Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park
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Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park
Hi Guys, I don't post very often here (aircraft engineer doing nights), but I thought you might be interested in these pics of a fascinating and strange place I visited last year in China. The centerpiece of the Binhai theme park is the titular aircraft carrier, the Soviet Navy's Kiev. The park itself has a Russian theme, complete with kitsch and Ukrainian girls serving pirogi and matrushka dolls from within faux Russian stores, but its the military hardware on site that is of interest. A number of Shenyang J-6s in rough condition, as well as a few armoured vehicles, a destroyer and submarine to complement the Kiev. The park is within the Tianjin Economic Development Area, or TEDA in the Binhai New Area on the Bohai Sea coast. Go to Beijing South train station and catch a bullet train to Tanggu (50 minutes at 300 kph, maybe faster now some restrictions on speeds have been lifted), not Tianjin, because you still have to get from Tianjin to Tanngu any ways, then get a taxi or rely on public transport that might take hours. Photos:
Shenyang J-6 garden ornaments, MiG-19 copies, there are lots of these around the park (and everywhere you go with an aviation bent in China)
"Kiev" I remember seeing grainy pictures of this ship and her sister Minsk, also in China but no longer on public display, in books about Soviet technology and marvelling at their weapons fit and VTOL jets.
Entry is via the torpedo room. Note the extensive sensor fit on its superstructure.
The Kiev's main armament was its P-500 cruise missiles. These were supersonic and the ship had eight launchers, plus reloads, making the ship a formidable foe. Its aviation element was only a support role to its primary mission, anti-ship/anti-submarine and these bad boys were virtually unstoppable once launched.
The Chinese have sought to distort the Kiev's internals with their own alterations; this is the hangar deck, which is full of mock-ups of aircraft that don't belong in a Soviet carrier, including this J-10, which was not carrier capable. Deck level lift above.
This carrier is sponsored by Coca Cola! The aircraft are Nanchang Q-5s, again not carrier capable.
The Kiev was bought by an entertainment consortium in 1996 with the intent to convert it into a hotel, but to this day, only a few rooms have been converted and has not seen paying customers. Its been a theme park since 2004.
Obligatory self defence daleks. Years before the West cottoned on to their value, Soviet ships were festooned with these six barrel fully automated rotary guns for close in defence. The Kiev has eight of them.
The single concession to accuracy is the Yak-38 mock-up at the end of the Q-5s. Receiving more than a little criticism from the West, the Yak-38 was a rather underwhelming aircraft; it had no search radar, so was designed as an attack aircraft only and it couldn't operate with a full warload in a warm climate. It could carry IR AAMs, but for shooting down AWACs and helicopters, rather than enemy fighters. Its primary role was in support of the anti-ship element of the Kiev's role. Deck lift at bottom right.
Bridge clock.
The foc'sle was where the Kiev kept her primary weapons, which were extensive. P-500 launchers, SAM and ASW rocket launchers visible.
Despite being nearly gutted as a result of efforts to turn it into a hotel, the Kiev still impresses from the outside.
Link to more images:
Shenyang J-6 garden ornaments, MiG-19 copies, there are lots of these around the park (and everywhere you go with an aviation bent in China)
"Kiev" I remember seeing grainy pictures of this ship and her sister Minsk, also in China but no longer on public display, in books about Soviet technology and marvelling at their weapons fit and VTOL jets.
Entry is via the torpedo room. Note the extensive sensor fit on its superstructure.
The Kiev's main armament was its P-500 cruise missiles. These were supersonic and the ship had eight launchers, plus reloads, making the ship a formidable foe. Its aviation element was only a support role to its primary mission, anti-ship/anti-submarine and these bad boys were virtually unstoppable once launched.
The Chinese have sought to distort the Kiev's internals with their own alterations; this is the hangar deck, which is full of mock-ups of aircraft that don't belong in a Soviet carrier, including this J-10, which was not carrier capable. Deck level lift above.
This carrier is sponsored by Coca Cola! The aircraft are Nanchang Q-5s, again not carrier capable.
The Kiev was bought by an entertainment consortium in 1996 with the intent to convert it into a hotel, but to this day, only a few rooms have been converted and has not seen paying customers. Its been a theme park since 2004.
Obligatory self defence daleks. Years before the West cottoned on to their value, Soviet ships were festooned with these six barrel fully automated rotary guns for close in defence. The Kiev has eight of them.
The single concession to accuracy is the Yak-38 mock-up at the end of the Q-5s. Receiving more than a little criticism from the West, the Yak-38 was a rather underwhelming aircraft; it had no search radar, so was designed as an attack aircraft only and it couldn't operate with a full warload in a warm climate. It could carry IR AAMs, but for shooting down AWACs and helicopters, rather than enemy fighters. Its primary role was in support of the anti-ship element of the Kiev's role. Deck lift at bottom right.
Bridge clock.
The foc'sle was where the Kiev kept her primary weapons, which were extensive. P-500 launchers, SAM and ASW rocket launchers visible.
Despite being nearly gutted as a result of efforts to turn it into a hotel, the Kiev still impresses from the outside.
Link to more images:
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 21st May 2018 at 02:48. Reason: Fix double image links
