PLAN Catapult Development Thread, News, etc.
- Thread starter antiterror13
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I don't know if this has been posted here yet, but fgzfzy mentioned a couple of days ago that EM catapult won the "competition" against the steam catapult. In other words, this contest is objectively over; the PLAN found the EM catapult to be superior.
However, he believes that the steam catapult is the likelier of the two to be installed on the 002, at least for the first vessel. This is because there is evidence to suggest that parts for the steam catapult were already in production long before the EM catapult became a thing, though he has not specified when, or even if the steam catapult really was ordered.
This conflicts with what we've seen lately regarding the manufacturing of components for the electromagnetic catapult. All things considered, what type of catapult the first 002 will use is still up in the air, but there is a strong possibility that the second 002 will use electromagnetic catapults.
However, he believes that the steam catapult is the likelier of the two to be installed on the 002, at least for the first vessel. This is because there is evidence to suggest that parts for the steam catapult were already in production long before the EM catapult became a thing, though he has not specified when, or even if the steam catapult really was ordered.
This conflicts with what we've seen lately regarding the manufacturing of components for the electromagnetic catapult. All things considered, what type of catapult the first 002 will use is still up in the air, but there is a strong possibility that the second 002 will use electromagnetic catapults.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
I.e. the PLAN found the EMALS-like system to be superior but went with the cheaper, more conservative choice.
Not necessarily because of that. Fzgfzy's information indicates that CV-18 might have steam catapults simply because it was ready sooner and the navy placed an order before the competition finished. To change to EMALS now would require either cancelling the order which would upset a lot of suppliers or to relegate the system to disuse which would be very wasteful.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Now, one has to ask the question: why would the PLAN place an order for a product that, at the time, was still in bidding? This leads to the conclusion that (1) the EMALS-versus-steam competition took place long before than what is believed, (2) re-adapting the CV-18 design to suit an EMALS would be tedious and time-consuming, or (3) the PLAN conducted a review of both systems, concluded that EMALS was superior, but still stuck with the steam cats due to cost, experience, or logistic issues.
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A question about the post by "fgzfzy": is it possible that the "parts ordered for the steam catapult" were meant for one of the test facilities or were these parts ordered by the shipyard that would install them in the carrier ?
If the parts were for a test facility, it would be consistent both with the suggested timing (some years ago) and the rumour that the EM catapult won the competition.
As jobjed said, not necessarily.
See this reply of mine in the 002 thread:
https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/pl...lopment-news-thread.t8048/page-61#post-445418
I always have the question as why over the sudden people begin to say that the narrow track is steam for what evidence or leaked information.
Let me try to list the history of identification.Hmmmm ...
Following OedoSoldier's post a test-trolley is ready to be tested on the EMALS ...
View attachment 37503
But wasn't the one on the left (or here on top) said to be the EMALS, the one with the J-15A and UAV being tested??
View attachment 37504
1. When the narrow track showed up in Shanghai many years ago, it was called EMALS.
2. When the broader track showed up in Wuhan from 2015/2016, the voice of Shanghai site being Steam arises.
3. When the Huludao site was nearing completion and two tracks showed up. The words is "competition of Steam vs. EM". As the broad track is close in dimension to Wuhan track which is almost certain to be EM, the broad one was determined to be EM, so there is an ongoing saying that the narrow one being steam. The saying may not get attention in this forum, but it is widely said in Chinese forums.
Hmmmm ...
Following OedoSoldier's post a test-trolley is ready to be tested on the EMALS ...
View attachment 37503
But wasn't the one on the left (or here on top) said to be the EMALS, the one with the J-15A and UAV being tested??
View attachment 37504
No idea, there are rumours and arguments for either or.
I think more important is that we don't assume that just because we have images of J-15A and the UAV behind one of the catapults, doesn't mean the other hasn't also tested the same aircraft.
After all fzgfzy is saying the catapult competition is finished, and both catapults completed construction at about the same time based on satellite images as well.
So I think it should be safe to assume that both catapults there have already tested aircraft as part of the competition, and that any satellite photos we have of them with aircraft or test trolleys does not mean it is the "first" time they're being tested nor does it mean the other catapult has not been tested with an aircraft or test trolley... it merely means the satellite happened to capture a single second of snapshot from a single day, but it doesn't tell us what the rest of the day or the rest of all the days as part of the competition consisted of.