Intrepid
Major
Only three catapults in use, number 1 cat is occupied with parked aircraft.
CV-16 Liaoning (001 carrier) Thread II ...News, Views and operations
- Thread starter Jeff Head
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Intrepid
Major
The reason is safety. Sitting in front of a ready-to-fly plane is very unusual. This is like working in front of a gun barrel which is ready to shoot.
Have you seen a video of that?
You don't want to loose an aircraft just because an engine failed. When being launched at MTOW and losing an engine you need to drop all external ordnance immediately after leaving the ramp and follow a semi-parabolic trajectory while accelerating and escaping going for a swim.
No, I have seen no video of any J-15/Su-33 launching with very heavy load at all (aside videos from a simulation game). But we do have some graphics from papers detailing the trajectories and their related loads:
Specifically, the 2nd picture.
3rd picture is what you describe, about the effects of power loss (probably engine failure etc.). But even without power loss and with wind over deck, the 2nd chart depicts that the Su-33/J-15 would encounter a dropdown immediately after taking off with full load. This can be fixed with enough wind over deck, though.
Specifically, the 2nd picture.
3rd picture is what you describe, about the effects of power loss (probably engine failure etc.). But even without power loss and with wind over deck, the 2nd chart depicts that the Su-33/J-15 would encounter a dropdown immediately after taking off with full load. This can be fixed with enough wind over deck, though.
To clarify, the blue line is the Soviet Navy's minimum safety altitude for their Su-33's, while the red line is the Royal Navy's minimum safety altitude for their Harriers. It makes sense that dipping below the blue line is considered a "severely dangerous situation" for the J-15, as it was based off the Su-33 and as such would make sense to have the same minimum allowable altitude.
That wind over deck should be achievable under nearly all circumstances short of engine trouble of the ship.
Indeed. I think that even 18 knots will be sufficient for the J-15s to take off with very good CAP loadout (like, 8x PL-12, 2x PL-8/10, 2x DECM pods). Although I would pressume that the Liaoning needs to be sailing with at least over 25 knots for YJ-83 ASuW armed J-15s to take off safely from the two A-positions... And I believe that is exactly what the J-15s trained for when the Liaoning reportedly sailed 30+ knots for 10 hours East of Taiwan that other day.
Maybe the PLAN will release footages one day.
Maybe the PLAN will release footages one day.
Very seldom are all four cats used nowadays with the much smaller air-wing. About 62-70 aircraft depending on how many helos are deployed. In 1981 aboard America we had 92 aircrfat aboard. On Nimitz in '91 I think we had about 84.....I think...
Now I know for sure that you pulled this "reason" out of thin air. This is most definitely NOT like working in front of a gun barrel that is ready to shoot. A fighter in the waist position does NOT have to be in full afterburner mode while sitting against the blocks; all that is required is that the engines are on and ready to throttle up. Such a state requires nothing more than the parking brakes of the fighter to maintain a stationary position. Once the port then the starboard bow positions launch and the crew are clearing out of the way, the J-15 sitting at the waist position can immediately throttle up to full afterburner in preparation for launch, something that takes a matter of a few seconds. Your "reason" is just totally nonsensical here.
Intrepid
Major
An other reason is FOD.
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