is the "critical path milestone" that other projects are waiting on.
KJ-600
J-15T
J-15D?
J-35
Maybe there is more work for J-35 prior to deck launches, but the others surely don't have all that much other development to do.
Intrepid
Major
I don‘t see arresting wires. This painting isn‘t for flight ops but for spotting the deck exercises, I think.
lcloo
Captain
CV18 won't be going for sea trial before Chinese new year holidays are over in second half of February. If this dry dock fitting is the final out-fittig phase before going for open sea, the earliest date for first sea trial could be in March or April.
As for flight operation tests, probably would be at least 6 months after the first sea trial at the earliest, around late this year. J35 might appear on deck of CV18 only in 2025.
As for flight operation tests, probably would be at least 6 months after the first sea trial at the earliest, around late this year. J35 might appear on deck of CV18 only in 2025.