JayBird
Junior Member
The picture was posted today, but it doesn't mean it was taken more recent than the other pic eariler. These pics are from different posters and different forum.
PLAN Aircraft Carrier programme...(Closed)
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The picture was posted today, but it doesn't mean it was taken more recent than the other pic eariler. These pics are from different posters and different forum.
JayBird
Junior Member
That's a very good point, right now all we see is the hanger floor level. So.. of course there is no openings for the elevators right now.
Still too soon to tell for sure either way.
If this was built up to the Hanger Deck, the supporting structure for the elevators would be seen...and I do not see them. But that does not mean it is built up that high yet.
In addition, I do still see the large open/vacant areas in the center, which still tends to have me lean away from a carrier.
Time will tell all.
Not so.That's a very good point, right now all we see is the hanger floor level. So.. of course there is no openings for the elevators right now.
As I have said, I wave watched carrier construction for the last 30 years...including here on SD every picture we could get of the Liaoning while it was being refit .
The structure and openings for the elevators extend well below the hanger deck for these vessels, including US carriers.
Many folks were not here during that refit...or for that matter, for the construction of the Kuznetsov and Varyag (which became the Liaoning) themselves by the USSR.
Here's a picture of the Liaoning looking at the starboard side of the vessel. notice the location of the hanger deck and the cutouts/structure for the elevators extending below it.
JayBird
Junior Member
Not so.
As I have said, I wave watched carrier construction for the last 30 years...including here on SD every picture we could get of the Liaoning while it was being refit .
The structure and openings for the elevators extend well below the hanger deck for these vessels, including US carriers.
Many folks were not here during that refit...or for that matter, for the construction of the Kuznetsov and Varyag (which became the Liaoning) themselves by the USSR.
Here's a picture of the Liaoning looking at the starboard side of the vessel. notice the location of the hanger deck and the cutouts/structure for the elevators extending below it.
From the picture you just posted the structure and openings for the elevators does extend below the hanger deck, but it's not nearly as big of an opening at the hanger deck level.
You can see the elevator kind of extend out to the sea at the hanger level in this pic. You would only see these huge openings the same size as the elevator at the higher level all the way to the flight deck. You will barely notice that opening from the port side far away with all the clutter blocking the view. It looks to be about 1/8 of the size of the elevator's opening at hanger level.
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Well all answers to question will be answered soon as this unit is moving fast
I have seen that pic many times.
The point is, for those knowing what to look for, the support structure to allow for the elevators would be there and would be noticeable.
I simply do not see it at this stage.
Either they have not gotten to that level in the building yet...or it is not there. As I said, at this point, I cannot say which it is.
Even at this kind of early stage of construction, if it were an LHD we would likely see a well deck and we do not see one.
They're still in early stages of construction -- the bow isn't even attached yet, so of course the hull is still relatively straight and there is no flight deck.
But if we look at other pictures of higher resolution, they actually show that the beginnings of the more bow part of the ship is starting to taper off.
Given the stage in construction that they're at, it's still too early to say that it probably isn't a carrier.
However I will say that we can probably be certain that this thing probably isn't an LHD (no well deck, which should have appeared by now).
The hull form doesn't seem too similar to that of bulk carriers or liquid carriers, and it seems like there is a lot of complicated internal work being done in the compartments right now which would also be somewhat unexpected in bulk or liquid carriers... but obviously we can't rule out the possibility.
We really have no idea what the time between the two pictures was taken is.
And at this stage it seems like they're doing a lot of work inside the large compartments of the hull, which we cannot see from photos anyway.
At present I think the highest point of the carrier is maybe a deck or two below the actual hangar deck, at least. i.e.: once they seal up the open compartments that they're working on there will probably be a few additional decks above it before they actually build the hangar deck itself.
Also, we should recall that we may not see the supporting structure for the elevators very well; the elevators will probably be on the starboard side of the ship, and most of our pictures are looking towards the port side, so we will likely only get pictures of the elevators and the supporting structures of the elevator once they are well into construction.
The supporting structures for the elevators are also probably going to be relatively late additions in the ship's construction schedule; chances are we will see the "walls" of the hangar come up first before we see the side additional elevator structures on the side of the hull, like below for ford class:
or for a cvf module:
So, based on this, I propose another way of positively identifying the ship as a carrier -- after the open compartments are sealed up and after construction reaches the hangar deck level, we will start to see "walls" coming up on the side's of the ship to create a "hangar," that would be very strong indication that this is a CV.
(Of course, a hangar could also suggest it is an LHA, but really we have no rumours to suggest the ship at DL is an LHA, so while it may be academically useful to consider that suggestion there is no practical reason for us to give it any credence)
Like it's been said, the openings/compartments are probably because they're still doing work there. I expect that if this ship is a carrier, then in time the openings will be sealed up and they will continue building the ship "upwards".
If the opening compartments are never sealed up and the ship is launched open, then that would suggest that this thing isn't a carrier.
I feel like pointing out the openings/compartments in the ship at present is not a very useful point of support or contention regarding whether the hull is a carrier or not, because there is no reason why such open compartments can not exist in a carrier's construction at this stage.
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