The Chinese aircraft carrier programme

those melbrounes catabult's are small and old...desinged to launch 50's era jets...I woudl imagine it being quite a task to get them strong enough to launch Su-33...

...and soviets tryed to do similar thing based on the Vikrant's catabults, same ones that where onboard Melbroune. They failed to copy them and therefor settled whit the Ski-jump. No offence to Chinese engineering skils, but if soviets couldn't do it, i seriously doupt that chinese could do it either...

about that project 9935, i run across it a while ago and from the start knew it was just some military enthusiast wet dream. If you look hard enough those meansures that the article gave you will figure it out by yourself.

Gollevainen said:

about that project 9935, i run across it a while ago and from the start knew it was just some military enthusiast wet dream. If you look hard enough those meansures that the article gave you will figure it out by yourself.

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thats what I thought to .... but sometimes I check out other professional meanings about that

and about the Melbourne catapult:
they launched planes like the Skyhawk (take off weight (normal) 11,113kg) or Super Etendard (max.take off weight:, 12000 kg).
The JZ 8 (which the story of told) have a normal take-off 13,850kg; max take-off 16,580kg, as I know, so the story seems ..... (without by redesign a new catapult, may be based by and develope out of the Melbourne design);
I think, chinese ingeneers could do the same thing as brazil ingeneers - they build a new one to be used by the "Minas Gerais".

The Melbourne-catapult - without modifications - only could be used to lift small trainers and ground attack planes like the JL-9/FTC-2000 ADVANCED JET TRAINER (Normal take-off 7,800kg; max take-off 9,800kg) and these planes only could be used to support amphibious operations - but this would be another topic

The Melbourne-catapult - without modifications - only could be used to lift small trainers and ground attack planes like the JL-9/FTC-2000 ADVANCED JET TRAINER (Normal take-off 7,800kg; max take-off 9,800kg) and these planes only could be used to support amphibious operations - but this would be another topic

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well this is chinese aircraft carrier topic and aircrafts are big part of it so i'll think we can continue.

Those small armed jet trainers aren't the best solution for close support due their limited playload...They are usefull only in very low-threat area and those areas are not worht of vasting sole carrier...To close-support, Su-25 or A-10 size aircraft would be ideal and those kind of planes need heavyer catabults.
But Su-25 have taken of from the Kuznetsovs ski-jump...touhg whitout the heavy playload needed for close-support operations...

Gollevainen said:

well this is chinese aircraft carrier topic and aircrafts are big part of it so i'll think we can continue.
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Indeed, I think the PLAN should build amphibious carriers soon - to be fitted by helos and small ground attack aircrafts, and in my opinion the blue prints of the ol Melbourne could be tha basic of a new design.
You remember our discussion in the old forum? I think, the speculations there about a new (redesigned) amphibious carrier ar not so concrete to use the Professional Area > Professional Discussions. We have no facts about this idea, without studying of Melbourne by chinese naval ingeneers and military necessary. So someone my add 1 and 1 and create the same idea.

In my opinion this should be a new topic in the member-aerea, like the Minsk- and Kiew topic. It's also another kind of ship .....

actually there is amph carrier discussion slowly starting in the navy forum...

I read a lot of post about catapults. And how small the Melborne was etc.

I was stationed on the USS Hancock CVA-19. We had A-4's and F-8's in our air wing. Although small the A-4 was a very reliable attack aircraft. No it could not carry the payload of a larger aircraft but they served the USN well for many years. However small A/C like this do limit the mission. But are well suited for ground attack.

In the old forum someone mentioned the old Russian Frog foot. This would be the type aircraft the PLAN would need for a CTOL CV.

USS Hancock CVA-19.

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wasent she a essex class??

based on operational history, no Colossus/majestetic class ligth carrier has operated heavyer aircraft than A-4. Argentinian navy tested the Super Etendard, but didnt but it on service.

Im not sure but the length of the catapult is major factor when discussing about the power of the catabult, am i rigth?
And if PLAN is planning to fit more powerfull catabult on Colossus desing, and it would considerably increase the length of the catapult. That would but the already tigth deckspace into future stress and limits the negible deckparking space to nil...

And about the frogfoot, if PLAN would like to take that one to sea, it would need a carrier able top field A-7/FA-18/A-6/ and MiG-29K size aircraft. Frogfoot isent exactly a 'tiny' plane...

based on operational history, no Colossus/majestetic class ligth carrier has operated heavyer aircraft than A-4. Argentinian navy tested the Super Etendard, but didnt but it on service.

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On the Hancock we could launch A-3 Skywarriors. they were pretty big. They were know as a "Whale"

Yes the Hancock was a Essex class.

I'm not sure but the length of the catapult is major factor when discussing about the power of the catapult, am i rigth?

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I'm pretty sure. But don't quote me on that ..The USN is very protective of it's catapults. As I mentioned In the old forum all 5 of the USN retired carriers and the now sunk CV-66 had their catapults removed.

Also on the FS Charles De Gaulle the catapults major re-fits are done by workers from Newport News shipyard.

I believe that the Blue Angel's transport was also capable of being launched from a carrier deck, although I can't remember any specifics off the top of my head.

I believe that the Blue Angel's transport was also capable of being launched from a carrier deck, although I can't remember any specifics off the top of my head.

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The Blue Angels use a C-130 for transport.

Neko the US Navy did test landing & launching a C-130 on a CV. That was the USS Forrestal CVA-59. But that was in 1963. The plane made 21 landings and takeoffs. No catapults were used. The aircraft was deck launched. Check this website. Pics included!