PLAN Carrier Construction

hardware said:

according to HK newspaper hin Pao,calim that Dalian is building a carrier,the CV will like liaoning,conventional power,STOBAR carrier designated no. 001A,it will refine version of Liaoning.

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That is, what I say since eight years: Liaoning will be followed by two or three indigenous carriers with an improved Liaoning-design. Minor changes like less weapons and more aircraft. Perhaps a new and smaler island due to topweight. When these carriers are in service, Liaoning will get a major overhaul with waist catapults. Thereafter we will see the first indigenous carriers with catapults - if not at this time catapults are obsolet, but I think, they are not obsolet in the next twenty years.

bd popeye said:

Thanks Chuck!..

Do you feel some minor reinforcement of those struts,particulary the front strut, would make the aircraft more capable of a cat shot? thanks!

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I think there are other reasons to think the current geometry of J-15's nose gear isn't ideal for a minimum change adaptation to cat launch.

Take for example the point where the back strut connects to the nose gear. The strut on the J-15 connects to the nose gear relatively high up on the gear leg compared on the what is found on the known catapult adapted gears such as those on the F/A-18, F-14, A-6, F-35C, and E-2. Having the strut connection high up means the point of connection of catapult tow bar would also be high up. This would force J-15's tow bar to be very long in order to reach down to the deck and engage catapult shoe. I wouldn't say it is impossible to adapt this configuration for cat use, but it would seem much less than ideal.


The same with the long oleo in the nose gear. J-15 gear back struct connects at the same level as the strut on the Su-27/J-11. In Su-27 this facilitates a long oleo strut in the nose gear, which improves available suspension travel when the nose gear is rolling over rough ground, and this imporves Su-27's ability to taxi, land and take off on poorly prepared fields. It appears to me J-15 has the same oleo length as Su-27/J-11. But on a carrier the field is as good as it gets. Having a long oleo could actually be a problem because when the catapult fire, it would cause the long-travel oleo to compress a lot, which would cause the aircraft to pitch down a lot as it begins its roll. Again, I can't say this makes catapult adaptation impossible, but it certainly doesn't seem the J-15 gear has been optimized for this possibility.

I expect that J-15 will have to have a newly developed nose leg when it is to be launched by cat. But the fuselage structure will probably need little modification.
Also cats will be obsolete when aircraft carriers are or perhaps even later.

delft said:

I expect that J-15 will have to have a newly developed nose leg when it is to be launched by cat. But the fuselage structure will probably need little modification.
Also cats will be obsolete when aircraft carriers are or perhaps even later.

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Carriers are the ultimate multi-mission platforms that are useful in combat and non-combat operations. Unlike BBs, they're very adaptable and will be around for a long time. Expensive to build and field? You bet! But critical for major maritime nations that wish to project power far away.

The Chinese navy needs a heavy loaden cat-able attack aircraft in five to ten years - together with AEW and COD. Fighters can take the ski jump.

Blackstone said:

Carriers are the ultimate multi-mission platforms that are useful in combat and non-combat operations. Unlike BBs, they're very adaptable and will be around for a long time. Expensive to build and field? You bet! But critical for major maritime nations that wish to project power far away.

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It's not what they can do that determined whether they will be come obsolete. It's whether threats develop that will inflict unaccaptables rate of attrition upon them if they were to try to do it.

delft said:

I expect that J-15 will have to have a newly developed nose leg when it is to be launched by cat. But the fuselage structure will probably need little modification.
Also cats will be obsolete when aircraft carriers are or perhaps even later.

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Since the J-15 has been designed from the get-go as a carrier aircraft, it will be fine, if they decide to use the cat to launch it, they will simply redesign the nose gear strut, and aft support, the Flanker is a very robust aircraft in any regard. As evidenced by the F-35 when you are making one bird do it all there will be some compromises, and the first attempts to Hook-up the F-35 required a hook redesign, but its all do-able. The J-31 will likely be brought onboard as top-cover if development continues in a timely manner, and will likely be adapted to indigenous engines, it will make a very nice complement to the J-15, so after the President's visit, I am rather certain that all these projects will be prioritized at the top of the list, the fact that Shenyang has the J-15 looking sharp will be a plus for the self designed J-31, but we shall see??? brat

SinoSoldier said:

Future CVN reactor:

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Tags: China; aircraft carrier; marine nuclear reactor cutaway; marine nuclear reactor model; navy; submarine;

so.... we're going to have more than 1 base for the carrier to go to right?

africa maybe?

bd popeye said:

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Well, if I had to guess, I would say that they are going to have to redesign the front gear on the J-15.

Just from the looks of it, as compared to the F-18 you show, it is a very tall gear without the major, beefy support struts coming off of it. You can see that support coming back from the middle of the F-18's nose gear. What there is on the J-15 is much smaller and much higher up.

I was honored to work on the later variants of the A-7 Corsair II. In that case the aircraft sat somewhat lower to the deck, and the front gear itself had the wheels on the back side of an angled apparatus, where the point of that apparatus was forward, with a heavy strut down to the wheels, and another strut angling up into the aircraft where it was anchored. It was an ingenious design. Take a look at its gear and you will see that it is not a straight down to the wheels with a heavy brace mid way up. The gear holding the wheels was actually part of the brace.

As to the J-15, a cat is going to put a huge moment arm on that gear, and I think it is going to have to be redesigned to provide the necessary support.

But again, that's just my impression, not knowing precisely what materials are being used and how they are being anchored, one cannot say for certain, but looking at it, if I had to guess, I would say that the front gear is likely to have to be redesigned for catapult operations.