PLAN Aircraft Carrier programme...(Closed)

plawolf said:

... they are using modular construction, so the steel might have been first cut a year or two in advanced. We only noticed that they are building a carrier after they started assembling the finished modules.

The time from when steel was first cut to this stage now is likely to be significantly longer than the time since we first noticed dry dock activity.

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All good points, and I am very familiar with modular construction and the fact that such modules themselves get pre-fabricated earlier.

We can see that very well in the hanger sections being added.

But when you look at the first several months, the modular portion did not seem to come into play until they were somewhat along with the hull. They made VERY fast progress on the initial sections in getting up to where they obviously began bringing in the modules.



Any way you cut it, they are moving along very fast.

I am sure that the carrier has been under construction for a couple of years (taking the modules into consideration). We are just seeing it move forward now there in the dry dock.

plawolf said:

Saying that, they are using modular construction, so the steel might have been first cut a year or two in advanced. We only noticed that they are building a carrier after they started assembling the finished modules.

The time from when steel was first cut to this stage now is likely to be significantly longer than the time since we first noticed dry dock activity.

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..and...

Jeff Head said:

All good points, and I am very familiar with modular construction and the fact that such modules themselves get pre-fabricated earlier.

I am sure that the carrier has been under construction for a couple of years (taking the modules into consideration). We are just seeing it move forward now there in the dry dock.

Click to expand...

Great points gents.. I'd like to know what day the first steel was cut for this CV. Anyone care to guess that date?? Perhaps two or three years ago. Based on that date & knowledge gained by observing the construction of other nations CVs we may be able to project when this ship will set sail on her first sea trails.

test bd said:

..and...



Great points gents.. I'd like to know what day the first steel was cut for this CV. Anyone care to guess that date?? Perhaps two or three years ago. Based on that date & knowledge gained by observing the construction of other nations CVs we may be able to project when this ship will set sail on her first sea trails.

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I don't see how that follows. Apparently the modules are available when needed but whether their steel was cut three or two years ago will not influence the further development of the building. No doubt the conduits for gasses, liquids, power cables and glass fibre are fitted in the modules but can you estimate how much time will be needed for all the later work by knowing the time line for steel cutting?

Remember the timeline of an other big carrier (CVN 78):
first steel cut - 11 Aug 2005
keel laid - 14 Nov 2009
christening - 9 Nov 2013 (and immedialtely after that leaving the drydock)
expecting sea trials beginning with the second quarter of 2016

Intrepid said:

Remember the timeline of an other big carrier (CVN 78):
first steel cut - 11 Aug 2005
keel laid - 14 Nov 2009
christening - 9 Nov 2013 (and immedialtely after that leaving the drydock)
expecting sea trials beginning with the second quarter of 2016

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Of course 001A is smaller, but not a lot smaller. This shows four years cutting steel, and likely doing a lot more ( and what about ordering long lead time items - that would include the nuclear reactors which are not relevant to 001A but what else? ), then four years assembling the ship in dry dock and two and a half years fitting out. For 001A the time in dry dock might be two years. China will be a tad less inclined to include experimental features and more to try and win experience operating flattops so - beginning sea trials in 2019?

According to the Jiefangjun Bao (PLA News), Liaoning was in Bohai sea on 12/24 undergoing the training of a new batch of J-15 pilots with Admiral Wu also on board.

Six J-15s aboard Liaoning. I predicted this late last year and wondered whether we would see it this year.

But here it is:

here's the video of Liaoning's training session (for carrier pilot certification) under the watch of Admiral Wu.

This year in 2015 we have seen the Liaoning operate with:

Three J-15s on deck:



Four J-15s on deck:



Five J-15s on deck:



And now six J-16s on deck.



Steady progress throughout the year. Well done to the PLAN.

here's another video