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It's all right for you 'eros, but at my level there's a lot to be said for 'inshallah' or "OK God, I have control" when working with this sort of optimistic technology.God bless Doug Taylor - RIP 2019, age 89. He was 831 Squadron AEO in 1961-62 and 'Flight Deck Engineer Officer' of the Vic, as the FAAOA story below relates.

Lt Cdr Douglas Taylor - The Ski Jump

Lt Cdr Doug Taylor RN, the inventor of the ski jump, was a former deck officer aboard HMS Victorious in the sixties who was seeking an alternative to the Steam Catapult after witnessing the failure of the cats due to excessive heat in the far east. The runners either side of the cat slots had expanded due to the heat and the alert fighters could not be launched, so Taylor ordered the fire hoses to be turned on the deck to cool it down. Realising an alternative system with no moving parts would be desirable, he worked on his thesis at Southampton University and came up with a paper he called 'The Runway in The Sky', published in 1973.

HMS Invincible, lead ship of the class was laid down in 73, and launched in 77, without a ski jump (added during the fitting out stage). The ski jump was an upward-curving ramp at the end of the Short Take-Off run which imparted a positive vertical velocity to the aircraft. As well as offering more payload, the ski jump enhances safety because the aircraft is going upwards as it leaves the end of the ramp, giving more time to eject in the event of a problem. Initially, 7° ramps were fitted to Invincible and Illustrious, and Hermes and Ark Royal got 12° ramps. Later Invincible and Illustrious were refitted with 12° ramps.

On 30 October 1980, the test pilot, Lt Cdr David Poole from Boscombe Down, flying XZ439 made the first Sea Harrier launch from a ski jump at sea, from HMS Invincible.

LFH
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Mogwi (Post 11059984)

There is a small advantage in launching conventional aircraft from a ramp because the first few seconds of flight are partially ballistic, giving the aircraft time to accelerate to above stalling speed. Mog

Thanks for that. Sounds to me as if a full fuel and weapons load could easily make it all pretty marginal.
On the subject of Harrier take-off performance, at Gioia del Colle in Aug 1995 (v.hot) we were filming Jaguars and Harriers on OP DELIBERATE FORCE for HQSTC. To catch the Jaguars getting airborne we had to position a long way down the runway. The Harriers were at about 500’ by the time they went past!

China ma6 be rethinking building CVA004 as a nuclear carrier, plus an update on CVA003.

https://min.news/en/military/e738f73...047e57bab.html

The 003 aircraft carrier will be launched. When will the 004 nuclear-powered aircraft carrier start?The conclusion may be unexpected

https://inf.news/en/military/43ca68f...c568c27a6.html

https://inf.news/en/military/5ef07d4...61cfa39c4.html

Reports that the construction equipment being cleared from the dry dock on carrier 003 with launch being imminent.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/a...craft-carrier/

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d9fbb36fc.jpeg

I'd suspect she'll be launched around 1st October - National Day

Nope, already launched. Time & tide wait for no man….

Quote:

https://twitter.com/navylookout/stat...GhyKM6AHXg0lJA

China’s first conventional aircraft carrier "Fujian” is out of dock and afloat. (Second in size only to US Ford/Nimitz class).

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....15b97eab6.jpeg

"I'd suspect she'll be launched around 1st October - National Day"

Well that was wrong!! Thanks Spaz - they clearly can't wait for her!!

I like the look of that island as well

Quote:

https://twitter.com/realairpower1/st...oSgUfwc-h908HQ

. On edge! A PLAN Shenyang J-15 aboard the aircraft carrier Liaoning. Notice that even the horizontal stabilisers are foldable? Yup, the J-15 is that big!

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5e43f840f.jpeg

Military Origami ... I like it!

Chinese Naval Modernization In 2023 Reviewed 03 Jan 2024
"...For carrier- and amphibious capability one of two headliners for Chinese naval modernization in 2023 was, as expected, again the third aircraft carrier Fujian. The first of her class, featuring electromagnetic catapults for conventional take off and arrested landing (CATOBAR) of fixed wing combat aircraft, continued her fitting-out at Jiangnan in Shanghai. Most importantly in November Fujian had begun with the first dead load-catapult test launches. The step underscores steady progress towards an expected first sea trial in 2024. Over the last few days of December tugboats towed the carrier back into drydock. The rationale for this move remains unknown. However it seems plausible that the hull will receive a thorough clean and inspection preparing Fujian for her sea trials next year [2024]...."
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...2023-reviewed/
Same PHOTO as above: "Chinese carrier Fujian being towed back into drydock December 2023. Source: Chinese social media." https://www.navalnews.com/wp-content...21rp0zu7jq.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by ORAC (Post 11566529)

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....bf9a8bdd5.jpeg

J-15 (mock-up?) on the back

I would imagine they have various airframes for checks on lifts, electrical connectors, EM interference checks etc.

Plus they’ll need to check datalinks for navigation systems, mission system updates etc.

That ship isn't at deep displacement yet by a long chalk. She's going to have problems with slamming on the sponsons - freeboard looks way too low.

NAB - that's a very interesting observation and possibly something they haven't thought through. Any suggestions as to what restrictions that might put on her deployment when fully equipped?

Quote:

NAB - that's a very interesting observation and possibly something they haven't thought through.

Serves them right for not checking with PPRuNE first.

Appalling isn't it? They probably checked with the Daily Mail tho'...............

On her way to dry dock for hull inspection before sea trials later in the year.

How much difference t9 displacement will a full fuel, weapons, supplies, aircraft, manpower etc make?

(IIRC the T41s had to maintain a minimum of a 50% fuel load later in life, once they received a heavier radar antenna which made them top heavy?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ORAC (Post 11569008)

On her way to dry dock for hull inspection before sea trials later in the year.<br /><br />How much difference t9 displacement will a full fuel, weapons, supplies, aircraft, manpower etc make?<br /><br />(IIRC the T41s had to maintain a minimum of a 50% fuel load later in life, once they received a heavier radar antenna which made them top heavy?)

Depends on the endurance figures (for both ship and air wing) primarily. But I'd expect to see something north of 10-12000 tonnes of additional weight at least. Based on length of 300m by beam of 39m that's likely to have her sitting around 1.5 m deeper in the water. Now - the immediate photos above are a little misleading compared to the distance shot in Oracs post #106 from June. However, those sponsons in way of the lifts and the one 20% aft of the bow do look as if they'll be a slamming risk in higher sea states.