PLAN Carrier Construction

I can't see the benefits of a carrier with both ski jump and waist catapults. If the catapults are reliable enough to be fit at the waist they are reliable enough to replace the ski jump.

The idea of a high risk and low risk carrier does sound interesting though.

(Addendum, there were a few configurations of the Ulyanovsk class, one of which had bow catapults as well, I believe. So there isn't exactly a " set" design that we can say china may base its carriers off, unless we use the configuration of ski jump+catapult as the defining feature of the Ulyanovsk. EDIT: never mind this part, I mixed up models of the Orel with Ulyanovsk.)

latenlazy said:

We could square the count for Type 052Ds by interpreting that the statement only refers to ones built in Dalian, with the other two being built in Jiangnan. Nice catch on the guy using the term 国产.

I agree about the reliability of this statement. Provincial Party Chiefs are generally very reliable sources, since they're the guys who make sure important projects in their purview are going smoothly and getting the right resources and attention.

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Over on CDF it was said that DL would get more 052D contracts once they prove themselves with the first two (which should be a given), and that the final count should definitely be four for DL.

Was the 052D included in the "six year construction cycle" or was that just for the carrier? Because DL should be able to do more than 2 052Ds within six years even if they face issues.

Which is why I think the "two" 052Ds refers to boats already on order, probably with two more pending after completion or DL proving itself.

I think it's less suspect because of the position of the person. It also aligns very well with the recent noise we've been getting on new carrier construction.

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I agree, it's only a matter of time now and all the wind is blowing in the right direction. Sub component manufacture is probably already well on the way, and we just need to see the hull.

Bltizo said:

Over on CDF it was said that DL would get more 052D contracts once they prove themselves with the first two (which should be a given), and that the final count should definitely be four for DL.

Was the 052D included in the "six year construction cycle" or was that just for the carrier? Because DL should be able to do more than 2 052Ds within six years even if they face issues.

Which is why I think the "two" 052Ds refers to boats already on order, probably with two more pending after completion or DL proving itself.

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6 years only refers to the carrier.

latenlazy said:

6 years only refers to the carrier.

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Ah, TY, well then I hypothesize the two mentioned 052Ds only refer to fully contracted orders, and the two other expected boats are expected but are yet to be inked.

That would fill the 8 south, 4 north 052D production allocation, and reasonably means JN don't have all of its 8 052Ds ordered yet either (probably the 4 in visible states of construction, fitting out or sea trials + 2 more inked + 2 more yet to be ordered)

xiabonan said:

View attachment 9072

View attachment 9073

Some clearer pictures of that giant structure.

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Sorry, but this is actually supposed to be a piece of Art

navyreco said:

Sorry, but this is actually supposed to be a piece of Art

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Well the actual thing sitting in the shipyard clearly isn't a piece of art or a building.

But it obviously isn't a real aircraft carrier module either, it is just a demonstration module.

I think the building in the drawings is based on the demonstration module, rather than the actual demonstration module being a building itself. How are they going to move it for one? Not to mention it is all metal, no glass...

Bltizo said:

How are they going to move it for one? Not to mention it is all metal, no glass...

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I got the impression from the drawing that the back part is metal... to which they will add a glass part later on ?

Believe me, "modern art" can be really messed up!

navyreco said:

I got the impression from the drawing that the back part is metal... to which they will add a glass part later on ?

Believe me, "modern art" can be really messed up!

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Even if that were the case, it makes almost zero sense to fabricate a building at a shipyard where construction space and worker time is at a premium... And end up having to somehow transport and lift such a monstrous piece of work onto land.

Btw the buildings are notional exhibition buildings for the shipyard itself (caption). I suppose I can see why constructing an exhibition display in the shape of an aircraft carrier module makes sense, even if the module itself is only a demonstrator.

Bltizo said:

Even if that were the case, it makes almost zero sense to fabricate a building at a shipyard

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I think it does make sense if that "building" is steel and the shipyard specializes in cutting and assembling large steel modules.

An example that is remotely relevant: DCNS is a shipyard but they specialize in engineering parts... well Airbus contracted them (yes, a shipyard) to design and construct parts of the landing gear in titanium:

navyreco said:

I think it does make sense if that "building" is steel and the shipyard specializes in cutting and assembling large steel modules.

An example that is remotely relevant: DCNS is a shipyard but they specialize in engineering parts... well Airbus contracted them (yes, a shipyard) to design and construct parts of the landing gear in titanium:

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The examples are somewhat different... For instance, one uses up a fair chunk more of shipyard dry dock space, and makes no sense to be built inside a shipyard when any old construction firm (of which china has many competent ones) could shimmy it out, without the eyebrow raising task of hauling the already completed structure from its present location.

... Do you actually think the module in the shipyard is actually meant to be relocated onto land as a building or an art piece? O_O