Pardon me, binged the thread.
Do we know what type of propulsion the type 002 uses? Is it certain that the Liaoning retained the Russian made steam power train? Given the Type 901's all gas propulsion for a ~45000 ton displacement, I'd have thought they would adopt gas turbines at least for the 003. I don't see them making the leap to nuclear in this iteration. It will be interesting to see what type of catapults they use.
Steam is a better bet for working towards nuclear propulsion later on.
I really would like to see it called something like The Long March ore among that line.
That's the name of their SSBNs.
thanks. so the claims were wrong, and that indeed the Flankers can take off with full fuel and full armament. just needs to take off from the rear position.
next question.. does the PLAN must demand a catapult version? I assume that a catobar layout, since it can still launch fully loaded aircraft, would be overall cheaper to operate and produce less stress on the airframe.
however, using the rear position limits simultaneous landing and take off, and take offs are limited to 1 per plane.
but seeing as PLAN seems to operate mostly in peace time, does it need to use the rear position as often?
I would expect the PLAN to use the rear position more often in peacetime, as it would allow the buddy tankers to take off with a full fuel load and top off the planes taking the short jump.
Things remain to be seen is the propulsion layout. Turbo-Electric drive or Integrated Electric Propulsion is Tbh a very good contender as it assures large amount of electricity to be generated and distributed for applications like EMALS and to drive various electronics.
plus offering fuel efficiency because the turbine and steam boiler etc can now operate in their optimum RPM.
Turbo-electric is arguable, depends on whether they're used to making big reduction gears for steam turbines or not.
You're 100% correct that it's better, as you can just run the turbines at optimum rpm, but that may not be what they want to do.
Eh, maybe. From what I've read the Chinese are both still figuring out reactors capable of powering a supercarrier, and are competing with the civilian electrical industry for limited reactor production. As well, based on what they did with the 052C destroyers I think they'll want to debug the Type 003 before they move on to a new design to limit design risk.
There's a good chance they lay down a second 003 before moving onto a nuclear-powered 004.
Or maybe even a third 003.
Some random thoughts on the Chinese carrier programs.
Is there any interest in STOVL operations?
I do not think the PLAN plans to operate (pun intended) in a similar way to the US Navy with its huge battle groups of multiple carriers, far away from sea.
Thus far all of its ships are non-nuclear, and its main focus are much closer to home (first and second island chains).
I'm wondering if a large STOVL carrier, like a Chinese Queen Elizabeth, would have been cheaper and easier for Chinese needs?
Aircraft developed for it could even operate off the existing Liaoning and Shandong as well.
on a second note, as for CATOBAR
I've read that EMALS can be curved. in that sense could it be retrofitted onto the Liaoning and Shandong?
or would it be easier just to modify the sky jump
China/PLAN wants to be a blue water navy. They haven't had one since the 1500s, but they want to be one because the UK, US, Russia, and even India and France are.
China may well be behind the West in developing tactics for aircraft carriers but give or take five years then I can see them catching up to the west in that field. It was exactly the same with stealth technology and fifth generation fighters.
More than 5 years, because they need to get entire crews worth of personnel trained up in carrier operations, then saying "there's got to be a better way to do this" and streamlining how they do things.
Maybe the chinese will make a brief pause after 003 or 004 to try and "digest" their new carriers, developed at breakneck speed over the last two decades. Frack, with three carriers they are now (in raw numbers only, of course) ahead of Russia, France and Great Britain... and India !
Time for a brief building "plateau" to digest the first three carriers and consider throwing nuclear power into the fray for the next ones.
Just MHO, of course.
Possible, I suspect that they may build a couple more 003-class before doing nuclear power. Kinda depends on how fast their war plans need carriers, and how quickly they can build high power reactors for a ship.
