Blackstone
Brigadier
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's PLAN's new hospital ship!
PLAN Aircraft Carrier programme...(Closed)
- Thread starter bd popeye
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Why can't this be the 075 LHD? Too big?
I understand with everything taken into account this is most likely a CV but just wanted to hear what everyone has to say regarding what about just the photographic evidence so far precludes a LHD.
Intrepid
Major
The arrangement of the engine rooms is more carrier like. LHDs used to have only two big such rooms for two screws, not four for four screws. And with four engine rooms the ships bottom was visible.
In addition to what Intrepid said, the beam of this ship is a little larger than expected for an LHD, and the length of the ship (still uncompleted) also suggests a ship larger than even big LHDs such as the Wasp or America class.
It also most likely is not an LHD because there is no well deck, which likely would have been quite obvious to us during the early stages of construction. This does not mean it cannot be an LHA (which lacks well decks)... but again, the size of the ship suggests something carrier like.
So overall, outside of what Intrepid's suggested, the biggest thing which almost definitely precludes this from being an LHD is a lack of well deck; and the size of the ship suggests it's unlikely to be an LHA, so technically speaking on the basis of photographic evidence, this could possibly be an LHA.
Fortunately we're not working on the basis of only photographic evidence, but also rumours and tips from insiders which almost all unanimously say the ship at DL is 001A. OTOH there is a discernable lack of suggestion saying we should expect an LHA from DL, and that the Navy's LHD/LHA project will likely come from a different shipyard instead. So on the basis of all evidence (aka pictures as well as rumours and tips), there is little chance that what we are seeing is an LHD or LHA.
Equation
Lieutenant General
One helluva of a hospital ships that can launch fixed wing air crafts for support along with rescue helicopters.
SamuraiBlue
Captain
Can't really tell the size without any reference to compare. Don't think it is an super carrier since the sidewalls are too upright. If it was a super carrier one sidewall would be built in an overhang to accomadate the angled flight deck.
We know the dimensions of the drydock via google earth, and a bit of simple maths allows one to estimate the ship in the pictures quite easily.
More importantly, the original report from SOC lays out his own estimated dimensions, using the satellite photos where I'm sure he had access to his own reference sizes.
I'm not sure what you mean -- at this stage of relatively early construction, when the hangar has not even been raised, we would not expect any overhang to accommodate the flight deck to be present as of yet. If anything, at this stage of construction, we would expect the sides of the hull to be upright.
JayBird
Junior Member
I don't know how true is this observation.... but some people mention the current hull is positioned more towards the right side of the drydock. You can see there is more empty room on her left side from SCO's satellite photos. The theory is that It was meant to accommodate the carrier's flight deck to the left side because the left side volume of the flight deck is bigger.
Intrepid
Major
Overhang starts at 1st (main, hangar) or 2nd deck level, we see 3rd or 4th deck at the moment (top of machinery space, waterline or slightly above). it is to early for that conclusion.
Interesting observation, and they could be half right. I say this, because the carrier's flight deck at the lowest level will likely be higher than the surrounding drydock, meaning the flight deck itself shouldn't have to fit "into" the drydock's space.
Pictures of USS Ford or CVF in drydock are indicative:
As is pictures of Liaoning in drydock, note that the actual flight deck is much higher than the surrounding drydock level:
However, the supporting sponsons below the flight deck, on the edge of the hull may would likely have to fit into the drydock's space, or at least it may be helpful for them to have more clearance... which could explain why the hull is built with a little bit more clearance on the port side.
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